Bring in the green
Environmentally friendly houses and flats sell more quickly and appeal to new home and apartment buyers.
The market is clearly telling us that people want sustainable places to live. Today we try to build complete laundries so people can dry their shirts on a rack rather than rely on a clothes dryer.
The introduction of the NSW Government's BASIX certificate, which required new houses to reduce energy and water consumption by about 20 per cent in 2002 and then ramped up the targets to 40 per cent, sped up the building of clean, green energy-efficient homes and apartments.
We know that that's what the market wants and as developers we want to prove to government that we are committed to creating sustainable subdivisions, apartments and retirement living projects.
The Cardita apartments on the Prince Henry Hospital site in Sydney's Little Bay are a classic case in point. They were built to exceed the BASIX requirements and include solar panels whose carbon savings are the equivalent of taking 19 cars off the road each year. The apartments also feature grey-water recycling, enhanced natural airflow and a smart meter that ensures residents can monitor their electricity use.