By Michael Purtell Letter: 31 January 2011 – Well here I am – it has been nearly 12 months now since the Green Loans Scheme fell over, or should I say literally crashed – and now that the Green Start housing program has also been scrapped,  household sustainability assessors wait to see what emerges that will require their household assessment skills. Assessors were buoyed after the government recently promised compensation for those who trained to be assessors but were denied a contract (myself included). Many of us involved, who were hoping for new careers have now returned to our original careers and now await to see how the household sustainability assessor industry will emerge. At present there are approximately 7500 trained HSAs – and of these 5000 were given green loans contracts. A new nationally accredited certificate 4 course in HSA has now been endorsed and some colleges and TAFE are considering offering this new course if there are the numbers interested. So... 
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By Tina Perinotto 10 September 2009 – Favourites: Picture this: an apartment tower constructed entirely in a factory — right down to the base fit-out and even the defects’’ rectification. The walls built of new lightweight materials, pre-insulated. The whole thing shifted like Lego blocks and assembled on site, in Little Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. No tight work regime of 7 am to 3 pm. Work shifts throughout the night, if you like. No more safety issues of tripping in dangerous construction sites, or ‘stop work’ because of bad weather. Imagine the cost savings. Rob Adams, director of design and culture at Melbourne City Council, reckons that this project, originated by leading architect Nonda Katsalidis, could pretty soon be one of many big changes in how we reshape the urban environment, driven by the pressures of climate change and population growth. Another change could be a profusion of small, high-quality medium-density apartment blocks such as Adams... 
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By Lyn Drummond 19 January 2011 – Architects will propose to the Queensland government that building design be considered in its terms of reference for its Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland floods, as industry bodies respond to the crisis. According to the chief executive officer of the Australian Institute of Architects David Parken a preferred system of designing and building resilient homes is essential in the terms of reference. The interim report is due in August this year and due to be released by January, 2012. Mr Parken was not prepared to comment on what a preferred design could be at this point, but said any preferences for the traditional Queenslander house on stilts did not hold weight when there were instances of these homes being swept off their footings by the water. Read More  
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by Lynne Blundell Favourites: 17 September 2010 – Japan’s leading property developer and largest builder of pre-fabricated sustainable housing, Sekisui House, has for the first time looked outside its own market for new growth – and its sights are firmly set on Australia. In the past 12 months the company has signed deals with some of Australia’s leading residential development and construction companies that will see the company putting its distinctive sustainability stamp on housing across the country and, in doing so, it will up the ante in the competitive residential construction sector. Executive director of Sekisui House Australia, Stephen Williams, told The Fifth Estate this week that Sekisui House’s investment in Australia was the first time in its 50 year history that the company had expanded its operations outside of Japan. Read More  
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The Fifth Estate posts new articles daily Top read stories for the month to 15 November 2010 are: Read More  
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by Lynne Blundell Favourites – 3 June 2010 High rise apartment blocks, it turns out, are the biggest energy guzzlers in the residential market. But they are falling through the cracks when it comes to energy and water efficiency incentive schemes. It is something that local councils are acutely aware of while state and federal government appear to be turning a blind eye. According to a NSW Energy Australia study, a highrise apartment uses 30 per cent more power than a typical detached house. Much of this is in the common areas such as foyers and car parks where lights are often inefficient and are left on night and day. Water is even worse. As apartments are not separately metered individual water use is difficult to monitor, lowering the incentive to install water efficient devices. At a recent information evening for apartment owners held at Willoughy Council in Sydney, Andre Boerema from Sydney Water told the audience that multi-unit dwellings accounted for 14.3 per cent of Sydney... 
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FAVOURITES – 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 emissions are projected to be 664 million tonnes of carbon, or an increase of 120 per cent of 2000 levels (1) unless measures are taken to reduce them. Of this, the residential sector generates about 17.6 per cent. (2) In addition about 85 per cent of Australians live on the coast (including cities), (3) exposing housing to particular risks. The average annual carbon emissions for houses in the eastern states is: NSW – 8 tonnes (4); Qld – 8.24 tonnes (5); Vic – 10.7 tonnes (6) (a result of Victoria’s greater reliance on brown coal for energy). In the absence of a uniform national program of emissions controls, the housing industry... 
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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 the roof of your home or workplace. In the process he may just be in time to rescue an industry that shows signs of heading down the same path as the Federal Government’s failed attic insulation rollout. The new company, Lend Lease Solar, is planning big things. With its main ‘channel partner’ in energy, AGL, the venture has instant access to up to three million households. That’s not bad for a start-up. See our story on the launch It has also teamed up with two solar panel suppliers, the US firm First Solar and the Norwegian firm REC, and plans to build a 100-strong team to roll out the business. Carolan says portfolio managers of commercial property have already been... 
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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 should do to fast-track a more sustainable built environment. Ready with their answers will be:  Lend Lease Group Head of Sustainability Maria Atkinson, Melbourne City Council’s Cathy Oke, The Green Building Council chief executive  Romilly Madew, Thinc Projects and KnowChange organiser Elena Bondareva, and Morphosis director Simon Carter. Here’s what they will say: Maria Atkinson, group head of sustainability, Lend Lease Corporation Recognise the critical importance of buildings in Australia’s Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action  plan Support the global project developing common carbon metrics for the building sector (recognising the need for sector specific... 
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By Tina Perinotto 17 March 2010 – Australians could be on the cusp of “getting it” in terms of downsizing their houses to more sustainable and affordable levels, if you take note of Stockland chief executive Matthew Quinn. Mr Quinn, who heads Australia’s biggest residential developer, said the evidence was coming through in the rate of sales for Stockland’s smaller and dramatically lower cost dwellings it had recently released at the Highlands community in Melbourne.  “They’re walking out the door,” he said.  More evidence was buried in the lower financing figures for housing Australia-wide, which he said were likely to reflect downsizing in house choice. At Highlands, which is at Craigieburn, less than an hour north of Melbourne and near a train line, Stockland recently released 10 house and land package, each with land size of 212.5 square metres and house sizes of  144 sq m,for only $269,000.  All of them sold out on the first day and the company now plans to... 
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By Lynne Blundell 29 July 2010 – The Melbourne co-housing group, Urban Coup, is getting closer to making its dream a reality – that is, creating a community where resources, ideas and skills are shared on a daily basis. There is a strong sense in the group that the concept has finally come of age. Last year The Fifth Estate reported on the then group of 11 that was going beyond green building and design to embrace true community living with other similar-minded people. Many worked in the built industry as environmental planners, designers and architects. Now the group is 30-strong and diverse – families with young children, families with teenagers, singles, retirees, lawyers, architects, planners, designers, doctors, artists, social workers, photographers and IT experts. One of Urban Coup’s founding members, Carrie White, told TFE this week that the figure of 30 for the group was reached by talking to other co-housing organisations – the consensus was that any fewer makes... 
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By Andrew Starc 28 July 2010 – The introduction of tougher energy standards for housing has spurred a huge jump in demand for sustainable kit homes for one Queensland company. According to Southport based Nathan Lude, his company Advantage Lifestyle which markets a sustainable kit home package, experienced a massive 3000 web-based inquiries since it went live 10 weeks ago. An appearance on television show Today Tonight stimulated another 500 inquiries almost immediately. “Builders need to go green or go by the wayside,” Mr Lude said, pointing to new regulations and the introduction of mandatory disclosure in his state. “Mandatory disclosure for houses has been in place in Queensland since January of this year. “As of May 2010, houses in Queensland must meet a 6 Star Thermal Performance Assessment rating [that complies with the Australian Building Codes Board Protocol for House Energy Rating Software] before they can be built. “Previously the minimum rating in Queensland... 
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by Lynne Blundell July 14, 2010 – Landcom hopes to inspire builders to be more adventurous about building sustainable houses in it latest development project – three sustainable display homes to be built in northwest Sydney. At the same time the project will use the latest information about lifecycle assessment in Australian building materials and products to foster innovation in materials manufacture. The three “eco-living” display homes, to be built by building company Clarendon Homes at The Ponds development in Newbury, will highlight different themes including current best practice (house one), recycled products (house two) and independent energy, water and waste (house three). Steve Driscoll, Landcom’s Director, Sustainability and Policy, told The Fifth Estate this week that the project is an exciting one for Landcom as it will allow the government developer to provide leadership in the building sector. “It’s hard for us to be a market leader in construction because... 
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by Lynne Blundell 14 July 2010 – This week the federal government is expected to announce a national energy efficiency scheme following months of consultation with industry and numerous submissions from stakeholders. But will the scheme bring the drive that is needed to change the way we think about and use energy, and are we taking any of this seriously enough? The answer to the latter part of the question from those working in sustainable design and advocacy is a resounding no. We need to get serious – and fast – they say. With the residential sector responsible for 17.6 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions, according to figures from the Department of Climate Change, improving energy efficiency in Australian homes was to be a big policy drive for the Rudd-led government. Instead it proved to be a thorn in its side with the home insulation program, green loans and solar panel schemes all unravelling. Then there was the Council of Australian Governments’ commitment to... 
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By Andrew Starc 29 June 2010 – Melissa Neighbour is one of a new breed of sustainably minded influences about to re-shape the residential real estate landscape. Recently appointed to the new position of sustainability manager for LJ Hooker, Neighbour, among her other sustainability interests, will spearhead a sustainability vision that the company hopes will make it one of the property industry’s leaders in the field. According to Neighbour her appointment is part of several changes initiated by Janusz Hooker, a member of the original Hooker family, who bought back the company from Suncorp about six months ago. “There is an opportunity for heading up a sustainable vision for the company so that it can transition into becoming a sustainability leader, recognising the value of sustainable property as a business case,” Neighbour says. But it is still early days for this newly created position, and LJ Hooker’s management remains tight-lipped over future sustainable initiatives. (See our... 
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Compromising on the sustainability performance of a residential development may well diminish, rather than preserve, the financial return. By Shauna Coffey 12 August 2010  – Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. While the benefits of delivering these new communities are obvious, adoption by large-scale residential developers beyond boutique, special-purpose developments has been limited. Too often in a residential project life cycle, initiatives to improve the sustainability performance are dismissed outright, or dropped during the process as being too costly. Traditional thinking dictates that the home buyer won’t (at present) pay more for a sustainable home, yet is happy to reap the benefits of one, especially those related to lower operating expenses. This means that in order to deliver a more sustainable home, the developer must absorb the additional up-front capital costs, eroding the rate of return. It’s simple thinking:... 
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By Tina Perinotto 11 June 2010 – The NSW Government’s decision to cap developer contributions could see new home owners in greenfields housing estates left without adequate facilities and households facing steep rises in rates, according to the Planning Institute of Australia’s NSW division. The move, which took effect on 7 June, caps developer contributions at $20,000 and restricts the contributions to  “essential infrastructure,” a term that opponents say is a difficult to define. Division president Tony McNamara today condemned the NSW Government’s decision and urged it to reverse its decision. He said the move undermined certainty and confidence in the planning system. “In reality the cost of basic infrastructure in release areas including essential drainage, roads and open space works and associated land acquisition is $45,000 plus per lot. “The government’s position is that if councils can substantiate a cost per lot higher than $20,000 then the difference... 
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By Andrew Starc 2 June 2010 – At the Australian Real Estate Conference held in May this year, guest speaker and climate change campaigner Sir Bob Geldof was asked an all too common question. “What more can I do?” inquired Sydney real estate agent Lisa Roberts, who has pioneered the promotion of one of Australia’s most successful eco-developments, WestWyck, in inner suburban Melbourne, before recently moving north. Considering her real estate background and green exploits in Victoria, Sir Bob imparted some practical wisdom: “Start a lobby group,” he said. Almost immediately after the conference, SHARE (Sustainable Housing And Real Estate) was created – a group of green-minded, competing real estate agents from across the country, with aims to market the idea of sustainable urban housing to councils and developers, with a focus on one major hook – monetary value. “Real estate agents need to know how to promote sustainable properties more. We need to think business-minded... 
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By Ann Burns, head of utilities, Accenture Australia FAVOURITES  – 1 June 2010 – Smart meters are going in and smart grids are receiving government funding. But will consumers change their habits in the battle for energy efficiency? The latest evidence indicates that Australians need some convincing. The new energy era will be enabled by intelligent grids and connected meters, as well as new sources of renewable energy. But at the heart of this revolution will be a new dynamic relationship between households and electricity providers. And a transformation in consumption habits can only be achieved if this relationship works. Central to the task is persuading consumers to reduce their electricity demand, in particular, at peak times. Electricity management plans will play a crucial role in allowing utilities to help consumers modify their habits. For some, this means agreeing to limits on the use of certain household appliances. A consumer may agree to restrict their dishwasher... 
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LETTER – from Sharon Lameris – 27 May 2010 – [Following] are a few words to Boris Kelly, as author of the article [Strata is popular but neglected in green initiatives] …which also appears via a link to the website of Go Low Energy. Remember that old adage -  never judge a book by its cover? Owners Corporation Victoria and many of our members are extensively involved with trials and the implementation of sustainable measures within strata complexes as well as sustainable initiatives across Victoria.  We have proudly been for several years and continue to support and participate in sustainable forums run by the City of Melbourne and Yarra for owners, managers and tenants, research programs through various councils, as well as contribute to research being carried out by training institutions such as RMIT. We have also participated in many and varied research programs such as that run by the Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd.  Our members have also individually contributed... 
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By Tina Perinotto 19 May 2010 – Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek today scotched any notion that she would support deregulated zoning in order to create more affordable housing, despite the Productivity Commission’s recent announcement that it would look at the idea in its inquiry into development controls. A “zoning free for all does not deliver livable communities” Ms Plibersek told The Fifth Estate in an exclusive interview this morning after speaking at a Property Council of Australia breakfast in Sydney. The issue of zoning and if it was to be deregulated was now a matter for consideration by the Productivity commission and it had been “raised regularly in discussions on the housing supply question,” she said. However, it was “important to have a zoning system that  “talks to the existing community and was clear on land use in their area.” A “free for all was not a good outcome. We need to know what land is suitable for home and where transport... 
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by Boris Kelly 19 May 2010 – In 1961, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce strata title as a form of property ownership when, under the Conveyancing (Strata Titles) Act, Strata Plan 1 was applied to a property in Enfield, an inner western suburb of Sydney. Similar legislation was subsequently enacted in other states but, in typical federalist fashion, strata law varies in each jurisdiction. Today in the Sydney local government area 60 per cent of current residents live in 54,000 high density strata title buildings and 80 per cent of those buildings are expected to be standing in 2050. Across the country, increases in population, especially in our major urban centres, will result in a growth in strata title dwellings. across the country. Planning for an environmentally sustainable future requires recognition of the special challenges posed by strata titled dwellings. Yet, according to experts speaking at a recent forum organised by the Australian Conservation... 
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By Romilly Madew 6 May 2010 – NSW Housing Minister David Borger sounded a clarion call to the property and construction sector recently. Speaking at the Green Building Council of Australia’s “Meet the Stars” breakfast on 21 April, Minister Borger said if Housing NSW can build 5 Star Green Star residential developments on a small budget, then there’s no reason why the private sector can’t too. “We’re designing housing for people on very low incomes and we don’t have much money to do it,” Minister Borger said.  “We can’t afford to waste money.  We can’t afford to ‘gold plate’ buildings.  We can’t afford to use the newest technology if it’s going to compromise actually providing another unit of housing for a disadvantaged person. “If we can [build Green Star] with all those constraints, there is absolutely no reason why the private sector – with their greater potential for resources and [ability] to pass on costs to the end consumers –... 
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Sylvia Hrovatin, general manager approvals for Walker Corporation is fed up with some of the arguments about the challenges of meeting urban housing demand. This is the view she presented to national conference held by the Urban Development Institute of Australia at Darling Harbour on 8-11 March this year - - 8 April 2010 – I hate the term “urban sprawl”. It conveys such an ugly negative image that has no bearing in truth to how people choose to live. I hate jargon terms and if I see one more document with wanting to create healthy, vibrant, happy, sustainable communities achieving triple bottom line outcomes I will scream. And development is not a dirty word. What does this have to do with the challenges of urban renewal? Everything and nothing. Today, my talk is contained to the challenges of urban renewal in Sydney. My apologies to the lovely people in the audience from other states. The NSW government has adopted a planning policy to encourage urban consolidation. The... 
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3 May 2010 – Christopher Joye is probably one of the most influential housing analysts in the country. So when he  starts to  strongly applaud the Henry Tax Review’s highlighting of zoning and building code requirements as key barriers to creating enough housing to meet demand  – joining the clamour coming from the developer lobby  and an inquiry announced by the Productivity Commission, all along similar lines – it’s time for the sustainable property industry and planners need to get into the heart of this debate. Or lose it. Are planning and zoning questions of productivity like any other economic activty? Can economic rationalists and price signals take major roles in the shaping of our cities and how we live? Even down to the quality of buidling we permit?  The answer from some quarters seems to be yes to all these questions. Here is the start of Joye’s article posted today on the Business Spectator website. It even invokes Robert Menzies’... 
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2 May 2010 – UPDATED 3 May 2010  – The Henry Tax Review has been released today and with it some lengthy responses to the huge number of property items it considered.  Among these items – and of significant concern is the review’s apparent acceptance of the arguments pushed by the  competition/deregulated zoning property lobby that wants to see planning and zoning  set aside in favour of short-term single-issue price considerations. (see our recent coverage on this in the search button under “zoning”). Note this comment from the review: “Higher house prices are likely to result from restrictions on the supply of housing that result from zoning, lengthy approvals processes and building code and other standards imposed on building quality.” Following is a selection of responses contained in media releases issued from Sunday. The Greens 3 May 2010 – The Greens will move in the Senate for a sensible sovereign fund from the resource tax to invest... 
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29 April 2010 - Melbourne now has its own zero emissions house with the AusZEH demonstration home at Laurimar in Melbourne’s north east that will produce all of its own energy, as competition in the residential sector for sustainable homes hots up. The Fifth Estate this week posted a story on a Perth house that claims it too will be carbon neutral. The Melbourne home, knowns as the AusZEH demonstration is expected to 70 per cent less energy than a traditional home of similar size and to produce all its own energy requirements. It has been produced by a consortium of Henley Property Group, Delfin Lend Lease and Sustainability Victoria, which states that the zero emissions will be achieved through a “combination of energy efficiency and demand reduction measures, on-site renewable energy supply and the application of a home energy management system, and not through any carbon offset programs.” The home’s performance will be evaluated against other homes within Laurimar to gauge... 
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By Andrew Starc 28 April 2010 - A small Perth home design and development company has pioneered possibly Australia’s most sustainable house from a rock bottom price of $205,000. Right Homes says the house, Jade 909, a new display home at Vale about 22 kilometers north-east of the Perth CBD will have a carbon neutral 9-Star rates home under the BERS system (or Building Energy Rating Scheme, a national scheme derived from the Building Code of Australia.) It will use 119 per cent less energy and 76 per cent less water than the average Australian dwelling. Opened on 23 April the house is located on a compact 299 square metre block at Vale, a master planned community developed by Multiplex Living, the residential property division of global property company, Brookfield Multiplex. The home is Perth’s first 9-Star rated display using the BERS system. According to Jade Projects, which assisted in the design of the home, the rating is derived from a computer program called BERS... 
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From the Council of Australian Governments – 22 April 2010 – COAG said this week it would look at competition issues in land supply as part of its inquriy to target the slow supply of new housing, house price pressures, population growth and “a healthy economy continuing to add to strong housing demand.” “Housing supply has not responded as strongly as it could have to this demand.  Unless demand-side pressures are well understood and supply-side constraints are identified and addressed it is likely there will be greater pressure on house prices,” COAG said. Following is an extract for its statement of intention. “The housing supply pipeline comprises the stages of housing development from land identification, release and zoning, through to infrastructure planning and subdivision approval, construction and titling of the subdivision, and finally dwelling approval and construction. “The National Housing Supply Council has found significant variation across jurisdictions... 
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By Andrew Starc 21 April 2010 – A new report by Curtin University of Technology and Parsons Brinckerhoff highlights evidence that the potential for the Federal Government to enforce deregulation of urban zoning and planning across Australia could  have detrimental effects on both the health and productivity of urban populations. In the report, The Cost of Urban Sprawl: Physical activity links to healthcare costs and productivity, authors Roman Trubka, Peter Newman and Darren Bilsborough identify a redevelopment path known as “active-travel neighbourhoods,” a scenario that presents the polar opposite of what urban centres might resemble if deregulation does go ahead. According to the report, an active-travel neigbourhood is one that is defined by “redevelopment in walkable, transit-oriented developments…conducive to both cycling and walking, which in daily life activities could lead to most able bodied people engaging in at least 30 minutes of active travel per day.” The... 
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