GBCA urges NT government to prioritise green buildings

With the Northern Territory election imminent, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has urged NT politicians to strengthen their commitment to prioritising efficient building practices in the region.

“While the Northern Territory government and opposition have both voiced their commitment to sustainability, the Territory risks being left behind if it does not implement polices and programs which support sustainable buildings and communities,” said the GBCA’s Executive Director of Advocacy, Robin Mellon.

The GBCA has assessed the NT against five green building priorities:

1. Provide visionary government leadership: To demonstrate green leadership, government should commit to achieving Green Star ratings for all its buildings, including offices, schools, hospitals and public buildings. Mellon said that while Victoria and Queensland have mandated minimum Green Star standards for their offices, the NT is yet to make the same commitment.
2. Retrofit and improve existing buildings: State governments are introducing a range of policy incentives to improve existing buildings’ energy efficiency, reduce water use, widen the range of green building materials used and reduce construction and demolition waste. “As a first step, we encourage the government to undertake a complete audit of its own existing buildings, to identify levels of energy and water efficiency and opportunities for incremental improvement,” Mellon said.
3. Green education and healthcare facilities: “We now have more than 50 Green Star-rated schools and education facilities around Australia – but not one of them is in the Northern Territory. This presents a real opportunity for NT to capitalise on the benefits of green schools and healthcare facilities and learning outcomes from across the country,” Mellon said.
4. Move beyond buildings to communities and cities: The GBCA recently launched the Green Star - Communities rating tool that provides best practice guidelines for delivering sustainable regions and communities. “We applaud the NT’s Land Development Corporation for sponsoring the development of the Green Star - Communities rating tool, and the NT Government for demonstrating green leadership in this area,” Mellon said. The GBCA looks forward to working with other NT communities to achieve the rating.
5. Embed green skills across all industry training: The GBCA says demand for ‘green-collar workers’ in the NT is growing, but Territorians need the necessary skills to capitalise on these job opportunities. “In much the same way that OHS has become an integrated part of industry training, green skills must be embedded into the NT curriculum to ensure we develop better, safer, greener buildings and provide people with job opportunities and skills in a low-carbon economy,” said Mellon.

“How will the Top End become more environmentally and economically sustainable? We look forward to hearing both Chief Minister Henderson and Leader of the Opposition Terry Mills outline commitments to a better built environment between now and the election on 25 August,” Mellon concluded.