The positive move by the Federal Government to upgrade home
appliance ratings to ten star should be extended to rapidly develop
a national ten star building code to meet Australia's Climate Change
targets in the future, Archicentre, the building advisory service of
the Royal Australian Institute of Architects said today.
Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said with
every household in Australia on average producing 14 tonnes of
carbon emissions a year, which is almost a fifth of Australia's
total, a national Climate Change Building and Management Code needs
to be introduced.
Image right: Robert Caulfield,
Managing Director of Archicentre
Mr Caulfield said, the current five star program is only a
starting point and the Federal Government needs to drive a ten star
program for both housing and commercial buildings to reach the
following goals:
The introduction of solar powered air conditioning
Making homes water and power self sufficient.
Making all first home buyer and other grants subject to
environmental performance design.
Rebates for environmentally designed homes.
The changing of heritage rules that forbid visible water tanks
The compulsory use of roofing eaves in design to increase water
harvesting.
The mass production of climate change ready public housing.
The introduction of climate change home buying consumer
information and education.
Mr Caulfield said the National Climate Change Building Code
should over-ride and replace the fragmented State Government
approaches to ensure consumers, builders, architects and government
officials are all getting consistent information.
"The introduction of Ten Star Building Code should also be backed
up by a program which could start immediately that mandated no
house, apartment or commercial building could be sold without having
a minimum of five star water and energy requirements in place.
"As houses are sold on average of every seven years this would
lead to the continual upgrading of Australia's existing housing
stock of some 3.5 million homes."
Mr. Caulfield said that every new home built or renovation should
include a handover Climate Change Management plan that shows people
how to save money and at the same time water and energy.
www.archicentre.com.au
Media Enquiries:
Robert Caulfield, Managing Director
of Archicentre (03) 9819 4577 Mobile: 0412 381 306
Ron Smith
Corporate Media Communications Archicentre (03) 9818 5700 Mobile:
0417 329 201
