We are proud to work with our local government members to support more productive, livable, sustainable communities locally across Australia. Local governments are uniquely positioned to help ensure planning controls, policies, standards and guidelines support best practice developments for their communities.
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The following case studies and examples show how leading local governments across the country are improving social, environmental and economic outcomes in their local government areas through Green Star certification.
City of Freemantle Local Planning Policy
The City of Freemantle's Local Planning Policy 2.13 Sustainable Buildings Design Requirements is a policy that prescribes commercial developments over 1000 sqm are to achieve a 4 Star Green Star rating, or equivalent. Read more here.
Queen Victoria Market Precinct
The City of Melbourne was the first Australian local government to receive a 6 Star Green Star – Communities accreditation for its visionary Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal program. Some features include, large scale waste and organic recycling facilities onsite, solar power and battery storage and rainwater collection. Read more here.
City of Casey ESD Policy
The City of Casey has incorporated building design requirements into their ESD policy, this includes a requirement for extension and upgrade works greater than 50% of the build area to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating. Read more here.
Wollongong City Council Administration Building
The Wollongong City Council has displayed sustainable leadership by achieving a 6 Star Green Star - Performance rating for their Administration Building. Council’s work on maintaining and managing the administration building—reducing its energy and water consumption—has been an ongoing project for 15 years. Read more here.
City of Sydney Sustainable Design Technical Guidelines
The City of Sydney has integrated references to Green Star into its Sustainable Design Technical Guidelines. It makes reference to individual credits for achieving benchmarks in low carbon energy supply, energy modelling and many other elements of building performance. Read more here.
City of Adelaide Incentives
The City of Adelaide rewards businesses for high sustainability performance by providing incentives. Businesses can demonstrate that they qualify for the incentives through Green Star certification. Read more here.
Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall participated in the Green Star - Public Building Pilot program as part of its restoration aiming to achieve a 4 Green Star rating for the building. Read more here.
The following local government members and stakeholders have provided sustainability policies which may be useful for your Council when undertaking policy updates or preparing new policies. If your Council has a policy which you would like included below, please contact us.
Wyndham City Council
The Wyndham City Council Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) Framework aims to incorporate ESD principles into all Council buildings.
City of Port Phillip
The City of Port Phillip Sustainable Design Strategy (2013) is an update of Council's Sustainable Design Strategy and Policy (2006). The Policy reinforces council's philosophy of creating sustainable buildings which contribute to a more sustainable urban environment.
Lake Macquarie City Council
The Lake Macquarie Better Buildings Strategy aim is to incorporate sustainable building design principles into all of Council's community buildings. Assessing the design of new buildings, as well as upgrades of existing buildings.
Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange City Councils
The Inspiring & Integrating Change - Local Government Toolkit is a joint venture between three Councils in central west NSW based on three successful sustainability projects. The toolkit provides local governments with the skills and know-how to start a project of their own.
Brisbane City Council
CitySmart is Brisbane City Council's dedicated sustainability agency for the city, it's innovative projects to help cut the city's carbon footprint.
Cairns Regional Council
The Sustainable Building Design Policy aims to incorporate sustainable building design principles into all Council buildings. This will be achieved by applying the policy to all new Council buildings and projects, including extensions, renovations and/or retrofits of existing Council buildings.
City of Greater Geelong
The Sustainable Building Policy aims to guide organisational practices to manage the social, environmental and financial aspects of Council buildings.
City of Joondalup
The Walkability Plan provides a five year strategic plan for investing in and managing walking and cycling infrastructure to enable safe and accessible environments that enhance community mobility.
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne have set an ambitious target of zero net emissions by 2020. In collaboration with key stakeholders Council have developed the City of Melbourne Zero Net Emissions by 2020 document to assist in achieving this goal.
City of South Perth
The Environmentally Sustainable Building Design Planning Policy aims to create environmentally sustainable building design requirements for new developments and substantial additions to existing buildings.
Gold Coast Council
The purpose of the City Plan Policy is to set out when community benefit bonuses are required, as well as the bonus amounts and documentation requirements for achieving bonuses.
Sustainable Melbourne Fund
The Sustainable Melbourne Fund (SMF) works closely with Councils to facilitate investment in buildings and related technology via Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs). SMF is a commercially oriented, independently managed unit by the City of Melbourne.