New 'green era' for government building

Tuesday 28 April, Brisbane: The Queensland State Government has begun a new 'green' era in the way it builds and fits out public buildings.

Minister for Public Works, Robert Schwarten, said the Green Building Council of Australia's 5-star Green Star excellence rating was now the standard for new government offices.

"Having buildings constructed or refurbished to these high-rating green specifications is now Public Works Department policy," Mr Schwarten said.

"It is being pursued with new offices currently being built in Cairns and Maroochydore, and with a call centre in Zillmere on Brisbane's northside.

"Supporting this new green era are the agency's policies targeting energy, water and waste efficiencies in government buildings."

The eight-storey Cairns building is an expansion of the city's government precinct in William McCormack Place. At Maroochydore, earthworks have started on a similar sized office building in First Avenue.

Mr Schwarten said Public Works had just achieved a 'green rating' first for regional Australia with its fitout of an office in Toowoomba.

The top-floor Department of Environment and Resource Management office in Hume Street received the BCGA's best-practice 4-star Green Star certification.

"This was the first such Queensland project, government or private, to gain the rating - and the first government fitout in any regional area to be certified," Mr Schwarten said.