GREEN DESIGN GUIDE FOR AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

22/03/2006 - The latest and best advice on how to construct a government building that is environmentally sustainable has just been released by the Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell.
“The second edition of the Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Design Guide for Australian Government Buildings is now available to help architects, engineers, designers and construction companies create buildings which impact more considerately on the environment,” Senator Campbell said.
“This guide will help ensure that construction projects for offices and public buildings are better for the environment, save money, conserve resources, and improve productivity.”
Senator Campbell said that the popular first edition of the ESD design guide had been updated and expanded to include case studies of leading Australian green buildings and related interviews which could inform and inspire those working in the construction industry.
“Australia is producing landmark green buildings, including the CH2 building in Melbourne, and I am pleased to see that industry leaders are willing to share experiences from their projects for the benefit of the environment,” Senator Campbell said.
“How we design and construct our buildings is a crucial part of ecologically sustainable development in our cities and towns.
“At the moment, the built environment consumes 12 per cent of the world’s fresh water and up to 40 per cent of the world’s energy. It produces 40 per cent of the waste going to landfill and 40 per cent of emissions to air.
“We must be able to improve on these statistics and governments can contribute significantly to this change by striving for high environmentally sustainable standards in their buildings,” he said.