Council
has adopted a local planning policy designed to help ensure new developments in
the region are sustainably designed.
The
policy requires multi-unit, mixed use and commercial developments to include an
Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) assessment as part of the
planning permit process.
This
assessment covers seven key areas: energy performance, water resources, indoor environment
quality, stormwater management, transport, waste management and urban ecology.
It
means more developments in Greater Geelong will achieve above the required
building standards for sustainability, from the design stage through to
construction and operation.
It’s
expected this will lead to positive economic, social and environmental outcomes
for the city, and will benefit owners by reducing running costs and improving
overall liveability.
The
policy was developed after an 18-month pilot program where an ESD Officer was
available to offer free advice to developers from the pre-application stage
right through the planning process.
A draft of the policy was released for feedback in November 2018 and sent to
key stakeholder agencies. This resulted in two changes:
- The permit trigger
for the policy has been raised from two to three dwellings, with this trigger
to be reviewed within two years. - Mention has been added
of the need for new developments to include sufficient space for e-waste
disposal.
The policy will now
be sent to the Minister for Planning for approval.
Councillor Bruce Harwood – Mayor
Council
views sustainable development within our region as an important priority. As a
City of Design, we need to be clever and creative in the way our buildings are
designed to make sure we achieve maximum environmental performance. Often small
changes in design can make a big difference.The voluntary pilot program was successful in helping developers consider these
types of design changes, so we’re pleased to have now made this a formal
policy.
Councillor Jim Mason – Chair, Sustainable
Development portfolio
I’m excited by council’s
adoption of the Environmentally Sustainable Development program, which will
significantly improve the environmental performance of new developments and
increase the number of residential and commercial buildings achieving above mandatory
standards.As a clever and creative region, we value the many environmental benefits this
program will bring, such as a reduction in waste and commercial heating and
cooling costs.
