Green Lease Guide

Funded by: Investa Property  Group, City of Sydney, City of Melbourne and NSW Department of Environment and  Climate Change

This award winning guide for commercial  office tenants assists tenants to make  informed decisions when choosing and  designing their offices – choices that  will save them money, benefit their  employees, enhance their business  reputation and reduce their environmental  impact. ISF researched and wrote the guide, focusing on the potential of tenant  demand to create a more sustainable  property sector. The guide received an Australian Property Institute award for  innovation and leadership in 2007

McGee, C.M. 2006, 'Green lease guide for commercial office tenants', Investa Property Group, Sydney, Australia.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Implications of suburban population growth

Client: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC)

The Institute conducted extensive research into the environmental, social and economic implications of population growth in outer suburban areas of capital areas in Australia, funded by DSEWPaC through the National Environmental Research Program. Institute researchers travelled to a mix of coastal and inland cities across the country to conduct interviews, which formed the basis for ten detailed case studies. The locations chosen were: Blacktown (New South Wales); Kingborough (Tasmania); Mandurah (Western Australia); Townsville (Queensland); Playford (South Australia); Palmerston (Northern Territory); Logan (Queensland); Melton (Victoria); Lower Hunter (New South Wales); and Green Square (inner-city Sydney, New South Wales). The research was a retrospective study into areas that have experienced large-scale population growth to see what changes have taken place, looking mainly at the period 2001 to present.

Shanghai Sydney Partnership

Shanghai University has established a Key Technology Partnership strategic partnership with UTS. As both universities have been undertaking a significant amount of research and producing positive research outcomes in the area of smart city research. It is intended to further enhance our research collaboration between the Universities.

Sustainability advice to Frasers Property Australia for development of Broadway site

Client: Elton Consulting

The Institute and Elton Consulting were commissioned by Frasers Property Australia to provide advice on improving the sustainability of the Frasers Broadway development. The former site of the Carlton and United Brewery is being developed to provide a mix of residential, commercial, retail and public spaces. The developer, Frasers Property, is committed to delivering a landmark green precinct on the western edge of Sydney's CBD. ISF worked in partnership with Elton Consulting and other consultants to identify sustainability opportunities for the site, focusing particularly on reductions in energy use, water use, solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Our work included detailed modelling of site energy and water use and options for reducing energy and water use, participation in stakeholder consultation processes, liaison with regulatory authorities, research on innovative sustainability options for the site and provision of high-level advice on sustainability strategies for the site. For further information on the Frasers Broadway development, see http://www.frasersbroadway.com.au/broadway/ (opens an external site)

Sustainability rating tool

Client: Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC)

Institute researchers contributed to an Australian first that will see a shift in how infrastructure is designed, delivered, built and operated in Australia by developing criteria for infrastructure projects seeking a sustainability rating under AGIC's IS rating scheme. The IS rating scheme provides indicators, a scorecard, technical manual and tools such as calculators to consider governance, social, economic, and environmental factors across the design, construction, operation and decommissioning stages of infrastructure assets. AGIC invited the Institute to author several of the tool's categories: energy and carbon, biodiversity, water use and knowledge management. The rating tool is designed to help designers and design teams, construction operations and maintenance and deconstruction teams consider best practice sustainability across the life of the infrastructure assets. The areas covered by the tool include project management and governance; economics; resources; emissions, pollution and waste; biodiversity; people and place and workforce. The researchers used a consultative approach to establish industry practice and set a 'baseline' from which projects can be benchmarked across key sustainability criteria. The tool aims to drive better industry practice and reward good sustainability practice. Productivity gains are expected to flow from a nationally consistent assessment framework for measuring sustainability in the delivery of infrastructure. Projects can earn points for a range of sustainability practices towards an overall score which indicates the project's sustainability rating as good, excellent or leading. This is independently verified and certified by AGIC. The tool is available from AGIC's website.

Trade Secrets

Client: Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (NSW)

The Trade Secrets Project consists of eleven short videos showcasing different 'green skills' for tradespeople working in the housing industry. Each video is between 3-5 minutes long, and designed to provide time poor tradespeople with the most important 'need to know' information. Videos can be viewed on-site with smart phones, or wherever and whenever the information is required. The videos are not intended to replace formal training, but rather to encourage viewers to seek further training and to provide links to training options. They are also designed to for use within existing training programs, and are available to all training providers free of charge for this purpose. The Master Builders Association, the Housing Industry Association, Master Plumbers, the National Electrical and Communications Association and TAFE NSW are making use of the videos in their training programs. ISF developed the videos in partnership the trade and housing industry peak bodies outlined above. To develop content, we combined our in-house expertise with the practical expertise of experienced tradespeople and builders, who we also used as our presenters. Feedback from viewers and the industry has been positive, and we hope to secure further funding to expand this project and update the videos and supporting material over time. See: http://www.tradesecrets.org.au/

Tropical Home Buyer’s Guide

Client: Investa Property Group/Defence Housing Australia

Institute researchers were commissioned by the Investa Property Group on behalf of Defence Housing Australia to modify the existing Your Home Buyer's Guide to be targeted specifically at home buyers in the tropics. The existing guide is aimed more at buyers in the temperate climate regions. The text in the Guide was substantially modified and new images sourced to make it more relevant to the unique considerations for housing in the hot humid tropics of northern Australia, with a strong emphasis on comfort and integrating indoor and outdoor spaces. Much of the information is also relevant to someone renovating an existing home. The Tropical Home Buyer’s Guide promotes environmentally sustainable design through the comfort and cost saving benefits that can be achieved by implementing appropriate design features.

Your Home: Design for Lifestyle and Future

Your Home was published by the Institute and the Australian Greenhouse Office to encourage the design, construction and renovation of homes that are comfortable, healthy and more environmentally sustainable.

The Your Home Technical Manual provides practical and accessible advice, with over 80 topic-based fact sheets and a series of cast studies from around Australia. It has received two national awards and have become an integral part of building industry training programs. Institute researchers continue to contribute to updates to the Your Home fact sheets. The Your Home Renovator's Guide goes through the process of home renovation explaining what to look for and the important questions to ask. The Your Home Buyer's Guide goes through the process of choosing a new home step-by-step, explaining what to look for and the important questions to ask.