New Zealand Green Building Council

Media Release

05.08.07

Response to Minister Hon. Clayton Cosgrove 2nd Building Code Discussion Document

Patrick Fontein, Chairman of the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) says “that the Ministers recent discussion document is a step in the right direction” Fontein goes on to highlight that “there are many issues to work through before the industry will agree on an acceptable method of calculating such complex issues around embodied energy”.

The New Zealand Green Building Council members are embracing Green Building as an opportunity based on quality, good design and on going performance improvements. There are benefits both for the environment and economic bottom line. Fontein adds that, “a combination of both higher regulatory standards and voluntary mechanisms are required for the industry to understand and embrace this mainstream shift in focus towards green building”

Independent whole building measurement tools are required to enable people to make informed decisions based on what is “fit for purpose” – not individual product rating systems that just confuse the market.

The New Zealand Green Building Council has set a benchmark for high-quality office buildings through its Green Star NZ rating system. Green Star NZ rates buildings on a range of specific criteria; management, indoor environment quality, energy use, access to transport, water efficiency, use of sustainably-sourced materials, land use and ecology, and emissions.

Green Star NZ is designed to significantly reduce the environmental impact of buildings by minimising the over all environmental impact during a buildings construction and operation.

[Green Star NZ was adapted from the Green Building Council of Australia’s, Green Star rating system. The tool is the first of a suite of products that will be applicable to all building types including schools, homes, and industrial buildings that are being developed by the council this year.]

It is vital that this change is market driven and methods to assess buildings sustainability are scientifically based and agreed by all parties. Resources need to be assigned to progress work is greatly needed to gather New Zealand Specific Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) data. A whole building approach needs to be taken using a body of LCA data rather than problematic single product evaluation methods.

ENDS

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