This paper seeks to establish an understanding of resource use in the aged care sector through an examination of a case study site, what capacity exists within the case study to reduce resource use and in particular energy and water, and ultimately add to the research in this important area.

The research involved examining indicators of sustainability from four case study subdivisions that were marketed as ‘green’, ‘eco’ or ‘sustainable’ or similar. It found a clear gap between the way the subdivision has been designed and the energy efficiency of the houses.