Environmentally Friendly

Norwest parent developer Mulpha and the University of NSW Built Environment School have released the results of a two-year research study aimed at understanding how the Norwest precinct handles heat and assessing ways to mitigate its impact through smart building, infrastructure and landscape design.

The target of the project is to lower the local Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) by two degrees, which will deliver significant cost savings and health benefits to the businesses, residents and visitors to Norwest.

Urban Heat islands form as vegetation is replaced by asphalt and concrete for roads, buildings, and other structures necessary to accommodate growing populations. These surfaces absorb and re-radiate the sun’s heat, causing surface temperatures and overall ambient temperatures to rise.

Mulpha has adopted an urban heat response to minimise heat build-up in its Norwest developments, including its zero-carbon development Norwest Quarter.&nbsp;

Head of Developments, Tim Spencer said the design considerations adopted at an early-stage in any development will have a major impact on the climate variability and liveability in urban environments such as Norwest.

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“We are excited to be collaborating with some of the leading thinkers and bright young minds of UNSW to really understand the Norwest micro-climate and how we can influence it with good planning and design," he said.

“Effective collection of on-the-ground data and analysis by world leading experts is central to our vision for Norwest as a Smart City that leads the way in urban design."

“A more liveable urban environment is also a better business and living environment that can deliver energy cost savings and ensure Norwest is a place where people enjoy being and giving their best, as well as being a great place to live and work in all respects."

“Only through collaboration are we going to be able to realise a liveable precinct, so by sharing this knowledge we hope other developers and even homeowners will take steps to assist in lowering the urban heat in Norwest,” Spencer added.&nbsp;

As the Hills only zero carbon precinct, sustainability and an environmentally-friendly design has been at the forefront of Mulpha’s Norwest Quarter development.&nbsp;

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The buildings have been designed to use light coloured materials throughout for high solar reflectivity, as well as using awnings, screens and external shading structures.

To reduce heat in Norwest, there is also the plan for substantial rewilding of the land surface, with a high percentage of deep soil planting and canopy cover, tree planting in both private and public spaces, and water features established throughout the precinct.

Over 70 per cent of the project is dedicated to green, open spaces, which will only bolster the effects of the new plan, with 2,000 residents expected to call Norwest Quarter home upon completion.&nbsp;

According to the NSW and ACT Regional Climate Modelling (NARCLiM), Sydney is expected to experience an increase in average maximum and minimum temperature for all seasons in the future, reflecting the broader phenomenon of global warming.

A Norwest-specific urban cooling guide has been published this week for the benefit of all developers and design practitioners working in Norwest to understand urban overheating and introduce suitable cooling strategies. This will improve the performance of developments, create a more liveable environment and address the challenges of climate change at a local level.

This marks the culmination of two years of monitoring and analysing Norwest’s microclimate from a network of 15 environmental sensors around the Norwest precinct to determine how the precinct performs now as well as how it will develop as the climate continues to change.

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Dr Negin Nazarian, Scientia Senior Lecturer, UNSW Built Environment, said heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, which has serious consequences for public health, liveability and functionality of urban environments.

“Heatwaves in Australia kill more people than any other natural disaster, Nazarian said.&nbsp;

“With the increased rate of urban development, city and precinct scale climate is dramatically changed, resulting in additional warmth brought about by the urban heat island effect.

“It is paramount that we understand and closely monitor not only the climatic factors, but also the urban design characteristics that impact human health and well-being in the face of such heat events, and further promote smart city strategies to address this.”

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The buildings have been designed to use light coloured materials throughout for high solar reflectivity, as well as using awnings, screens and external shading structures.

alisonwarters@gmail.com

Mulpha and UNSW release plan to reduce urban heat in Norwest by two degrees

Aria Property Group always have a steady stream of interest from off the plan investors&nbsp;in their Brisbane apartment developments.

Investors who bought in to one of Aria&#39;s most recently completed developments, The Standard, Aria, located in the heart of the Fish Lane arts precinct, saw great success.

Those who bought pre-completion have secured resales between 10 per cent and 38 per cent more than what they paid.&nbsp;Owner-occupiers showed the greatest keenness on the resales.

The investors who decided to hold on&nbsp;to their apartments are seeing&nbsp;strong 5.48 per cent rental yields throughout the building.

Aria&#39;s latest development, Trellis, also in South Brisbane, is also expected to be a hit with investors.

The&nbsp;12-story building with 110 apartments is Aria&#39;s most sustainable yet, with&nbsp;60 percent of the building covered in greenery of some variety. It will feature&nbsp;trellises within which improve biodiversity, as well as solar technology and even Tesla batteries and charging stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108278 project_image_fid=173592]

There&#39;s&nbsp;over 1,000 sqm of recreational amenity space, including the Temple of Wellness on the ground floor and the Residents&rsquo; Rooftop Club on level 13. That features magnesium baths and an infinity pool with views across Brisbane. Amenity is also high on the priority list for tenants.

Apartments in Trellis start from $739,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. Three-bedroom apartments are priced from $1,084,000 to $1,224,000.

Completion is forecast for mid-2023.

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The Brisbane&nbsp;apartment market has continued to show strength over 2021, after a resilient 2020 in the wake of the pandemic.

Research from property data firm CoreLogic showed Brisbane&nbsp;apartment&nbsp;values rose 0.6&nbsp;per cent over September, triple&nbsp;the&nbsp;growth of apartments in Melbourne.

At the end of 2020, the median apartment value in Brisbane was at a yearly high of $390,000. Now it&#39;s $430,000.

Unit rental prices have also seen steady growth in 2021, up&nbsp;3.5 per cent over the past 12 months.

This&nbsp;growth trend is expected to continue, backed in large part by billions of dollars in investment from both private and public sectors as part of the pipeline for the 2032 Olympics.

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Aria Property Group have pushed the envelope not only on sustainability but value at their newest tower, Trellis in South Brisbane

Joel Robinson

Why investors snap up apartments in Aria Property Group's Brisbane apartment developments

Aria Property Group continue to improve sustainability across their South East Queensland residential apartment developments.

Their newest tower,&nbsp;Trellis, in South Brisbane, is their most sustainable to date.

Unabashedly green, as an homage to it&#39;s name, Aria&nbsp;have implemented environmentally forward practices across all aspects of the development, from the site itself, of which 60&nbsp;percent is covered in greenery of some variety, as well as the trellises within which improve biodiversity, to solar technology&nbsp;and Tesla batteries.

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All 110 two and three-bedroom apartments in the 12-storey building&nbsp;feature&nbsp;cross flow ventilated corridors, operable architectural screen doors,&nbsp;double-glazed glass and more. Residents will experience significantly cooler apartments compared to competitor projects, reducing reliance on air-conditioning and facilitating cost savings

With the growing scale of landscaping and greenery on Trellis, Aria is incorporating 60,000L of rainwater tanks to capture as much rainwater as possible to irrigate planting. This will assist in reducing Body Corporate water costs and recycle rainwater typically wasted in most buildings.

This is in line with Aria&#39;s proven track record in more than just sustainability,&nbsp;recognised as the Best High Density Developer in Australia from 2017 - 2019 with&nbsp;Oxley + Stirling Residences, The Melbourne Residences and Botanica Residences.

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ARIA say Trellis is one&nbsp;of their most liveable apartments to date. Designed by Rothelowman, they feature&nbsp;three metre high ceilings, Miele appliances, operable glazing and high-end contemporary finishes.

Reminiscent of an urban retreat, Trellis reflects a new style of resort living with&nbsp;1,119 sqm&nbsp;of recreational amenity across the Temple of Wellness on the ground floor and the Residents&rsquo; Rooftop Club on level 13. That features magnesium baths and an infinity pool with views across Brisbane.

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The development also offer a podcast/boardroom, serving as a multi-use space for working at home. There&#39;s also a&nbsp;Residents&rsquo; Wine Cellar.

Apartments in Trellis start from $739,000 for an apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Three-bedroom apartments are priced from $1,084,000 to&nbsp;$1,224,000.

Completion is slated for mid-2023

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Unabashedly green, as homage to it's name, Aria have implemented environmentally forward practices across all aspects of the development

jordan_55689

Aria Property launch South Brisbane apartments Trellis, their most sustainable development to date

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A prototype energy-efficient home, dubbed the ‘house with no bills’, is set to go under the hammer tomorrow, on Saturday.
The 199-square-metre, three-bedroom home, is located at 12 Monterey Drive, and was built as part of a study into sustainable living which was undertaken by real estate group MIRVAC.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/2/24/HWNB%202.jpg" alt=""> 
Mirvac General Manager of Residential Victoria, Elysa Anderson, said the complex will be used to shape future projects.
“Designed to look, feel and operate the same way as a typical home, the House with No Bills experiment aimed to help address the increasing pressures of housing affordability and reduce environmental impact with market-based solutions,” she said.
The Cheltenham property was home to the Zimmerman family of four until December 2019.
An Evergen solar and battery system featuring CSIRO-developed intelligent energy management, along with a smart home automation system with environmental sensors controlling internal temperatures, are among the various eco-friendly innovations included to reduce the house’s reliance on grid electricity.
Smart meters and monitoring systems helped the Zimmerman family keep track of where and how their energy was being used, assisting the HWNB in achieving a 75 per cent energy cost saving (approximately $2,000) in 12 months, with the potential to operate with net zero energy bills.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/2/24/HWNB%203.jpg" alt="">
Built in March 2018, the modern two-storey house has an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, two bathrooms and a powder room, and an outdoor entertaining area.
Tiles downstairs are efficient for thermal protection, while upstairs bedrooms are carpeted. There is a single car garage, plus space to park in the driveway.
MIRVAC’s Baden Lucas will auction the house, which is being marketed with expectations from $775,000 to $850,000.
Cheltenham’s median house price is $1.267 million.
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house with no bills prototype in Cheltenham listed for sale

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JLL’s new Brisbane headquarters, Central Plaza, has earned a 6 star Green Star Interiors v1.1 rating.
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) placed the tenancy, on levels 39 and 40 at 345 Queen Street (pictured), in the World Leadership category.
6 stars is the highest rating that the GBCA can award in Australia.
The JLL Brisbane fitout, for which used its own in-house expertise rather than external consultants, is one of the only two fitouts to be rated a 6 star under Green Star interiors v1.1.
JLL’s Managing Director – Queensland, Geoff McIntyre, said: "this great achievement reflects the collaboration of so many different parts of our business from project management through to sustainability services. We have set a new internal standard, and we can roll out all future projects using this model."
JLL's Head of Energy and Sustainability Services – Asia Pacific, Matt Clifford, said: “this project is a clear demonstration that with the right approach, and the right leadership, achieving world-class levels of sustainability doesn’t need to be hard or costly. Rather, it can be simple, cost-effective and good for the environment, while delivering a fantastic place for our staff to work." 
“The use of LED lighting and timed sensors in the JLL Brisbane office has reduced the consumption to 33 per cent of recommended Australia Standards for lighting, which is expected to result in significantly lower electricity costs," he concluded.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

JLL Brisbane headquarters achieves 6 star Green Star rating

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Around the world, new developments are increasingly framed as sustainable to both policymakers and prospective buyers. They are seen as a “win-win” for the environment and the economy. However, recent concerns suggest social inequality often results.
Barangaroo is one such green development on the harbourfront in Sydney, Australia. What was once a contaminated, dilapidated, post-industrial wharf is now home to a six-hectare park, three office towers and two residential complexes. More is to come, in the form of a 275-metre hotel-casino.
Beyond its immense scale, Barangaroo is significant for another reason: it has a commendable sustainability agenda.
Rooftop solar partially powers the buildings, which are constructed from carbon-neutral materials and even provide a supply of recycled water from a stormwater treatment plant underneath. Beyond the project’s economic advantages – an estimated $2 billion-a-year boost to the New South Wales economy – the environment benefits through increased green space and biodiversity, along with reduced carbon emissions and electricity and water use.
These are undeniably beneficial outcomes. Yet, worryingly, such developments may result in “green gentrification” as increases to environmental amenity in an area result in displacement and exclusion of the disadvantaged.
I examined this claim at Barangaroo, by breaking its outcomes into three parts:
<ul>
<li>who has access to the spaces it creates</li>
<li>what happens to the surrounding property market</li>
<li>how governance enables the outcome.</li>
</ul>
My findings suggest there is an urgent need to prioritise social outcomes in future sustainable development.
The spaces
Barangaroo has created many new spaces, but will people from all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds have access? Multiple hectares of public park and waterfront access, piers, laneways and bridges are accessible at the development. Retail spaces are scattered in between the office towers and residential complexes.
Around 900,000 people from the local Sydney region visited the public park in its first year alone. The commercial space, likewise, provides for 23,000 professionals.
To determine whether these statistics include the disadvantaged it is necessary to delve deeper. Who are those who live nearby? Who are employed in the offices? Who are the shops’ target market?
The price of floor space at Barangaroo is very high – around $20,000 per square metre for its apartments. Affordable housing has been moved offsite, so many will be priced out of living within Barangaroo.
Business giants, such as KPMG and Westpac, are among those that can afford to occupy the office space. Smaller, less professionally oriented businesses are unable to do so. The result is that retailers largely cater to office workers. David Jones, for instance, “has been carefully designed to appeal to Barangaroo’s big office community”.
Likewise, the new restaurants, owned by celebrity chefs and restaurateurs, appeal to those from high socio-economic backgrounds.
These trends provide little room for the disadvantaged to occupy the site’s residential, retail or commercial spaces. What about the public space, however? If those from low socio-economic backgrounds live around the development, they could enjoy these spaces.
The property market
Green gentrification studies suggest sustainable developments may raise the prices of property nearby. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics between 2011 and 2016, I found the rent prices in areas northeast of Barangaroo increased drastically.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/241198/original/file-20181018-41153-4s11hp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Rental price increases as a percentage in the areas surrounding Barangaroo. Author provided
The main reason for this change was the selling of 214 public housing properties in Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks in 2014. The NSW government announced the sales after Barangaroo’s effect on the surrounding areas began to take place, realising the increased profit to be made.
As a result, the development is not only exclusive on the inside, it has also contributed to the displacement of the disadvantaged from surrounding areas.
The governance
Could appropriate governance have prevented this? The political agenda that enabled this exclusion and displacement effectively ignored the disadvantaged. Counterclaims to the benefits of the development were ignored, as these did not match the win-win narrative of the development’s proponents.
For instance, the then NSW finance minister, Greg Pearce, dismissed the concerns of evicted residents by stating: 
"Millers Point is poorly suited for social housing … when considering its future, the government needs to consider it in the context of all of the surrounding areas, including the Barangaroo redevelopment area."
In a more extreme case, fast-tracked legislation made legally void a claim brought against the government for approving potentially unlawful elements of the development.
These actions minimise antagonistic voices, those that often act to promote social equality.
If future green developments are to minimise exclusion and displacement, they must allow participation from all sectors of society and recognise all the potential impacts in advance. The NSW government has not only enabled exclusion by failing to ensure affordable housing quotas, it has actively encouraged it by selling the nearby public housing.
Barangaroo is a missed opportunity: instead of promoting social equality, it has made inequality worse.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104941/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Rupert Legg, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/making-developments-green-doesnt-help-with-inequality-104941" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Making developments green doesn’t help with inequality: Rupert Legg

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Melbourne and Adelaide have been most prone to deadly heatwave conditions among Australia’s five largest cities, according to my new research published in Climatic Change.
My study shows that between 2001 and 2015, Melbourne and Adelaide suffered the most exposure to temperatures beyond a crucial threshold of 7.26℃ above the average. Above this threshold, deaths are more likely because people are not acclimatised to the extreme weather.
I estimated that there were 151 deaths in Melbourne and 144 in Adelaide due to extreme heatwaves - those above this 7.26℃ threshold - between 2001 and 2015.
Heatwaves can cause significant numbers of deaths, especially among vulnerable groups of people who are not prepared for or acclimatised to extreme hot temperatures.
Even though Melbourne and Adelaide are located in more temperate areas (in comparison with more northerly cities such as Brisbane), they have been periodically hit by severe heatwaves.
In my research, I looked at the “Excess Heat Factor”, a measure used by the Bureau of Meteorology as part of its heatwave forecasts. It is the difference between the 3-day average temperature and the 30-day average, and is therefore a measure of how “unusually hot” it is during a heatwave. It captures how much residents are likely to struggle to cope with the heat.
The graphs below show the frequency of excessively hot or cold weather for each of Australia’s major cities from 2001 to 2015. These charts show that most days had temperatures where the 3-day average was 2℃ higher or lower than the 30-day average.
A grey dashed line shows the extreme heat threshold that my study found was associated with higher deaths, relative to moderately warm and cool days. I then estimated the threshold at which there is a significantly increased risk of deaths.
The death rate (per 100,000 people) that coincides with the extreme heat acclimatisation measure is shown as a black line on each of the graphs. This is an average impact of temperature on death rates, adjusted for different cities’ population sizes and baseline death rates.
Between 2001 and 2015, most of the events above the 7.26℃ extreme heat threshold occurred in Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth. Brisbane and Sydney had fewer days above this threshold.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230324/original/file-20180802-136673-gj66go.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230323/original/file-20180802-136652-2vfjgm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230322/original/file-20180802-136667-1set3o3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230326/original/file-20180802-136667-1xm8n3r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230325/original/file-20180802-136670-r1mg15.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 Figure 1 – Histograms of the Excess Heat Index for major Australian cities between 2001 and 2015.
The importance of acclimatisation
Several previous studies have linked excessive heat to adverse events such as deaths (see here, here and here), and emergency department visits and ambulance call-outs (see here, here and here). But my study is the first to solely focus on the extreme heat index acclimatisation measure, and to identify a temperature threshold in this way. This measure is important, as it identifies the times when residents of cities with different background climates begin to struggle with the heat.
The Bureau of Meteorology does not currently use the 7.26℃ threshold identified in my paper. Doing so may improve predictions of which heatwaves are most likely to turn deadly for significant numbers of people living in our major cities.
Implications for policy
Since the severe heatwaves of 2009, many states and territories have implemented or revised their heatwave response plans, or conducted awareness campaigns to educate people about the health risks. But more can be done to make vulnerable people aware of upcoming heatwave events.
A 2016 review proposed that heatwave response plans and early warning systems should be evaluated and updated at least every five years, to ensure that they remain effective, and to incorporate up-to-date knowledge about population-level vulnerability to heat stress.
While my research has focused on Australia’s five largest cities, this does not mean that extreme heat is any less dangerous in other areas. Nor is the danger limited to prolonged heatwaves – individual hot days can catch people out too. A NSW study found that emergency hospital admissions due to dehydration and other heat-related injuries rose significantly on individual hot days, as well as during hot spells lasting at least three days.
This suggests that we need to develop more complex heat risk management plans, with targeted responses for different health issues based on the longevity of extreme heat events.
Implications for the future
We also need to consider the patterns of extremely hot temperatures that we are likely to encounter in the future. Recent research found that changes in the frequency and duration of heatwaves will be larger in the north of Australia than the south. But the same study also found that “heatwave amplitude” – the intensity of the hottest day of the hottest heatwave – will increase more in southern parts of Australia.

This research suggests that cities south of Brisbane will experience the most severe temperature spikes beyond what their residents are used to dealing with.
Thomas Longden, Senior Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/melbourne-and-adelaide-have-been-australias-most-vulnerable-major-cities-to-killer-heatwaves-100950" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Melbourne and Adelaide have been Australia’s most vulnerable major cities to killer heatwaves

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Covering roofs and walls of buildings with vegetation is a good way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And these green roofs and walls make cities look nicer. Toronto’s central business district adopted a policy of establishing green roofs on around half of all city buildings in 2009. Research shows this could reduce maximum city temperatures by up to 5℃.
We spent the past 12 months analysing the case for more greenery on Australian city buildings, drawing on international comparisons. We’ve shown that a mandatory policy, coupled with incentives to encourage new and retrofitted green roofs and walls, will provide environmental, social and business benefits.
These include improved air quality, energy conservation and reductions in stormwater run-off from buildings, which would decrease flash flooding. Green roofs and walls also become new habitats for biodiversity and can be pleasant spaces for social interaction in dense urban areas.
We found numerous studies confirming that greenery on inner-city buildings reduces the urban heat island effect, which is when city centres are hotter than surrounding suburban and outer-urban areas.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223984/original/file-20180620-137746-jb859j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Green roofs are great social spaces. Author provided, Author provided
What other countries are doing
We examined international case studies of cities embracing green roofs and walls to review policy frameworks which could be suitable for Australia. A range of measures and policies exist and vary depending on building types (buildings need specific features to host vegetation) and the degree to which policies can be enforced.
Singapore is leading in this area. It markets itself as a “garden city” to attract investment, visitors and commerce. Green roofs and walls are a vital and visual manifestation of this policy.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223985/original/file-20180620-137720-o4cmgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Green walls are aesthetically pleasing. Author provided
Greenery is ingrained in Singapore’s development sector and is boosted by incentives, grants, awards, certification schemes and government-led development. Through this voluntary-heavy (yet supported) effort, Singapore increased its number of green roofs and spaces nine-fold between 2006 and 2016.
Rotterdam’s efforts weren’t as extensive as Singapore’s, but the city more than doubled its green roof area from 2012-2017 through incentives, grants, tax benefits and demonstration projects.
London increased its total green-roof area more than four-fold from 2005-2016. This was partially achieved through a biodiversity action plan.
And Toronto has the second-largest area of green roofs of the four cities we studied. This has been delivered through a mandatory policy, introduced in 2009, that requires all new developments with roofs of 2,000m² or more to install green roofs.
The case in Australia
We modelled what could be delivered in the City of Sydney and the City of Melbourne based on the measures taken in Singapore (which is voluntary-heavy), London (voluntary-light), Rotterdam (voluntary-medium) and Toronto (mandatory).
We combined this with data on actual green building projects in 2017 in Sydney and Melbourne to show the potential increase of projects in each city based on the four policies.
In the Sydney local government area, 123 green roof and wall projects were under way in 2016. The below table uses this base to estimate what the numbers of such projects would be for three time periods, based on the policies in the four scenarios modelled.
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7ff2z/3/" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%" height="357"></iframe>
In the Melbourne local government area, 28 green roof and wall projects were under way in 2016. The table below shows how these could increase based on policies of the four case studies modelled.
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/s2Efy/1/" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%" height="357"></iframe>
How Australia can get on board
Sydney and Melbourne have green roof and green wall policies aligned with their 2030 and 2040 sustainability targets, launched in 2012 and 2015 respectively. Sydney has the Green Roofs and Walls Policy Implementation Plan, while Melbourne has the Growing Green Guide 2014.
These policies appear most aligned with the voluntary-light approach adopted in London. Sydney had a 23% increase in green roofs since its policy launch, although this was from a very low starting point. Melbourne also reports an increase in green roofs and walls, though the amount of uptake isn’t publicly available.
There are, of course, barriers to greening up buildings. These include costs as well as lack of experience in the industry, especially in terms of construction and management. Professional capacity for green roofs is still in a developing phase and further training and skill development are needed.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224163/original/file-20180621-137750-i347f7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Green wall adds vegetation to an aged care home in Sydney.
Around 87% of the building stock Australia will have in 2050 is already here, and a large proportion of existing buildings could be retrofitted. We recommend a voluntary approach using a mix of initiatives for building owners, such as tax benefits and credits in green building tools.
Focusing on new buildings is likely to lead to more modest growth rates in the short to medium term, relative to alternative approaches such as retrofitting. The annual growth rate of new stock is around 1-3%, which means that policies focusing on new stock will have a substantial impact over the long term.
However, in the short to medium term, a retrofit policy would have greater impact given the numbers of existing buildings suitable for this.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97088/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Local government areas can also promote the evidence showing the lift in property values in areas with more green infrastructure – in some instances up to 15%. This should encourage voluntary uptake.
Sara Wilkinson, Associate Professor, School of the Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney
Paul J Brown, Senior Lecturer – Creative Intelligence | Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation &amp; Senior Lecturer – Accounting | UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney
Sumita Ghosh, Senior Lecturer, School of the Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-cities-are-lagging-behind-in-greening-up-their-buildings-97088" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Australian cities are lagging behind in greening up their buildings

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Ian Moore, the former Clean Energy Finance Corporation board member, has sold his eco-friendly home, Coorabell Dreaming, in the Byron Bay hinterland.
The home sold for $3.76 million through McGrath Byron Bay agent Ruth Gotterson to a Brisbane buyer.
Designed by local architect Sam Zaher, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-coorabell-127791986" target="_blank">the three-bedroom house</a> sits 100 metres above sea level with views over the Myocum Valley to the ocean.
Coorabell Dreaming is completely off the grid, relying on a 45 solar panel system, a battery bank and a back-up generator too.
The double glazed home has multi-layered insulation to further minimise energy consumption.
It also comes with a 14,000 tree rainforest plantation.
There are two 45,000 litre water tanks.
Moore, who considers himself an “economic green” and his wife, Di, spend most of their time in their Sydney home.
Initially had it with a price guide of $4.2 million last year, with no price guidance more recently from McGrath selling agent Ruth Gotterson.
Moore also served as the Head of Corporate Finance at Bankers Trust Investment Bank and has been an Independent Non-Executive Director of Challenger Listed Investments.
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph. 
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