Guidance on sustainable development

As Sydney grows it is important to design and build efficient and environmentally smart buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste generation.

Nature Sustainability

Project Status: When you need to do this

The buildings we design and construct in the City of Sydney area today will be with us for many decades to come. And since 80% of emissions come from energy used in buildings, it's vital we design to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Incorporating smart efficient design up-front reduces the amount of raw materials, energy, water and land needed at the construction stage. Smart design can also increase operating efficiency during a building’s life cycle.

The goal is to create buildings that produce as much energy as they consume – net zero.

What you need to do

Planning

You can read more about our plans for a city of sustainable office buildings in Sydney’s sustainable office buildings plan.
For existing buildings

Review our resources for your best guidance.
- Our resources include the Better Buildings Partnership toolkits and CitySwitch program for office tenancies.
- We provide grants for buildings owners and tenants to get environmental certifications, audits and water sub-metering equipment.

Before you start

We have set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions levels 70% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The state government's Greater Sydney region plan and eastern city district plan include actions to support the NSW target of net zero emissions by 2050.

Incorporating general design features during the planning and construction stages of development can reduce resource use and improve a building's operational efficiency. There are also best practice environmental benchmarks for buildings such as offices, hotels and serviced apartments, residential and retail buildings.

These benchmarks are higher than compliance requirements – they are not planning requirements and are not mandatory. Mandatory standards for development are detailed in the Sydney Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan.

We encourage developers to discuss opportunities for sustainability excellence with us at the earliest stages of your development proposal.

Improving environmental performance in office developments has multiple benefits. Evidence shows reduced operating costs, increased asset value, higher rental returns, increased occupancy and better employee wellbeing and productivity.

The benchmarks below are options to build better performing office buildings. Mandatory requirements are in the City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan.

Developers and building owners can also use a NABERS energy commitment agreement to promote and market excellent greenhouse performance of new and refurbished commercial office buildings from the outset.

Energy and emissions
- NABERS energy commitment: 6 star.
- Green Star: certified rating under a current version of design and as built – 5 star or higher.
Water efficiency
- Designed to meet Sydney Water’s good practice standard (proposals without cooling towers: 0.47 kL/m²/year; proposals with cooling towers: 0.84 kL/m²/year).
- Green Star: certified rating under design and as built – 5 star or higher.
Buildings in the City of Sydney area already meet high standards of environmental performance. Below are some examples.

1 Bligh Street, Sydney

This commercial office building achieved a 6 star Green Star office design certified rating and 5 star NABERS energy rating. The building’s sustainability features include blackwater recycling, trigeneration and an energy efficient double-skin glass façade.

200 George Street, Sydney

In the heart of Sydney’s financial district, this building attained a 6 star Green Star office design, together with a 5-star NABERS energy rating (excellent performance).

Sustainability features include:
- triple gazed façade design allowing high levels of natural light
- high volume fresh air intake
- improved air quality via use of low VOC materials
- sockets for electric vehicle charging
- water recycling
- intelligent monitoring and control systems.
For existing buildings

Our resources include the Better Buildings Partnership toolkits and CitySwitch program for office tenancies. We also provide grants for buildings owners and tenants to get environmental certifications, audits and water sub-metering equipment.
Since 2004, all new residential dwellings in NSW must be designed in line with the building sustainability index BASIX. This mandates sustainability standards relating to energy efficiency, design for thermal comfort and mains potable water consumption in residential developments.

BASIX is a NSW Government environmental planning instrument. Our environmental planning instruments, including the Local Environment Plan and the Development Control Plan cannot mandate higher energy and water efficiency and thermal comfort requirements than the state's BASIX adopted targets.

However, developers can choose to design and construct buildings that go beyond the mandatory requirements of BASIX. The BASIX tool recognises better design through the BASIX score.

We also negotiate higher performance for residential development proposals under a design excellence pathway. Well-performing, efficient buildings cost less money to run and are increasingly in demand from prospective buyers and renters. The voluntary benchmarks below provide guidance on designing in line with best practice.

Energy and emissions
- single dwellings: BASIX 60 or higher
- apartments 2 to 5 storeys: BASIX 50 or higher
- apartments 6 to 11 storeys: BASIX 40 or higher
- apartments 12+ storeys: BASIX 35 or higher
- Green Star: certified under design and as-built – 5 star or higher.
Water efficiency

Residential development, all dwelling types:
- BASIX 50
- BASIX 60 where recycled water is available
- Green Star: certified under design and as built – 5 star or higher.
Some residential development in the City of Sydney local area is already meeting high standards of environmental performance.

One Central Park, Sydney

This residential building achieved a 5 star Green Star – multi-unit as-built certified rating. Features include trigeneration, water recycling plant and extensive green walls watered by recycled water.

For existing buildings

With 75% of local residents living in apartments, our initiatives for existing apartment buildings include the Smart Green Apartments program and grants for energy and water assessments. NABERS for apartment buildings (existing buildings) launched in mid-2018. It enables residential communities to understand how their building’s environmental performance compares to similar apartment buildings.
We are working with the accommodation and entertainment sector to transform Sydney into a leading sustainable destination. The voluntary benchmarks below are a guide for designing and constructing accommodation buildings for better operational performance.

Developers and building owners can also use a NABERS energy commitment agreement to promote and market excellent greenhouse performance of new and refurbished hotels from the outset. For more information about the commitment agreement process, you can email [email protected].

Energy and emissions
- materially exceed section J of the Building Code of Australia – demonstrated by engineering consultant’s report
- NABERS energy commitment agreement – 4.5 star
- Green Star: certified under design and as-built – 5 star or higher
- gold star LEED certificate (build and construct)
- best practice EarthCheck (planning and design)
Water efficiency
- with cooling tower and laundry: 0.43 kL/m2/year
- without cooling tower and laundry: 0.17 kL/m2/year
- Green Star: certified under design and as built – 5 star or higher
- gold star LEED certificate (build and construct)
- best practice EarthCheck (planning and design).
Buildings in the City of Sydney area already meet high standards of environmental performance.

Hyatt Regency, Sydney

This upscale hotel and premier conference and events facility includes sustainability features as part of a $250 million redevelopment and refurbishment. A centralised building management system reports real-time analysis of water use, temperature controls and air-conditioning. This enables energy-saving parameters when a guest checks out of their room. Custom-built air-conditioning systems in the hotel’s ballroom feature fans that operate at a low static pressure providing energy savings.

Making Sydney a sustainable destination

We support improved environmental performance in new buildings and existing accommodation and entertainment venues through our plan to make Sydney a leading sustainable destination.

For existing buildings

With 75% of local residents living in apartments, our initiatives for existing apartment buildings include the Smart Green Apartments program and grants for energy and water assessments.

NABERS for apartment buildings rates the energy and water efficiency of a building's common property. This typically includes all utilities paid by the owners corporation. It enables residential communities to understand how their building's common property environmental performance compares to similar apartment buildings.
Developers of retail space, including shopping centres, can design and construct for reduced operating costs and better asset value by incorporating the benchmarks below.

Energy and emissions
- materially exceed section J of the Building Code of Australia – demonstrated by engineering consultant’s report
- shopping centres – Green Star: certified under design and as-built – 5 star or higher.
Water efficiency
- designed to meet Sydney Water’s good practice standard (shopping centres: 1.35 kL/m2/year, supermarkets: 2.79 kL/m2/year)
- shopping centres – Green Star: 5 star or higher.
St George branch, Barangaroo

Retail fit-out that achieved a 6 star Green Star interiors certified rating.

The rating was achieved through the use of building materials with a reduced environmental impact over their entire lifecycle, reduced internal air pollutants, reduced water and energy consumption, and innovative options for the community to use the space.

Design features

Below are some design features that can improve building performance, moving us closer to our sustainability goal of net-zero buildings in the city.

- thermally efficient building design and shell
- maximised natural ventilation opportunities, exceeding the state environmental planning policy for better apartment design
- highest efficiency appliances under the federal government’s energy rating scheme
- LED lighting technology
- onsite renewable energy generation (especially photovoltaics)
- solar or heat pump water heating
- onsite low carbon energy generation (cogeneration or trigeneration)
- high performance glazing
- external shading for sun-exposed glazing
- building management control systems
- highly energy efficient heating and cooling (HVAC) systems
- highly energy efficient common area mechanical equipment, such as car park ventilation, pool pumps, hall and lobby lighting.
- dual plumbing and on-site water capture and re-use, to provide recycled water use for non-potable uses
- connection to precinct-scale recycled water scheme where available
- highest efficiency WELS star rated fittings (taps, showerheads, toilet cisterns, urinals)
- well-designed and controlled cooling towers
- highest efficiency whitegoods (especially laundry) – WELS 4 Star or higher.
- timber products – use of re-used or certified timber in line with the Green Building Council of Australia's Green Star credit requirements
- concrete products – more than 30% replacement of Portland cement with supplementary cementitious materials
- aggregates reduction – replacement of virgin coarse and sand aggregate in line with the Green Building Council of Australia's Green Star credit requirements
- organics recovery – onsite composting of kitchen and garden waste.
- use the City's guidelines for waste management in new developments
- design waste storage facilities to minimise impacts on streetscape, building access and amenity
- allow sufficient space for source separation and recycling.
- inclusion of green roofs and/or walls
- design for low water demand and drought resilience
- water sensitive urban design techniques
- low water demand plant species
- protection of existing healthy trees in line with Australian Standard 4970
- well located canopy trees that provide summer shade and light in winter
- use of quality tree stock in line with Australian Standard 2303
- local provenance, hardy and resilient plant species
- collaboration with local bushcare groups for plant stock/advice
- minimal disturbance of existing soil profiles in areas designated for landscaping
- spaces for community gardens – community gardens are ‘enablers’ creating social connection opportunities for residents, neighbours, businesses
- residential development plants selected to help BASIX water targets.

Development guidelines & policiesGuidelines for waste management in new developmentsPublished 30 August 2018

Strategies & action plansSydney’s Sustainable Office Buildings PlanPublished 30 August 2018

Strategies & action plansMaking Sydney a Sustainable DestinationPublished 28 February 2018

Environmental support & fundingSmart green apartments

Built environmentLand-use planning

Guidance on sustainable development

Project Status: When you need to do this

What you need to do

Planning

For existing buildings

Before you start

Office developments

Energy and emissions

Water efficiency

For existing buildings

Residential developments

Energy and emissions

Water efficiency

For existing buildings

Hotels and serviced apartments

Energy and emissions

Water efficiency

Making Sydney a sustainable destination

For existing buildings

Retail spaces

Energy and emissions

Water efficiency

Design features

Energy and emissions

Water efficiency

Materials and resource recovery

Waste management

Landscaping, biodiversity and community gardens