22/03/2006 - The latest and best
advice on how to construct a government building
that is environmentally sustainable has just been
released by the Australian Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell.
“The second edition of the Ecologically Sustainable
Development (ESD) Design Guide for Australian Government
Buildings is now available to help architects, engineers,
designers and construction companies create buildings
which impact more considerately on the environment,”
Senator Campbell said.
“This guide will help ensure that construction projects
for offices and public buildings are better for
the environment, save money, conserve resources,
and improve productivity.”
Senator Campbell said that the popular first edition
of the ESD design guide had been updated and expanded
to include case studies of leading Australian green
buildings and related interviews which could inform
and inspire those working in the construction industry.
“Australia is producing landmark green buildings,
including the CH2 building in Melbourne, and I am
pleased to see that industry leaders are willing
to share experiences from their projects for the
benefit of the environment,” Senator Campbell said.
“How we design and construct our buildings is a
crucial part of ecologically sustainable development
in our cities and towns.
“At the moment, the built environment consumes 12
per cent of the world’s fresh water and up to 40
per cent of the world’s energy. It produces 40 per
cent of the waste going to landfill and 40 per cent
of emissions to air.
“We must be able to improve on these statistics
and governments can contribute significantly to
this change by striving for high environmentally
sustainable standards in their buildings,” he said.
