Credit Interpretation Request

What is a Credit Interpretation Request (CIR)?

A Credit Interpretation Request (CIR) is submitted to the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) if a project team wishes to advocate for an alternative yet equivalent method of meeting the Aim of Credit.

Each Technical Manual outlines a number of options for meeting the Aim of Credit, but if the project team has developed an alternative design solution or an alternative form of documentation, it may wish to submit a CIR.

How to Submit a Credit Interpretation Request (CIR)

As part of the GBCA's ongoing efforts to streamline Green Star certification, you can now submit your Credit Interpretation Requests online.

The Green Star Project Manager section of our website allows you to submit these queries; you must be logged into the GBCA website in order to access Green Star Project Manager.

In order to prepare a credit interpretation request (CIR) the project team must be confident that they can demonstrate an alternative yet equivalent method of meeting the Aim of Credit in the Technical Manual.

Please note the following before submitting a CIR:

• A CIR can be submitted by a registered Green Star project or a project considering registration (non-registered).
• For registered Green Star projects, a CIR must be submitted by the relevant Project Contact as each project is only entitled to a limited number of CIRs.
  Additional CIRs will be charged at $400 (+ GST) for registered Green Star Projects and $800 (+ GST) for non-registered Green Star projects. (The fees are the same for online CIR submissions)
• A CIR must advocate for an alternative yet equivalent form of documentation or design which meets the Aim of Credit.
• Changes to benchmarks will not be condsidered. If a project believes a change in benchmark is warrented, they may submit formal feedback. Read more about the GBCA Stakeholder Feedback Process.
• Green Star rates building attributes, NOT operations. If your request is operational, it will be denied.
• Please check all previously issued Technical Clarifications & CIR Rulings to ensure your query has not already been answered.
• Each CIR must contain all the supporting evidence required for making a ruling; insufficient evidence will result in the CIR being denied. Supporting evidence can include previous correspondence with the GBCA, mechanical drawings, contractual agreements etc. Any resubmission of a CIR will be considered a new CIR and the project team will be charged accordingly.

If you have any questions regarding submitting a CIR; please contact the GBCA and ask to speak to a member of the Green Star team.