What do we want? Cities that work! When do we want them? Now!

Australia’s leading green building organisation, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), applauds the launch of the new ‘Make My City Work’ campaign.

Launched today in Canberra by the Property Council of Australia, the campaign aims to mobilise online community support for better planned, financed and managed cities.

According to the GBCA’s Executive Director – Advocacy and International, Robin Mellon, a national discussion about the future of our cities is imperative to ensure that they will be truly productive, sustainable and liveable.

“Currently, three quarters of Australians live in cities – and that will grow to four in every five Australians by 2050. 

“Our cities also generate around 80 per cent of the nation’s economic activity, so the productivity of our cities is vital to Australia’s economic future.”

The Make My City Work campaign encourages debate about the form and shape of our cities and provides a platform for Australians to declare their views to government.

“Cities must be ‘front and centre’ of any discussion about Australia’s future.  We need a broad conversation, a diversity of views, and a range of tools to help us reshape our vision and measure the success of Australia’s cities,” Mr Mellon says.

One of those tools is the Green Star – Communities rating tool, which the Green Building Council of Australia is preparing to launch mid-2012. 

Green Star – Communities is an independent, transparent, national scheme able to assess and certify the sustainability of community-level development projects. 

It is one of the world’s first rating tools to assess environmental issues within communities – such as minimising energy and water consumption, and reducing dependence on motor vehicles – alongside broader holistic sustainability issues, such as economic prosperity, liveability and community diversity.

“Australia’s cities have never faced so many challenges – from transport congestion and housing affordability, to population growth and adapting to climate change.  We need smart urban policy and joined-up thinking to address these challenges and we congratulate the Property Council of Australia for turning up the volume on this debate,” Mr Mellon concludes.

Contact:
Karen Jamal
Communications Consultant
Green Building Council of Australia
Phone: 0412 179 135
Email: karen.jamal@gbca.org.au