Leading by example

Romilly Madew, Chief Executive
Green Building Council of Australia

Gazing out of the window from the boardroom of the GreenHouse this morning while I waited for a meeting to commence, I played my favourite game: spot the Green Star building. 

Five years ago, this game was a quick one. Back then, just a handful of buildings had been awarded Green Star ratings in Sydney’s CBD. The story was much the same elsewhere. 

Today, as my eyes sweep down over the city, it is harder to spot the non-green buildings than it is those which have achieved Green Star ratings.

In nine years, Green Star has radically transformed the footprint of our cities – and this month we can proudly say that 500 projects around Australia have achieved Green Star certification. A further 500 plus are registered to achieve certification.

This transformation has occurred through true market leadership. Leading by example has pushed our industry from a ‘business as usual’ mentality to one of ‘leading the world’ through innovation and green building expertise. 

With 500 building projects now under our belt, it is no longer enough for organisations in our industry to claim leadership status with just a few Green Star rated buildings. In 2012, the new leaders in the industry are those companies that are making portfolio or precinct-wide commitments to Green Star. 

Organisations such as Places Victoria and Lend Lease, which are working together on Victoria Harbour in Melbourne, have committed to achieve Green Star ratings for all new buildings. Lend Lease, again, is embedding Green Star into the Barangaroo South development in Sydney, while all new Cbus Property acquisitions must have a Green Star rating. In the education sector, Monash and Melbourne universities are applying Green Star to all new construction projects. These developments alone will ensure Green Star influences the built environment for many decades to come.

Meanwhile, South Australia’s Urban Redevelopment Authority has mandated Green Star for all the buildings within its Bowden Urban Village development. The Tasmanian Government has committed to Green Star benchmarks for all new public buildings, including schools and hospitals. Perth’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority is mandating Green Star for two major projects: the Perth City Link and Elizabeth Quay. And, after achieving the first Green Star rating for a healthcare project, SA Health is looking to achieve Green Star ratings for other hospitals.  These state and local government agencies have risen to the challenge set by our advocacy agenda – to lead by example.

The industry is moving away from a building-by-building approach to sustainability.  The leaders of the industry are no longer choosing Green Star for ‘lighthouse’ projects. They are insisting on Green Star for every project. 

The message is clear: Green Star is ascendant.