11 March 2011 – Updated 7 April 2011 – The bar for sustainable construction has just been raised. Australia now has the first scientifically reliable and independently validated database for life cycle assessment of building products and its developers say the impact will be impressive. The Building Products Innovation Council’s Life Cycle Inventory, flagged by […]

The federal government has promised a tax break program for green buildings worth up to to $1billion. How the program will work in practice may change following a call for public submissions, now closed. Following are details of original proposals for the program. 11 March – Under the tax breaks program, successful applicants will be […]

By Lynne Blundell 11 March 2011 –The nuclear power debate was an interesting and provocative inclusion at the Green Cities conference this year. Australia has remained staunchly anti-nuclear for decades while other countries such as France, Germany and China have gone down the nuclear track. Two scientists went head to head with the arguments for […]

10 March 2011 – The claims for green plants in buildings are that they help to improve indoor life. From a single plant on a desk, container plants throughout the space, planted foyers, to landscaped atriums and bioclimatic skyscraper plantings, the presence of plants creates a healthy and pleasant work environment. How do they do […]

NABERS Introductory Seminars are held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Darwin from February. The NABERS introduction seminar is essential for anyone who wants to better understand NABERS ratings and their obligations under the new Commercial Building Disclosure scheme, which requires anyone selling or leasing office space of more than 2000 square metres to […]

10 March 2011 –Peddling ideas to increase numbers of cyclists and improve sharing of roads and paths can garner up to $10,000 in grants. Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore says volunteer time, equipment, materials and cash can be used in the resident’s part of the grant, while the City of Sydney matches the equivalent […]

10 March 2011 – From The Economist. Australian mammalogist and palaeontologist, Tim Flannery is an environmental celebrity. His 2005 book,The Weather Makers, about climate science and global warming, was a bestseller. His latest Here on Earth is his most ambitious book so far. The publisher calls it a twin biography, of humanity and the planet […]

10 March 2011 – Ecospecifier has launched a free to air new website to display its new GreenTag™ GreenRate Green Building Council of Australia recognised product certification and rebranded verified product listings. The new site is suitable for anyone wanting to simplify their green building product research using a one stop source, Ecospecifier said in […]

19 March 2011 – Award winning architect Nick Murcutt  passed away at his home in Bondi on Thursday night. National president elect Brian Zulaikha sent the following news alert to  Australian Institute of Architects members late Friday: It is with much sadness that I let you know our colleague and friend Nick Murcutt died last […]

9 March 2011 ­– Rod Leaver will be the new Lend Lease chief executive officer for Asia after the departure of Eng­Peng Ooi, who is leaving after 30 years with the group, with Mr Leaver’s role as CEO of the Australian business to be taken over by Mark Menhinnitt. Lend Lease Group CEO and managing […]

10 March 2011 –The City of Sydney will donate $50,000 to the Christchurch earthquake appeal. The donation to the Australian Red Cross NZ Earthquake Appeal 2011 will provide emergency relief and recovery assistance, send specialist aid workers to assist in relief and recovery operations, and support the New Zealand Red Cross. For details on donations […]

9 March 2011 – The Liberals  in Victoria – and potentially soon in NSW – have both threatened a new wave of urban sprawl, but planners say there is an opportunity for a new planning body to push through urban consolidation. Either way, prepare for turbulence. A new government in Victoria and the likelihood of […]

8 March 2011 – Updated 25 March 2011 – According to an article by  Shane Scanlan in Docklands News, the election of a new state government in Victoria and the resignation of VicUrban Pru Sanderson in December may signal some “significant changes for Docklands – particularly in the area of planning.” According to the article: […]

By Lindsay Pelser 4 May 2011 – I read with great interest your story on the delay of tax breaks for energy upgrades.  This could have made pink batts and solar subsidies look like spilt milk. I think it is good to scrap the tax breaks as it would be no more than a rort […]

By Jane Jose 4 March 2011 – It’s been a summer to remember. A summer that saw Queensland go from beautiful one day, perfect the next, to disaster for the next few weeks. Speaking with characteristic calm and control we heard from the Queensland Premier, now national hero, Anna Bligh, as she reported on buildings […]

3 February 2011 – The fossil fuel industry receives a whacking huge $10 billion a year or more in subsidies. And these subsidies are firm and solid – built into the tax system as automatic deductions or rebates or exemptions for taxpayers, corporate or individual, says BERNARD KEANE in Crikey. From Crikey: Earlier this week, […]

3 March 2011 – A new report from Consult Australia has called for the integration of existing fragmented sustainability policies and programs. The report, Seizing the Sustainability Advantage, would be used to drive practical action by governments to mitigate the risks of climate change and help ensure Australia’s ongoing economic competitiveness,  Consult Australia chief executive […]

3 March 2011 – From Springwise – Eco-conscious alternatives to traditional wooden flooring typically rely upon cork or other non-hardwood materials for their sustainability. A new Dutch innovation, however, earns its green credentials by cutting floorboards in such a way as to follow the hardwood’s natural curves. Aiming to bring to the mass market what […]

2 March 2011 – The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council this week called  for a federal minister and department for cities and urban development to meet the nation’s urban challenges. Speaking at the Green Cities 2011 conference in Melbourne on Tuesday ASBEC president Tom Roper said there was an urgent need for “bold leadership and […]

2 February 2011 – From Avaaz – In 48 hours, nearly half the British mass media could be bought by one of the world’s worst media moguls. Rupert Murdoch has exploited his vast media empire to push war in Iraq, elect George W Bush, spread resentment of muslims and immigrants, and block global action on […]

Green roofs, massive wetlands with nesting boxes to attract birdlife, locally generated power, on-site bore water and the creation of local employment these are just part of the mix in the regeneration practiced in the UK by Tom Bloxham. By Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES: 29 April 2010 –Tom Bloxham’s keynote presentation at the Australian Institute of […]

1 March  2011 – Federal Independent MP Tony Windsor this week launched new research from the Climate Institute to show regional potential clean energy resources available from carbon pollution pricing and clean energy policies, but outlines pathways for regions to maximise employment and investment opportunities. A media statement from the Climate Institute said: “This research […]

By Tina Perinotto 1 March 2011 –In what could signal a major breakthrough, property investment analyst IPD on Monday launched its long awaited green property index at Green Cities 2011 and the results vindicate the industry’s commitment to a more sustainable product:  Green Star and NABERS-rated buildings outperform non-rated buildings on a financial basis by […]

1 March 2011 – Grocon this week said it would aim to match its pace-setting carbon neutral Pixel commercial building in Melbourne with a 10-storey carbon neutral residential apartment building built from a high tech sustainably sourced laminated timber fabric. To be known as Delta, the building will be co-located with the Pixel building on […]

28 February 2011 – According to official figures 1300 people are signed to attend Green Cities at the six star Green Star Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre over the next three days. That’s a massive jump of the few hundred that attended the first iterations of this industry’s leading event. On stage Monday and Tuesday […]

By Michael Mobbs 3 March 2011 – In April 2004, the hypothesis that the Gulf Stream is switching off received a boost when a retrospective analysis of U.S. satellite data seemed to show a slowing of the North Atlantic Gyre, the northern swirl of the Gulf Stream.[7] I’m not sitting here wringing my hands. There’s […]

31 May 2010 – FAVOURITES: Warren Ebert has strong opinions about green buildings. As principal of Queensland property investment company, Sentinel Asset Management, he believes in them because they make financial sense – they save money because they are energy efficient and because tenants want to be in them. What he isn’t happy about is […]

25 February 2011 – The board of the World Green Building Council is scheduled to meet in Melbourne on Sunday, ahead of the Green Cities 2011 conference. Key issues for discussion are four strategic priorities for 2011: creating a global common language for green building; building a strong global GBC community; increasing the profile of […]