Hobsons Bay's sustainable design standards
If you are planning a medium or large development you need to demonstrate best practice in each of our 10 key sustainable building categories. Council has provided Sustainable Design Fact Sheets for each category outlining design strategies, guidelines and best practice standards.
Clause 22.13 of the Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme - Environmentally Sustainable Development, sets out a number of policy objectives under key sustainability categories.
Note that a 'pass' score in BESS is a required element of a Sustainable Design Statement / Sustainability Management Plan, but the development must also achieve the objectives under Clause 22.13 of the Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme, or where these cannot be met, provide adequate demonstration why they cannot be met.
Indoor environment quality
Policy objectives
- to achieve a healthy indoor environment quality for the wellbeing of building occupants, including the provision of fresh air intake, cross ventilation and natural daylight
- to achieve thermal comfort levels with minimised need for mechanical heating, ventilation and cooling
- to reduce indoor air pollutants by encouraging use of materials with low toxic chemicals
- to reduce reliance on mechanical heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting systems
- to minimise noise levels and noise transfer within and between buildings and associated external areas
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
- adequate daylight to all living areas and bedrooms (as defined in BESS)
- openable windows in all habitable rooms
- cooling loads to not exceed 30MJ/sqm for any dwelling
- appropriate shading to all windows receiving direct sunlight
Factsheet: Indoor Environment Quality(PDF, 200KB)
(PDF, 713KB)
Factsheet: Daylight(PDF, 713KB)
(PDF, 587KB)
Factsheet: Natural Ventilation(PDF, 587KB)
Construction and building management
Policy objectives
The overarching objective is that development should achieve best practice in environmentally sustainable development from the design stage through to construction and operation.
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
- Minimum 70% reuse/recycling of construction and demolition waste
Factsheet: Construction and Building Management(PDF, 122KB)
Energy performance
Policy objectives
- To improve the efficient use of energy, by ensuring development demonstrates design potential for ESD initiatives at the planning stage
- To reduce total operating greenhouse gas emissions
- To reduce energy peak demand through particular design measures (e.g. appropriate building orientation, shading, optimised glazing, space allocation for solar panel and external heating and cooling systems
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
- Minimum 50% score in BESS Energy category
- Cooling loads to not exceed 30MJ/sqm for any dwelling
- External natural clothes drying facilities where possible
- Gas-free development unless there is a specific function that requires a gas connection
- Appropriate sun-shading to habitable room glazing to north, east and west facades
Factsheet: Energy Efficiency(PDF, 264KB)
Factsheet: Sunshading(PDF, 607KB)
Factsheet: Building Envelope Performance(PDF, 712KB)
Factsheet: Zero Carbon(PDF, 883KB)
Water resources
Policy objectives
- To improve water efficiency
- To reduce total operating potable water use
- To encourage the collection and reuse of stormwater
- To encourage the appropriate use of alternative water sources (e.g. greywater)
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
- Rainwater capture and reuse for toilet flushing at a minimum
- Minimum 50% score in BESS Water Category
Factsheet: Water Efficiency(PDF, 213KB)
Stormwater management
Policy objectives
- To reduce the impact of stormwater run-off
- To improve the water quality of stormwater run-off
- To achieve best practice stormwater quality outcomes
- To incorporate the use of water sensitive urban design, including stormwater re-use
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
- 100% STORM score or MUSIC modelling demonstrating best practice stormwater management
Factsheet: Stormwater Management(PDF, 551KB)
Factsheet: Site Permeability(PDF, 1MB)
Transport
Policy objectives
- To ensure that the built environment is designed to promote the use of walking, cycling and public transport, in that order
- To minimise car dependency
- To promote the use of low emissions vehicle technologies and supporting infrastructure
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
Factsheet: Transport(PDF, 413KB)
Waste management
Policy objectives
- To promote waste avoidance, reuse and recycling during the design, construction and operation stages of development
- To ensure durability of long term reusability of building materials
- To ensure sufficient space is allocated for future change in waste management needs, including (where possible) composting and green waste facilities
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
Factsheet: Waste Management(PDF, 271KB)
Urban ecology
Policy objectives
- To protect and enhance biodiversity within the municipality
- To provide environmentally sustainable landscapes and natural habitats, and minimise the urban heat island effect
- To encourage the retention of significant trees
- To encourage the planting and indigenous vegetation
- To encourage the provision of space for productive gardens, particularly in larger residential developments
Hobsons Bay City Council expectations
Factsheet: Urban Ecology(PDF, 588KB)
Factsheet: Green Roofs, Walls and Facades(PDF, 2MB)
Other categories not specifically covered under Clause 22.13
The following additional factsheets are provided. While these categories are not specifically covered in Clause 22.13, the information does often overlap with other categories. Hobsons Bay City Council encourages development applicants to also address these categories in any proposed development.
Factsheet: Building Materials(PDF, 256KB)
Factsheet: Innovation(PDF, 196KB)
Factsheet: Melbourne Climate(PDF, 487KB)