Subsidies for low-energy buildings

Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday 16/5/2009 Page: 18

MAKING buildings more efficient users of energy has become the priority for all developers and landlords and last week's federal budget allocation of funds has been welcomed by the property industry. The Green Building Council of Australia's chief executive, Romilly Madew, said the $3.3 million funding plan, spread over four years, to increase the energy efficiency requirements of commercial buildings would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"We've advocated changes to the Building Code of Australia for some time, and welcome the Australian Government's decision to increase the stringency of energy efficiency requirements for all classes of commercial buildings in the [code] from 2010," Ms Madew said. The council is also pleased with the commitment to spend $5.3 million over four years to accelerate and expand a national regime for the mandatory disclosure of commercial building energy efficiency at the point of sale or lease to improve awareness of building energy performance."

Ms Madew said the new national regime would start in 2010 for office buildings larger than 2000 sqms, and coverage would expand to a wider range of commercial buildings by 2012. In total, the country's commercial and residential buildings are responsible for 23% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. Stephen Conry, Jones Lang LaSalle's head of Australia, said the Government had maintained it emphasis in providing financial support for environmental strategies.

The Government is pushing for greater transparency [in the] performance of office buildings and has announced measures to encourage greater take-up of [sustainable] practices in the commercial property industry," he said. "Initiatives like the new Energy Efficiency Trust in [this] budget and the $90 million Green Building Fund announced in last year's budget are an opportunity for owners to upgrade the sustainability of their buildings with government subsidies."

Mr Conry said owners should take advantage of these programs before the proposed mandatory disclosure of the energy efficiency of commercial buildings is introduced. The disclosure, he said, would produce increased transparency in the market.