In the late 1990s a group of Victorian local government councils addressed a sustainability void in the building codes and planning regulations by developing capacity to implement Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) via the planning system. What began as a collection of largely independent initiatives progressed to an integrated suite of mechanisms to embed ESD in...

This project analysed the role of building and planning policy and regulations in delivering sustainable buildings and cities. It reviews policy and best practice, analyses VCAT data and cases, and draws on focus group results.

Australian and UK researchers sought to understand what it’s like to live in purpose-built low-energy housing.

Sitting at home in the summer heat, your mind may start to wander to that fancy new air conditioner. But when it comes to making your house comfortable and sustainable, prevention is better than cure. By prevention we mean simple retrofits that will set you on the path to comfort and sustainability. As we spend...

This report presents outcomes from a three-year mixed method evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services’ low-carbon housing in Horsham, Victoria. The aim of the project was to conduct a multi-year evaluation of four new two-bedroom, single-storey, sustainably designed units with a National House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating of 8.9 stars (Catalyst...