Transport Calculator Guide

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has developed a Commuting Mass Transport Calculator (the Calculator) that is used in all Green Star rating tools to assess how well a building can be accessed using public mass transport. The Calculator determines the number of points awarded out of the five available for the following Green Star Credits:

• Tra-1 'Public Transport' (Green Star - Office Interiors v1.1)
• Tra-4 'Commuting Public Transport' (Green Star - Office v2)
• Tra-4 'Commuting Mass Transport' (All other Green Star tools)

A Calculator Guide (the Guide) has been created and should be used in conjunction with the Calculator in the Green Star rating tools. This guide is available at the link above.

The Calculator allows projects to be compared against a benchmark on identical terms. This is essential for Green Star assessment. The Calculator determines the number of points awarded based on the type of Mass Transport; the 'Average Interval Between Services During Peak Periods'; and the proximity of the Mass Transport stops to the development.

This calculator guide is applicable to all released Green Star tools and any project that registered after June 23 2009. Projects registered prior to this date can use the guidance found in the Technical Manual or in this document.

Deemed-to-Satisfy - Train Stations

The Transport calculator in all Green Star tools has been updated to include the Deemed-to-Satisfy Criteria stated in this methodology. In addition, the Deemed-to-Satisfy methodology for this credit has been expanded to include the distance to major train stations in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The expanded methodology now awards points to a project based on the proximity to neighboring stations. Projects using this Deemed-to-Satisfy methodology must submit the following documentation:

• Cover Letter or Short Report briefly describing the projects' location (such as by stating the postcode, or listing the train stations near the site), and the walking distance between the project and the transportation interchange(s); and
• Site Plan or Location Plan extending to surrounding areas, clearly showing the location of the site; the location of the chosen train station; and the distance between both.

To access the new Transport Calculator, please go to the tool of your choice and download the excel spreadsheet. For future updates, please check this webpage regularly, or contact your project's GBCA Case Manager for more information.

Deemed to Satisfy - Postcodes

The following postcodes have been assessed against the Public/Mass Transport Calculator. Projects located within these postal regions and within 500m (walking distance) of either a bus interchange with at least six bays or a train station with at least four platforms will automatically receive 5 (five) points for this credit:

Additional qualifying postcodes will be provided upon availability. If a project believes that a postcode qualifies for this criteria, please submit a CIR directly to your Case Manager.