Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD)

In November 2007, the Council committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations to become carbon neutral by 2020 and assisting the local community to do the same by 2030. Strategies to achieve these goals include reducing energy use through sustainable design for new buildings, and energy conservation and efficiency works in existing buildings.

In its role as a planning and building regulator, the Council has an opportunity to influence the design of new private developments to be more energy efficient. Up to 70 per cent of the energy efficiency of a building is determined by its design. On 24th April 2007, the Council endorsed the use of the Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) assessment tools - Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy (STEPS) and The Sustainable Design Scorecard (SDS).

Tools

Both the STEPS (for residential development) and SDS (for non-residential development) tools have been developed by local government to assess environmental performance at the planning application stage and will be used to guide developers in the design of new buildings in the municipality. These computer based tools are a simple way of identifying whether your proposed development meets standards of environmental performance and also to show ways to improve your design.

Planning permit applicants are required to submit a Sustainable Design Assessment which includes a STEPS or SDS report. Council strongly encourages applicants to use these rating tools. The purpose of requesting applicants to use these tools is to:

ensure buildings meet adequate environmental performance standards;
provide a clear outline of the standards required by Council;
provide a consistent approach in assessing planning applications and their environmental impact;
provide flexibility in achieving environmental performance standards through simple assessment tools; and
promote awareness and knowledge of the benefits of making developments more sustainable from the planning stage.

For more information on ESD see the Council's Factsheet Sustainable Design Assessment for planning permits and the brochure Building for the future.

Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA)

Planning permit applicants are required to submit an SDA where the following types of development are proposed:

all new industrial buildings;
all new single dwelling and multi-unit housing applications;
all new commercial buildings; and
all new Council buildings and refits (where possible).

One copy of a Sustainable Design Assessment should be submitted which includes:

a STEPS (for residential development) or SDS (for non-residential development) report; and
sustainability commitments noted on all relevant plans.

STEPS

Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy (STEPS) was developed by Moreland City Council and is now used by a number of other Victorian Councils. STEPS is a web-based tool which measures the environmental impact of a residential building.

It rates a building in five categories:

mains (drinking water) use;
building material impacts;
greenhouse emissions;
peak energy use; and
stormwater quality leaving the property.

It also calculates the number of bicycle spaces required as well as space needed for waste recycling services.

STEPS can be used to assess:

a new house;
townhouse;
multi-unit development; or
the residential component of a mixed use building.

For more information or to complete your STEPS assessment visit www.sustainablesteps.com.au

Sustainable Design Scorecard (SDS)

The SDS was developed by the City of Port Phillip and is now used by a number of other Victorian Councils. SDS is an Excel-based tool which measures the environmental impact of a non-residential building.

It rates a building in seven categories: