Council pushes for greater home building standards

A new strategy has been set with the aim to transform the housing market to ensure new homes are built to a higher standard.

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The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has released the Green Star for Homes: A strategy for the future, seeking to set a new standard to ensure home building standards focus on “health, resilience and net zero energy”.

According to GBCA chief executive Davina Rooney, Green Star-rated homes should be powered by renewables, comfortable and resilient to future climate change.

Commenting on the launch of the new standard, Ms Rooney said the body has been working with the industry and government to “help accelerate the transformation that has already begun in the residential sector”.

“The delivery of new homes that meet a Green Star standard at volume is ambitious and challenging, but we are confident that we can support the housing market to deliver the transformation that has already begun,” Ms Rooney said.

“Since its inception, our voluntary Green Star certification program has demonstrated the appetite of Australian companies to take action to achieve a lower-emissions future.

“Green Star has helped define what we expect from our buildings, and importantly, it has created opportunities and value for all those who help create our buildings and cities to deliver on these expectations.

Ms Rooney said all the evidence has established that living in a healthier, more energy-efficient and resilient home is better for people, for families and for the planet.

She noted that data shows that on average, Australian families spend 90 per cent of their time indoors, with two-thirds of this at home, suggesting it’s not surprising to hear that 57 per cent of Australia’s total emissions come from our homes.

“If we are serious about limiting global warming to below 1.5 degrees, as committed to in the Paris Agreement, we can’t ignore our homes,” Ms Rooney said.

“…We are currently engaging with industry and government to develop a standard that will achieve these outcomes.”

“The release of this strategy now builds on the extensive consultation we have already undertaken and enables deeper engagement with industry and government to seek further feedback.”

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