Transcript of doorstop interview, Washington DC: 21 April 2010 - Penny Wong: Thanks very much for coming. I wanted to make brief comments about this trip to Washington. First I’ve had meetings today and yesterday with members of the Senate and members of the Administration. I want to make ...Read More > >

Photos from The Boston Globe. For the full suite go to The Boston Globe Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 22 April 2010- Planners have reacted angrily to widescale moves to deregulate zoning controls, create land “competition” and fast track more urban sprawl that emerged in an avalanche of government announcements in the past week. Leading sustainability and planning authority Professor Peter Newman of Curtin University said more low-density ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 20 April 2010 - The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects has launched its urban sea level rise ideas competition, SEACHANGE 2030+, inviting design professionals, tertiary and school students to tackle the effects of climate change. SEACHANGE 2030+ invites entrants to help identify creative planning, design and management solutions ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc The Airconditiong, Refrigeration & Building Services, or ARBS Industry Awards have recognised some of the industry’s top climate change innovators, including WSP Lincolne Scott and Air Change Australia, at an award ceremony held at the ARBS 2010 Trade Exhibition. Taking place at the Sydney Convention and ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 19 April 2010 - The NSW Government today said it would strip away restrictions on retail competition contained in zoning laws, in a move designed to result in lower retail prices for consumers. NSW Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the NSW Government would implement the recommendations of a ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 19 April 2010 - [Updated 19 April 2010] A Productivity Commission inquiry into development controls is set to raise a storm of controversy if it results in loosening zoning controls for residential and retail property, as anticipated. Expect planners who have long argued for orderly and controlled zoning ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 20 April 2010 - The surPLUShome is what results when you mix German efficiency with ecologically sustainable design. Designed and built by a team of students from the University of Dalmstadt, the house was part of Team Germany’s entry in the Solar Decathlon 2009, an ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 15 April 2010 - One look of Sydney’s skyline lit up at night tells you everything about the simple things we can do to save energy. This “Low Hanging Fruit” was the topic of discussion at a seminar held at the ARBS [Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services] Trade ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 14 April 2010 - Anita Mitchell was today confirmed as Lend Lease’s sustainability manager for Barangaroo. The move comes after nearly two years as head of energy and sustainability services at Jones Lang LaSalle. In the end, Ms Mitchell told The Fifth Estate this afternoon, the objectives for Barangaroo to ...Read More > >

FAVOURITES: 14 April 2010 - What do tenants really want?  At the Green Cities 2010 conference in Melbourne this year one of the sessions, the Tenets of Tennants, took a hard look at demand for green buildings from the point of view of the people making the decisions and providing ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell 14 April 2010 - There could be light at the end of the tunnel for cogeneration projects seeking co-operation from energy agencies. In a victory for precinct-style power generation, a proposed shared cogeneration project between The University of Queensland and the Royal Brisbane Hospital has received support from ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 12 April 2010 - Climate Change Minister, Senator Penny Wong, today said that Queensland would be "hit hard and fast" from climate change impact but that Australia would continue to rely on coal and should therefore find a way to limit its emissions. Speaking at an event at the ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES - 8 April 2010 - As the deadline for the introduction of mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency in commercial buildings draws near, many owners of lower grade buildings are completely unprepared. And with these buildings accounting for around 80 per cent of the commercial market, property agencies ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 8 April 2010 - A company that runs one of the most highly regarded solar power system testing stations in the world at Alice Springs is casting its wings offshore. The Centre for Appropriate Technology recently signed a commission for the Bushlight India Project which is delivering sustainable and ...Read More > >

By Greg Paine PROBLEM 8 April 2010 -To include awareness in all choices takes dedication, commitment and discipline.  Good friends can pull you back on the track when you stray. Peer support and interaction can be important in stimulating thought, and then in translating thought into action. It is consistent, for example with ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 8 April 2010 - The updated Building Code of Australia is about to hit the market next month – on 1 May – but many architects and consultants have little idea how significant the changes will be, especially for glazing commercial buildings. What’s likely is a huge reduction of ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 7 April 2010 – Parsons Brinckerhoff has opened its new sustainable Melbourne office space at Southbank to accommodate rapid staff growth. PB Regional Director for Victoria John Theodoulou said the company had appointed 30 per cent more staff in Melbourne since January 2009. ”This new space is part ...Read More > >

Our first 12 months By Tina Perinotto The Fifth Estate is a year old today, 8 April 2010 In 12 months, so much has changed. From a tentative start (much like that of The Fifth Estate during the worst of the Global Financial Crisis) the sustainable property world is now a confident young industry, ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell The smart grid is a “much riskier business model, beyond poles and wires, as it’s now about a customer response. Letting customer response drive initiatives is riskier. We have to break the existing business model and build a new one. And it’s a riskier model because there is ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 31 March 2010 - Projectors, microphones and surround-sound hi-fi systems are not uncommon in the boardrooms and theatres of large office buildings yet, more often than not, audio-visual technology is overlooked as a key component of creating a green building. Now, with advances in the control and intelligence of ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell 31 March 2010 - public discussion paper on the federal government’s proposed framework for setting energy efficiency standards for buildings has been released for public consultation. The discussion paper presents the National Building Energy Standard-Setting, Assessment and Rating Framework, which is part of the National Strategy on Energy ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc CASE STUDY - 2 April 2010 - Charter Hall’s new Home HQ North Shore has set a new benchmark for sustainable retail outlets by becoming the first bulky goods store in Australia to earn a 4-star Green Star Retail Centre v1 certified rating. Located in Artarmon on Sydney’s Lower ...Read More > >

1 April 2010 - The Federal Government has announced more details on the Home Insulation Safety Plan. According to Greg Combet, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the Plan has been designed to restore confidence in the insulation industry, including measures to “track down and prosecute any ...Read More > >

23 March 2010 - Australia’s two lead climate science agencies – the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology - have produced a snapshot of the state of the climate. Following are key points: Temperature Since 1960 the mean temperature in Australia has increased by about 0.7 °C . The long term trend in ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 23 March 2010 - Property owners who fail to comply with the mandatory disclosure legislation now before Parliament will face fines of up to $100,000 through a National Administrative Unit, if the bill goes through in its current form. As foreshadowed in our article published yesterday, the proposed legislation ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 31 March 2010 - Business and environment group leaders met at the “Doing Nothing Is Not An Option” event in Sydney yesterday to review the collapse of the carbon pollution reduction scheme and discuss how to manage risk in the face of climate change and a policy void. The ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 31 March 2010 - The Victorian Government today announced a $500,000 boost to Melbourne City Council’s plans to retrofit more than two thirds of Melbourne’s commercial buildings as part of its “1200 Buildings” sustainability initiative. The voluntary program already has 16 corporations (see list below) among its signatories with ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc - 31 March 2010 – The formation of the Prime Minister’s Task Group on Energy Efficiency has been welcomed by environment and green groups for its promises of economic benefits and emissions reduction. The Task Group, which will make recommendations for generating a step-change improvement in Australia’s energy efficiency, ...Read More > >

FAVOURITES - From ASX Investor Update - 12 January 2010 - Victor Bivell, editor of Eco Investor, says climate change has the potential to affect everyone and all sectors of the economy. “The transition to a low carbon economy, whether by an emissions trading scheme, carbon tax or other means, will ...Read More > >