Lewis Land Group's $1.5 billion Harbour Shores development awarded top Green Star accreditation
Lewis Land Group’s recently approved $1.5 billion Harbour Shores master planned community in Biggera Waters has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Communities V1.1 rating by the Green Building Council of Australia.
A score of 84 points makes Harbour Shores the highest rated Green Star Community on the Gold Coast. Launching later this year, the 16-hectare community will be entirely fossil-fuel free and feature extensive energy efficiency, sustainability and community building initiatives, and more than 80 per cent of construction waste will be either reused or recycled.
The 6 Star Green Star Communities V1.1 accreditation signifies ‘World Leadership’ and sets the highest standards and practices across environmental, social, and economic sustainability criteria.
The Green Building Council of Australia’s Chief Impact Officer, Jorge Chapa, applauded Lewis Land Group on the achievement.
“Lewis Land Group has shown that they are a leader on the Gold Coast and are setting a high standard delivering a fossil-fuel free precinct,” Chapa said.
"Their Harbour Shores masterplan is an outstanding example of a future-focused precinct that will have a positive impact on people and the planet. We look forward to seeing how this healthy, green space is embraced by the local community."
Lewis Land Group is Australia’s oldest privately held property development group with a history of creating communities that spans more than 65 years. The late Bernard Lewis founded the company in 1957.
Lewis created Ephraim Island, the prestigious precincts of The Sovereign Islands, and Harbour Town Premium Outlets Gold Coast, the first and largest outdoor outlet retail centre in Australia, back in 1999.
Lewis Land Group Director Marnie Lewis-Millar said the opportunity to masterplan a site as significant as Harbour Shores came with a responsibility to consider scale and sustainability.
“Achieving a 6 Star Green Star Communities rating reinforces the value we place on actively investing in our communities and driving sustainable outcomes through world-class urban planning and our philanthropic endeavours,” she said.
“It’s a commitment to community as much as it is a commitment to sustainability and positive environmental outcomes.
“We are especially proud that it will also be Lewis Land Group’s first 6 Star Green Star community and the highest rated community of its kind on the Gold Coast.”
Harbour Shores is located directly opposite Harbour Town Premium Outlets and features 1.2 kilometres of canal frontage with direct access to the Gold Coast’s Broadwater.
Lewis Land Group’s Head of Development, Michael Long, said more than 54 per cent of the masterplan is dedicated to open green spaces, landscaping and communal areas, and a diverse range of villa and apartments will embrace the waterfront and park-front edges.
“Harbour Shores incorporates the very latest in climate adaptation and resilience plans and is entirely fossil-fuel free, chiefly through electricity infrastructure to power the site, solar energy, and the omission of natural gas for operational energy,” Long said.
“Its future-focused design also creates opportunities for residents to shape a vibrant village atmosphere alongside a high level of amenity, activity, and inclusiveness.”
Lewis Land Group partnered with leading sustainability consultancy dsquared throughout the planning and design process to maximise sustainability outcomes.
Upon completion Harbour Shores will deliver more than 2,000 dwellings, communal open spaces and parklands, a waterfront boardwalk, private marina berths, retail and commercial spaces, and a range of resident amenities including lagoon-style pools, clubhouse and tennis court, and childcare facilities.
