Green Star ratings for supermarkets, restaurants, retirement living and mixed-use developments on the horizon

What do a supermarket, a restaurant, a mixed-use development and a retirement village all have in common?

These building types will soon join the league of Green Star leaders, as new specially-developed Green Star rating tools enable four companies to gain Green Star certification for their building projects.

"We are very excited to announce that the first custom-built Green Star rating tools have been approved by the Green Building Council of Australia," says the GBCA's Chief Executive, Romilly Madew.

"Four companies - Coles, McDonald's, Stockland and Rock Development Group - have been working with us to develop special Green Star - Custom tools to rate projects outside the scope of the current Green Star system.

"These four companies now have exclusive use of their Green Star - Custom tools, and will be registering projects to achieve Green Star ratings.

Since 2003, the GBCA has released environmental rating tools to rate the design and construction of sustainable office buildings and fit outs, retail centres, schools, universities and hospitals, multi unit residential dwellings, public buildings and industrial facilities.

"I commend these companies for having the vision and commitment to support the development of these revolutionary new rating tools. They are setting new benchmarks for sustainability in their sectors.

"Now that their Green Star rating tools have been approved, we can expect to see Green Star-rated McDonald's restaurants, Coles supermarkets, Stockland retirement villages and mixed-use developments like loop in Canberra in the near future," Ms Madew says.

"We are thrilled to have developed our Green Star - Custom rating tool with the Green Building Council of Australia and are looking forward to gaining Green Star certification. We constantly strive to be an environmentally responsible business and this is the latest step in our journey towards environmental sustainability,'' says Michael Dimech, Director of Workplace Safety, Design & Supply for McDonald's Australia.

Property Director Greg Chubb says Coles was pleased to be the first Australian supermarket chain to develop a Green Star rating tool.

"For a number of years now, Coles has been working to reduce store energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through better technologies and store design. Our new Green Star rating tool will help us formalise, measure and benchmark our energy reduction initiatives across our store network," he says.

David Pitman, CEO of Stockland Retirement Living, says: "We're pleased to be setting benchmarks and leading innovation in the retirement industry. This is a great opportunity for Stockland to further demonstrate its support for sustainable planning, design and construction."

Maria Efkarpidis, Managing Director at Rock Development Group says: "Having met with the GBCA we realised there wasn't an appropriate Green Star rating tool that accommodated our vision for loop and the buildings within the sustainable community we are developing in the heart of the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets. After working with the GBCA, we can now obtain Green Star certification for loop and realise our vision of sustainable mixed-use developments supporting urban density."

"This is a watershed moment for the green building industry, as Green Star moves beyond its traditional influence and expands to reach new audiences and building types. We want to see all Australians have the opportunity to live, work and play in Green Star buildings. Today, we have taken another long stride towards achieving that vision," Ms Madew concludes.

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