By Philip Pollard Philip Pollard’s Phd thesis, Campus as Place, on the transformation of Newcastle University into one of the world’s leading sustainability exemplars, is a rare insight into the enormous complexities – human and technological – that need to managed, nurtured and coaxed into a creative outcome. In the last issue of The Fifth Estate, the thesis together with new observations by Mr Pollard, backed by Glenn Murcutt, one of Australia’s leading architects, formed the basis of an explosive story that claimed recent actions by the university administration had caused vast environmental damage. Following is Chapter 1 of Campus as Place From garbage tip to bio-diverse wetlands Chapter Two Chapter Three The former University of Newcastle was amalgamated with the Hunter Institute of Higher Education and the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in late 1989, a move strongly encouraged (in essence compelled) by the Federal Minister for Education at the time, John Dawkins.... 
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By Philip Pollard Chapter One: From garbage tip to bio-diverse wetlands Philip Pollard’s Phd thesis, Campus as Place, on the transformation of  the University of Newcastle into one of the world’s leading sustainability exemplars, is a rare insight into the enormous complexities – human and technological – that need to managed, nurtured and coaxed into a creative outcome. In the last issue of The Fifth Estate, the thesis together with observations by Mr Pollard, backed by Glenn Murcutt, one of Australia’s leading architects, formed the basis of an explosive story that claimed recent actions by the university administration had caused vast environmental damage. The former University of Newcastle was amalgamated with the Hunter Institute of Higher Education and the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in late 1989, a move strongly encouraged (in essence compelled) by the Federal Minister for Education at the time, John Dawkins. As I learned firsthand when I joined the newly amalgamated... 
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The cylindrical skeleton of a former giant oil tank stands sentinel at the newly opened Ballast Point Park in Sydney’s inner west Balmain. Encrypted into the metal through punctured holes are the words of poet Les Murray: Stone statues of ancient waves, tongue like dingoes on shore. It’s an artistic finial to a harbourside park with more creative feeling than most, designed by landscape architects McGregor Coxall. But it comes after a lengthy and bitterly fought battle by residents to stop development on the site and an equally bitter battle by Lang Walker’s Walker Corporation for compensation after he bought an option to develop the site. And the compensation matter is still not resolved. In 2004 it was set at $43.4 million but was subsequently challenged in the High Court which sent the matter back to the NSW Land and Environment Court for reconsideration. Walker Corporation declined to comment on the issue. Today, you can picnic on the spot blissfully unaware of its tough and... 
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From the New York Times - 10 August 2009 -  GDP measures activity not benefit, like a cheque book that records all activity, including repairs to damaged property. It tells you nothing about whether you are better off this year or worse. And the value of natural capital, such as drying your washing in the sun, or the lost New Orleans wetlands, carved up for development, that could have prevented some of the $82 billion of damages from Hurricane Katrina, is not counted at all, argues Eric Zencey  Read more >>>  
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by Tina Perinotto - 11 August 2009 - (Updated) John Tabbart, the man who got Melbourne’s Docklands off the ground and then went on to run VicUrban, and more gigs in the UK and Middle East, is in Sydney heading up the Barangaroo Delivery Authority that will transform the CBD’s last remaining brownfield site, its former working harbour. At the Property Council lunch last Friday Tabbart spoke for close to 30 minutes if you include questions, but true to form he gave nothing away. Or next to nothing. You had to read between the lines to see what was going on. Occasionally you could read the lines themselves. Here was a spectacular 22 hectare site at the city’s edge that had the potential to be the grand vision buried in its bones. But could it/would it? “It’s very important we get this absolutely right,” he told the packed Westin Hotel lunch crowd. “Sydney needs transformation today. It’s not what Sydney can do for Barangaroo, it’s what Barangaroo can do for Sydney.” The... 
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By Tina Perinotto 30 July 2009 – [Updated 9 August 2009] -  One of Australia’s leading architects, Glenn Murcutt, has described as “unbelievable” that one of his earliest and most important buildings at the University of Newcastle campus has been “destroyed” by alterations carried out without his consent or consultation. Professor Murcutt, winner of the international Pritzker prize and the Australian Institute of Architects gold Medal Award, also said the current administration at the university had “desecrated sculptures” and the ”most beautiful landscape” and called for the site to be listed. The comments come as Philip Pollard, chief designer and leader of the university’s sustainability agenda, which gained world renown during his tenure between 1990 to 2005, claimed that the university had failed to maintain its leadership position in key areas of sustainability such as energy and respect for design integrity of buildings. In addition, Mr Pollard said that... 
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By Tina Perinotto 30 July 2009 – [Updated 9 August 2009] -  One of Australia’s leading architects, Glenn Murcutt, has described as “unbelievable” that one of his earliest and most important buildings at the University of Newcastle campus has been “destroyed” by alterations carried out without his consent or consultation. Professor Murcutt, winner of the international Pritzker prize and the Australian Institute of Architects gold Medal Award, also said the current administration at the university had “desecrated sculptures” and the ”most beautiful landscape” and called for the site to be listed. The comments come as Philip Pollard, chief designer and leader of the university’s sustainability agenda, which gained world renown during his tenure between 1990 to 2005, claimed that the university had failed to maintain its leadership position in key areas of sustainability such as energy and respect for design integrity of buildings. In addition, Mr Pollard said that... 
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The Ecovillage at Currumbin on the southern Gold Coast is in its final development phase, 14 years after the idea was first hatched by Landmatters’ Chris Walton, Kerry Shepherd and Colin Bear. Located in the Currumbin Valley, The Ecovillage claims to have “pioneered how we must live today, and in the future, at a time when climate change and sustainable economics are the number one global issues.” Primarily, the development emphasises living in harmony with the surrounding environment…and fellow human beings all through the simple mantra of design excellence. According to Chris Walton, The Ecovillage is essentially just a well designed sub-division. It uses innovative, yet practical, sustainable principles that encompass orientation, design of the home, water conservation, and insulation. Walton believes the Ecovillage development is the future of the housing industry. “The community based model that we have created at The Ecovillage, which is essentially just a very well... 
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Work on Sydney Olympic Park for the V8 Supercar race in December was in “resolute conflict with the designs and outcomes of the site” - By Tina Perinotto - 28 July – The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects has accused the NSW government of turning its back on Sydney’s Green Olympics by allowing destructive and potentially risky work to proceed in order to accommodate the V8 supercar race in December this year. Sacha Coles, President of the AILA NSW Group, said work at the park, which involved removal of trees and risks including potential damage to the innovative water treatment system, was in “resolute conflict with the designs and outcomes of the site.” His words were contained in a strongly-argued letter sent to the state government’s Homebush Motor Racing Authority chief executive officer, Bryan Hardman, and copied to Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally and Chief executive officer of Sydney Olympic Park, Alan Marsh. ( see full text of letter here.) Asked... 
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by Tina Perinotto - 24 July 2009 – President of the NSW Local Government Association, Genia McCaffery, said the regional planning panels announced today by state government would deny residents their democratic rights and would duplicate existing planning processes, at taxpayer expense. NSW Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally today announced the appointment of 23 panel members who would work in six Joint Regional Planning Panels covering the state. “The new panels, which will start making decisions from as early as next month, include three State Government appointed members and two members appointed from a relevant local council,” Ms Keneally said. The panels would determine development proposals with a value between $10-100 million, subdivisions of more than 250 lots and specialist development proposals such as eco-tourism, with a value in excess of $5 million, Ms Keneally said. They would also determine development applications worth more than $5 million for community infrastructure... 
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BRIEF: 16 July 2009 – Environmental impact assessments for new developments are expected to be more streamlined following bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and all Australian states and territories, with Victoria and the ACT both signing agreements in the past month. The signing of the agreements fulfils a goal set out by COAG. Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, said there would also be room to further minimise red tape. “This is a great step forward and I am very pleased that more streamlined environmental processes are now in place Australia wide,” Minister Garrett said. Victoria and the ACT can now run a single environmental assessment process for projects that require environmental approval at both a federal and a state/territory level. This assessment can then be used by both levels of government in making separate approval decisions. “Bilateral assessment agreements cut out unnecessary duplication and are a more efficient way of ensuring we uphold... 
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by Lynne Blundell Sydney’s laneways are about to get a sustainable makeover, adorned with everything from silver birch forests, canopies of bird cages, giant fluorescent light tubes, a mini outdoor cinema and a seven metre high bar to highlight climate change. Laneways by George! Hidden Networks is the City of Sydney’s second annual display aimed at highlighting Sydney’s hidden places. Eight projects were chosen out of 68 submissions. Each focuses on collaboration, sustainability and the changing role of public spaces, and has been created by interdisciplinary teams including artists, architects, urban designers, landscape architects and others such as musicians, poets, a scientist and a lawyer. The eight projects were chosen by curator and urban designer Steffen Lehmann and the City’s Public Art Panel. City of Sydney Mayor, Clover Moore, said the council received more than 500 registrations and 68 submissions for project with many inspiring high quality temporary artworks. “These... 
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By Tina Perinotto With climate change, “maps are political bombshells”. The speaker is Donovan Burton, head of local government and urban planning for Climate Risk Pty Ltd. Burton is talking about the type of maps institutional property infrastructure owners are now commissioning to assess their specific risk in the medium term with climate change. A general climate change map produced, by organisations such as CSIRO, that shows the potential rise in water levels, storm surges or rainfall patterns can be misleading if it not tailored to the specific locations and requirements of the client, Burton says. “They might see lines drawn in the sand and make a decision without looking at the inherent uncertainties associated with it. “It impacts on property values.” On 29 July Climate Risk will host a high level conference in North Sydney for professionals in the insurance, legal and infrastructure fields to better understand the risks that are emerging for infrastructure, in particular... 
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2 July 2009 – The Green Building Council of Australia said its new Green Star – Multi Unit Residential v1 rating tool, released today, could be used as a way to allocate bonus floor areas, fast assessment of development applications and cash incentives for green developments. Chief executive officer of the GBCA, Romilly Madew, said that her council did not advocate Green Star as a mandatory regulation tool, but it did “encourage Green Star as a support mechanism for incentives.” “The GBCA is currently in discussion with a number of authorities on how to apply the Green Star – Multi Unit Residential v1 rating tool to the allocation of bonus floor areas, fast assessment of development applications and cash incentives for green developments,” Ms Madew said. “We are confident that the Green Star – Multi Unit Residential v1 tool will deliver a single third party certification that the residential market can understand and trust, and that property developers can use to demonstrate... 
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by Lynne Blundell In a perfect world Sam Capelli, environment manager with City of Ryde Council, would like to see local government sustainability requirements for developments pushed much higher. But in this far from perfect world, where developers and residents baulk at paying extra for green, he knows he has to settle for compromise. After all, he points out to The Fifth Estate, sustainability is about people as well as the environment. The City of Ryde is part of a growing body of NSW local councils pushing for higher standards of sustainable development through its updated Local Environment Plan (LEP), incorporating a raft of energy and water conservation measures as well as incentives for developers to be more sustainable. The Ryde precinct contains the Macquarie Park region, targeted in the NSW government’s Sydney Metropolitan Strategy for significant growth. Under the planning strategy the “global economic corridor” stretching from Macquarie Park to the CBD and through to... 
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by Michael Mobbs… 18 June – Are you marching in step with the wrong crowd?  If you’re besotted with Kyoto dreaming, probably. What do you make of these facts? At Observatory Hill, Sydney, a weather station beside Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, the ambient or background temperature rose 1.5 degrees in the last 100 years. Of that 0.5 degrees of that was due to climate change, and 1 degree was due to black roads, dark roofs and lack of tree cover In the years 1965 to 2001 – 36 years – the number of very hot (above 35c) days per year in Sydney’s coastal areas rose by 22 per cent, but in western Sydney (where most new housing is being built) they rose by 250 per cent – from 5 to 15 days The design of roads, roofs, and trees in the landscape is increasing the temperatures of cities, subdivisions, houses, offices faster than climate change The higher the city temperatures the more aircon used and the more coal-fired power burnt None of Australia’s red tape... 
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Grocon is developing a supportive housing project for Melbourne’s homeless at cost, in a partnership with the State Government and Yarra Community Housing. CEO Daniel Grollo said Grocon would provide a project manager and other experienced staff to deliver the project, which is due to start later this year. “It’s a great model for us to be involved with, as we hope we can bring design, development and construction skills to the table to assist in ensuring the right outcome for homeless people,” he said. “From what we know of supportive housing models overseas, it can provide a way for the long term homeless to break out of that cycle, which starts with having a place they can call their own.” Supportive housing was pioneered in New York in the early 1990s, the first building a refurbished hotel near Times Square. Since then the number of homeless living rough on the streets has dropped dramatically. The project involves building around 120 units over 10 levels, providing support... 
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by Perentie Sydney’s Cumberland Plain is often cited in anti development cases. So why is it so special? Partly it’s the value of its underlying soil type. The geology of the Sydney Basin commenced nearly 300 million years ago as a shallow seabed, followed by river and swamp environments.  These marine sediments formed what we now call Hawkesbury Sandstone and the river and swamp environments resulted in shale soils plus the economically important coal deposits. As a sweeping generalisation the two main soil types of the Sydney Basin are the sandstones and the shales. Of the two, the shales are better suited to agriculture; consequently, following the initial European settlement, they were extensively cleared. The sandstone soils around the original Farm Cove, now part of the CBD, were a contributing factor in the crop failures of early European settlement. When the European settlers arrived the Cumberland Plain Woodland was estimated to cover 30 per cent of the Sydney Basin.... 
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By Tina Perinotto… 27 May  – Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, has hailed the Productivity Commission’s view that the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is economically irresponsible, as further evidence that the scheme is flawed. Today’s newspapers are debating whether the scheme could trigger an early election because of the refusal of the Opposition and the Coalition to pass legislation for the scheme. But according to Senator Milne, the CPRS is seriously flawed and should be replaced by a better system, in any case. “There are economic, social and environmental opportunity costs when Governments spend billions of dollars propping up old polluters when those resources are desperately needed for transforming the economy into a carbon neutral powerhouse,” Senator Milne said today in a media statement today (27 May). The CPRS would “impose additional costs” on other industries, Senator Milne said, quoting the Productivity Commission. “They... 
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By Tina Perinotto… 27 May  – Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, has hailed the Productivity Commission’s view that the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is economically irresponsible, as further evidence that the scheme is flawed. Today’s newspapers are debating whether the scheme could trigger an early election because of the refusal of the Opposition and the Coalition to pass legislation for the scheme. But according to Senator Milne, the CPRS is seriously flawed and should be replaced by a better system, in any case. “There are economic, social and environmental opportunity costs when Governments spend billions of dollars propping up old polluters when those resources are desperately needed for transforming the economy into a carbon neutral powerhouse,” Senator Milne said today in a media statement today (27 May). The CPRS would “impose additional costs” on other industries, Senator Milne said, quoting the Productivity Commission. “They... 
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By Greg Paine… Walk With the Elephant- fourth in a series of articles… Sustainable development is about a whole:  about seeing things systemically and with regard to all the connections – and implications – of what we do. Critically, it also is about exploring the variety of solutions that are usually available to any problem or task and which are invariably embedded within this whole, if only we look beyond our usual habits and answers. But the contemporary Western tradition has, for some time, eschewed the whole in favour of the powerful tool of understanding and invention that is the breaking down and analysis of something by its parts.  And as the issues  – like sustainable development itself  – get larger, the predilection for addressing such large questions and dilemmas via a process of fragmentation into ever smaller, seemingly manageable parts only seems to grow. In turn, specialisations concentrate on (usually) one only of these parts to the neglect of... 
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by Lynne Blundell… With the deadline passed for submissions to the Federal Government on its proposed mandatory disclosure scheme for commercial building energy efficiency, the jury is out on what the final result will be. Many of the submissions have called for fundamental changes to the scheme. The most common objection is that building owners will be answerable for the energy use of tenants. Another key concern is the way the scheme will assess energy use of tenants. Under the proposed scheme tenant and base building energy efficiency ratings are being considered. The NABERS rating system, which is suggested for use in the scheme, looks at base building, tenancy and whole building. Base building ratings provide an indication of the efficiency of all house services such as air conditioning, common lighting, lifts, pumps, core facilities and carparking. NABERS tenancy ratings assess tenant lighting, supplementary airconditioning, communications, computers and other equipment associated... 
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By Liz Morgan Mopoke left the comfort of her warm, but sparsely lined, nesting hollow high up in a towering she-oak after a letter arrived by pigeon post, inviting her to attend the NSW Sustainable Development Conference in Sydney this month (May 12 and 13). Being a principally solitary soul, this was an intimidating proposition to consider: flying six kilometres into the CBD; finding the Cockle Bay venue and making sure to enter through an open door and not go splat into a plate-glass window; introducing herself to other delegates; minding her manners at lunch (would there be anything live to eat, she wondered) and thinking of something wise to ask the speakers. Her instinct was to tuck her head under her wing and stay in her safe, known world, but after reading what the conference was about, she had to go; no question. The future of her own small universe depended on decisions made by the kinds of people who attended such important functions. Here was an opportunity to hear, at first... 
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by Tina Perinotto John Thwaites is the sort of man you instantly want on your side. Charming, practiced eyeball-to-eyeball networker, he cuts a swathe through any room. At one of the more difficult technical sessions at the Green Cities Conference in Brisbane this year, Thwaites looked every bit as if this was the most fascinating engagement he’s had. For Thwaites, former Victorian deputy premier,  planning, environment and climate change minister and barrister, there’s no faking it. Thwaites was frustrated in the shackles of his roles as a politician and his current commitments reveals this. Squeezing in an interview with TFE before rushing off to meet with climate scientists, Thwaites now holds as many action-driven climate change roles as he can handle. He is Professorial Fellow at Monash University and Chair of the Monash Sustainability Institute as well as of the The Climate Group in Australia and a member of the board of the Green Building Council of Australia. Recently he... 
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Part 3 of a snapshot view of China’s sustainability challenge by Australian landscape designer, Chris Miller. In my last piece I talked about the extensive landscaping of the tower block development, Huafa New Town, located in the city of Zhuhai in Guandong province. While being visually rich, Huafa New Town is something that is not so unexpected, knowing the heady state of China’s economy. Huafa Ecological Manor is another thing altogether. Designed by US architects Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) and Fiji architects, AP, with landscape design by Belt Collins International (Singapore) the name makes some big claims. Situated in countryside near the city of Zhongshan, an hour’s drive from Zhuhai and equidistant from the much larger city of Guangzhou, the feeling on approach is one of dislocation. This is a gated community for rich people. The dwellings are large with familiar architectural features, yet with a Chinese cast; the houses sit well in the landscape. Inside,... 
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by Lynne Blundell The Sydney Coastal Councils Group’s (SCCG) recently released report on adapting to climate change outlines the difficulties councils face in tackling rising sea levels, flooding, storm damage and increased bushfire incidence. The report, Case Studies of Adaptive Capacity is the result of a two year project by CSIRO, the University of the Sunshine Coast and WWF Australia. It contains numerous in-depth, anonymous interviews with local government workers on the front-line of climate change adaptation in three municipalities – Mosman, Leichhardt and Sutherland Shire. The report makes six key recommendations for councils: • “Know Your Enemy” – improve understanding of social and ecological vulnerability • “Plan for Change” – build climate change into planning frameworks • “Get Smart” – develop education and outreach programs • “Act, Watch and Learn” – monitor, evaluate and report • “Put the House in Order” – develop internal... 
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Dr Ken Yeang is one of the world’s leading architects. Here are his views on architecture for the serious challenges that lie ahead for the planet and design… “We start by looking at nature. Nature without humans exists in stasis. Can our businesses and our built environment imitate nature’s processes, structure, and functions, particularly of its ecosystems?” Ken Yeang on green design For the designer, the compelling question is: How do we design for a sustainable future? Industries face similar concerns of seeking to understand the environmental consequences of their business, to envision what their business might be if it were sustainable, and to find ways to realise this vision with ecologically benign strategies, new business models, production systems, materials and processes. An ecological approach to our businesses and design is ultimately about environmental integration. If we are able to integrate our business processes and design and everything we do or... 
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by Chris Miller Part 2 of a snapshot view of China’s sustainability challenge … The urban fabric of modern Chinese cities changes at an amazing rate. The same strictures and checks on the development process that we’re used to do not apply to many of the jurisdictions in China. When a development is approved nothing will stand in its way, whether that is the physical or cultural environment, or people. In Zhuhai, hills and historic housing precincts are razed to make way for more apartment towers. In Hong Kong there may be public expressions of disquiet over environmental issues but on the mainland public dissent to the dislocation caused by major civil projects is often dealt with harshly and summarily. Outside the city many new apartment developments spring up in fields where formerly there were a small cluster of houses. Often these scenes are bleak and barren. In the prosperous city developments landscaping is more evident. Long history of landscape design China, of... 
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by Greg Paine Second in our series, Walk With the Elephant The curious thing is that no matter how different they are, the people are all pre-occupied with the same thing, that is: how to live. We have to eat, we want to make money, but in every pause the question returns: how shall I live? - Jeanette Winterson: The World & Other Places. The way that the imperative of sustainable development now requires us to think about social, economic and natural environment matters together raises some interesting possibilities: that sustainable development might actually comprise a lens, or tool, through which we can understand and deal with the wider world, and in doing so, provide us with an answer to the age-old question of how we should interact with the natural and social systems around us. The shifting of the discourse from one solely about “the environment” to one encompassing connected environmental, social and economic matters emphasises the point - that sustainable development... 
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by Lynne Blundell At the national level a lion’s share of government resources and energy is being spent on designing an ideal carbon trading system that may or may not do anything to stop dangerous climate change. At the ground level, where the climate impact will be felt, insurers and local councils don’t bother with esoteric talk of climate policy. The main game for them is working out how to cope with the human toll and cost of property damage that will be caused by rising sea levels and wild dangerous weather, in other words, adaptation. The outlook is not good. The insurance industry, for one, has been at the forefront of warning the business community and government that climate change is a real threat. Its members are appalled at the prospect of what lies ahead. Insurance Australia Group’s (IAG) chief risk officer, Tony Coleman, said in a recent report by the Australian Climate Group: “Australia is tolerating a level of climate change risk that would be unthinkable if the... 
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