2 September 2010 - Human city-makers know less than ants when it comes to cooling and warming our cities. When it knows (we don’t know how) the coming summer will be hot the meat ant gathers white and pale pebbles and carries them to cover the ground above its nest.  For ...Read More > >

Brief - 1 September 2010 - The Australian Local Government Association has welcomed an agreement between Labor and the Greens to hold a referendum in this parliamentary term to include local government in the Australian constitution. ALGA president Geoff Lake said that such a change to the constitution would help protect ...Read More > >

 by Lynne Blundell Climate change has emerged as a key issue in determining which of Australia’s two major political parties forms government with the Independents. Renewable energy is high on the agenda, with at least two of the Independents and the Greens’ Adam Brandt pushing for increased investment in renewable energy. Here ...Read More > >

1 September 2010 - The Victorian Government has announced it will establish a new Office of Solar Energy and commit $30 million to support renewable energy. Victorian Premier John Brumby said that the $30 million funding boost will support the development of alternative energy technologies, including $5 million for projects in ...Read More > >

25 August 2010 - The NSW Government’s Solar Bonus Scheme will undergo a performance review after it reached its first milestone capacity of 50 megawatts. NSW Minister for Energy Paul Lynch said that the important terms of the Scheme, such as its length and the tariff rate, were locked into legislation. “If ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 19 August 2010 - Lend Lease's Chris Carolan is a happy man right now. He's heading up a new company venture that has the potential to transform the average Australian's view of renewable energy, by making it safer, cheaper and easier to have a mini-solar energy plant on ...Read More > >

By Michael Mobbs 28 August 2010 - Another day. More dreams of what might be, more steps on the footpath of the here and now, the broken-off branches from last night's windy-as-hell storm all over the place, the noise of it in my ears still as I side-step the bigger ones. In my ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 20 August 2010 - Here’s a hypothetical: The new Federal Government is sworn in on Monday morning. The very first thing it does is convene a "citizen's assembly" from key parts of the sustainable property industry to ask them what are the five most important things that it ...Read More > >

18 August 2010 - Landcom was a key contributor to the voluntary code for universal housing adopted last month by coalition of property, housing, social services and government agencies. The voluntary guidelines, which aim to influence all new house constructed by 2020, are expected to make good social and economic sense. See ...Read More > >

17 August 2010 – The Greens have called for Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard to improve their five per cent emission reduction targets after the release of an Australian Academy of Sciences report detailing comprehensive evidence of climate change. The release of the “Science of Climate Change” report comes as Prime ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 17 August 2010 - An enhanced renewable energy target, $5 billion worth of loan guarantees for renewable energy developments, plans to revitalise local communities and improvements to public transport systems are among The Greens’ major policies heading into this weeks election. Plans to transform Australia into a 100 per ...Read More > >

Brief - 17 August 2010 - The Australian Conservation Foundation has welcomed Labor’s $10 million commitment to create large green corridors connecting national parks and reserves but says more could be spent to support Australia’s natural life support systems. According to a recent Auspoll survey commissioned by the ACF and WWF, ...Read More > >

By Boris Kelly 13 August 2010 - With only days left in the federal election campaign and with both major parties poncing around the point on climate change, 2000 people packed the Sydney Town Hall for the launch of a plan to achieve zero emissions in Australia by 2020 by re-powering ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto and Andrew Starc 12 August 2010 - Mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency for large offices will at last take effect on 1 November. After a series of delays and lobbying to head off unforeseen problems, the industry has won itself a year-long transition period and a number of exemptions ...Read More > >

Brief - 11 August 2010 - The federal government will provide financial incentives for households and businesses to invest in off-grid systems as part of changes to the Renewable Energy Target legislation. The new system relies on the “Solar Credits” scheme multiplier to provide the financial incentive for people in remote ...Read More > >

13 July, 2010 - The number of rating tools, policies, reports, incentives and legal rulings on sustainable residential  development has proliferated in recent years. In this comprehensive work, legal firm Herbert Geer has created clear and focused guide through the maze. At least for the eastern seaboard. In 2020, Australian greenhouse ...Read More > >

Left to right:  Senator Penny Wong,  Arch Bevis,  Mirvac’s chief executive officer investment Andrew Butler By Tina Perinotto 10 July 2010 - Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Senator Penny Wong last week chose a Green Building Fund recipient in Brisbane, Mirvac's  building at 340 Adelaide Street, to formally announce that ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto 5 August 2010 - Lend Lease today launched a new solar company to roll out photovoltaic installations across the residential and commercial sectors of the property industry, tapping into federal and state governments policies to fast track the rapidly emerging sector. The move is another strong signal that one ...Read More > >

 By Luke Walladge     From the ABC’s The Drum - 6 July 2010 - So, the leader Labor installed to win an election has now asked for the help of the leader they dumped (because he couldn't win the election) because she needs him to win the election. The leader who got 38 ...Read More > >

By Mark Lister 27 July 2010 - Our new Prime Minister has wasted no time in creating a new political push for a “lasting and deep community consensus” on climate change action by proposing new measures to engage and consult with the public. On the surface, this is a welcome development.  Our ...Read More > >

By Nicola Woodward ANALYSIS - 26 July 2010 - It isn’t every Monday you wake up to the fact that a Sunday press release by the incumbent Government in the run up to a general election contains a promising policy. Yesterday the Labor party announced its Tax Breaks for Green Buildings initiative ...Read More > >

25 July 2010 - Updated 26 July 2010 - Last week it was lean pickings for the green property in election promises so far. By Sunday the worm had turned in the sector’s favour with big welcome news from the Labor Party of a 50 per cent tax deduction bonus ...Read More > >

26 July 2010 - China has decided it will put a price on carbon, starting next year, it has decided to use a market mechanism because an administrative one is too expensive; and its top 1000 energy consumers have signed contracts to reduce energy consumption according to China Daily. The country ...Read More > >

By Gary Wertheimer FAVOURITES - May 5 2010 - The Building Code of Australia 2010 has been in effect from 1 May. Section J, dealing with energy efficiency, has been updated but few people understand what is involved. The way buildings are designed, documented, cost estimated and constructed will need to ...Read More > >

Tina Perinotto 23 July 2010 - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott this week said he would scrap the Green Building Fund and cut back on other green initiatives if he was elected. Green groups were predictably unimpressed but in the property industry there are hopes that incentives for greening existing buildings will ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s climate change speech this morning was thin on details, big on generalities. It included $1 billion for a new electricity grid to feed in renewables, but over 10 years, a Citizen’s Assembly and a Climate Change Commission. Here are highlights from Ms Gillard’s speech: Climate change ...Read More > >

By Rebecca Pearce 22 July 2010 - Tackling the fundamental problem of carbon emissions from older style buildings is one of the key issues for the property industry. However, one Australian fund manager has proved that existing buildings can be upgraded to target a 5 star NABERS energy rating at a ...Read More > >

By Andrew Starc 21 July 2010 - Victoria's shopping centres and other commercial buildings may soon be the first in the country to sport large solar arrays, after the Victorian government today announced plans for the nation's first feed-in tariff for large-scale solar energy and an increase in electricity ...Read More > >

21 July 2010 – As the federal government considers its next steps on pollution and climate change, the Climate Institute has released its policy priorities, detailing a list of action points for both government and businesses to help reduce pollution and energy consumption. Summary: 2010 Pollution and Climate Policy Priorities 1. Limiting ...Read More > >

21 July 2010 - As the federal election campaigning gets into full swing, the Green Building Council of Australia today released its green building agenda for 2010-2013. It sets out five priorities and encourages all political parties to commit to green buildings, communities and cities as part of their policies for ...Read More > >