The Property Council of Australia has welcomed the new Sustainable Buildings SEPP to reduce energy and water consumption and monitor the embodied emissions of building materials and has urged government to work with industry to get the detail right.
Starting in May next year, thermal performance requirements for homes will be lifted from 5.5-6 stars to 7 stars NATHERS rating in alignment with the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings, a national plan to transition the built environment to net zero. This will make residential buildings greener and help NSW reach its emissions reduction targets.
Property Council’s NSW Deputy Executive Director Lauren Conceicao said the property industry was a critical stakeholder on the journey to net zero and a sustainable future.
“We have long advocated for a national approach to energy provisions and supported the increase of standards for energy and thermal performance in alignment with the latest National Construction Code,” Ms Conceicao said.
“The implementation of requirements for embodied carbon are a necessary next step, but we caution government to avoid a disjointed approach for commercial and residential buildings. This will create confusion in the market and reduce the effectiveness of the provisions.”
Ms Conceicao said throughout a very long period of consultation, industry had remained clear in its commitment to deliver strong sustainability outcomes.
“We have always supported objectives to create great places and deliver good design outcomes which are essential to the long-term success and sustainable growth of our cities and regional areas,” she said.
