SUSTAINABLE
CONNECTIONS
An investigation into the checks and guarantees of
ESD planning permit commitments in the construction process of new
residential developments
Submitted to fulfill the requirements of a
Masters of Architecture by Research
Janine Parker
Bachelor of Architecture
School of Architecture and Design
RMIT University
August 2011
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... 7
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... 9
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... 10
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. 11
DECLARATION ....................................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 13
1.1 Background to the Problem................................................................................................... 13
1.2 Research Problem, Aims and Questions ............................................................................... 16
1.3 Research Significance ........................................................................................................... 18
1.4 Research Methodology ........................................................................................................ 19
1.5 Structure and Outline of the Thesis ...................................................................................... 20
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 22
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 22
2.2 Background to Sustainable Development ............................................................................. 22
2.3 Sustainable Development in Australia .................................................................................. 24
2.3.1 Sustainable development in the construction industry ...................................................... 25
2.4 Federal Government Initiatives to Encourage ESD .............................................................. 27
2.4.1 The Building Code of Australia ........................................................................................ 27
2.4.2 Rating tools in Australia .................................................................................................... 28
2.4.3 The problem with the BCA ............................................................................................... 29
2.4.4 The problem with Star Ratings.......................................................................................... 30
2.4.5 The problem with Thermal rating assessors ...................................................................... 31
2.5 State Government Initiatives to Encourage ESD ................................................................. 32
2.5.1 Planning and sustainable development ............................................................................. 32
2.5.2 ResCode ............................................................................................................................ 33
2.6 Local Government Initiatives to Encourage ESD ................................................................. 34
2.6.1 Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Assessment (STEPS) ......................... 36
2.6.2 Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ..................................................................... 38
2.7 Building Surveyors ............................................................................................................... 38
2.7.1 Building Act ...................................................................................................................... 40
2.8 Education ............................................................................................................................. 40
2.9 Barriers to Sustainable Development in the Construction Industry ...................................... 42
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2.10 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 43
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN....................................................................................... 45
3.1 Qualitative Research ............................................................................................................. 45
3.1.1 Case study methodology ................................................................................................... 46
3.1.2 Action research ................................................................................................................. 47
3.2 Research Methods ................................................................................................................. 49
3.2.1 Collection of documents ................................................................................................... 49
3.2.2 Surveys ............................................................................................................................. 50
3.2.3 Interviews ......................................................................................................................... 50
3.3 Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 51
3.4 Validity, Bias and Ethics ....................................................................................................... 52
3.4.1 Validity .............................................................................................................................. 52
3.4.2 Bias ................................................................................................................................... 55
3.4.3 Ethics ................................................................................................................................ 55
3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 56
CHAPTER 4: SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS AND CASE STUDY FINDINGS..................... 57
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 57
4.2 City of Kingston .................................................................................................................... 58
4.3 Surveys to the Kingston Planning and Building Departments .............................................. 60
4.3.1 Survey questions 1, 2 and 3 .............................................................................................. 60
4.3.2 Survey results Question 4 and 5 ........................................................................................ 60
4.3.3 Survey results Question 6 and 7 ........................................................................................ 61
4.3.4 Survey results Question 8 ................................................................................................. 63
4.3.5 Survey results Question 9 ................................................................................................. 63
4.3.6 Survey results Question 10 ............................................................................................... 63
4.3.7 Survey results Question 11 ................................................................................................ 64
4.3.8 Survey results Question 12 ............................................................................................... 64
4.3.9 Survey results Question 13 ............................................................................................... 65
4.3.10 Survey results Question 14 ............................................................................................. 66
4.3.11 Survey results Question 15 .............................................................................................. 67
4.3.12 Survey Results Question 16 ............................................................................................ 68
4.3.13 Survey Results Question 17 ............................................................................................ 68
4.4 Interviews with Key Construction Industry Groups ............................................................. 69
4.4.1 Local government and developers..................................................................................... 70
4.4.2 Consistency between planning and building permits ........................................................ 71
4.4.3 ESD Local council conditions at completion of construction ........................................... 76
4.4.4 Clauses, policies and enforcement .................................................................................... 77
4.4.5 Planning Enforcement Officers ......................................................................................... 78
4.5 ESD Accountability and Inspections .................................................................................... 79
4.5.1 Australian Building Sustainability Assessors .................................................................... 80
4.5.2 Evidence of non-compliance ............................................................................................. 81
4.5.3 ESD Checks during and after construction ....................................................................... 82
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4.6 Case Studies of Planning Applications at the City of Kingston ............................................ 83
4.6.1 Analysis of ESD reports by the applicants ........................................................................ 83
4.7 Case Study A ......................................................................................................................... 84
4.7.1 Case Study A - passive solar design .................................................................................. 85
4.7.2 Case Study A - heating, cooling, ventilation and air ......................................................... 86
movement .................................................................................................................................. 86
4.7.3 Case Study A - Hot water heating ..................................................................................... 87
4.7.4 Case Study A - Lighting .................................................................................................... 87
4.7.5 Case Study A - Additional initiatives ................................................................................ 89
4.7.6 Case Study A - Water conservation and rainwater use. ..................................................... 89
4.7.7 Case Study A - Stormwater treatment and application of WSUD ..................................... 90
4.7.8 Case study A – Materials ................................................................................................... 90
4.7.9 Case study A – Waste ........................................................................................................ 90
4.7.10 Case Study A – Indoor air quality ................................................................................... 91
4.7.11 Case study A – ESD Excellence ...................................................................................... 91
4.7.12 Case Study A – STEPS assessment ................................................................................. 92
4.8 Case Study B ......................................................................................................................... 97
4.8.1 Case study B - Minimising Greenhouse emissions from energy ....................................... 97
4.8.2 Case study B - Waste Management and waste reduction plan ......................................... 100
4.8.3 Case study B – STEPS .................................................................................................. 100
4.9 Case Study C ....................................................................................................................... 103
4.9.1 ESD report C –STEPS .................................................................................................... 105
4.10 Case Study D .................................................................................................................... 108
4.10.1 Case study D – ESD report ........................................................................................... 109
4.10.2 STEPS Assessment ....................................................................................................... 109
4.11 Analysis and Comparison of the Case Studies to a Best Practice ESD
Development .............................................................................................................................. 112
4.12 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 115
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 117
5.1 Methodology and Data Gathering ....................................................................................... 117
5.2 Actions as a Result of the Findings ...................................................................................... 118
5.2.1 Improving ESD assessments by local government.......................................................... 118
5.2.2 Kingston staff education ................................................................................................. 123
5.2.3 Encouraging developers, architects and building designers to consider ESD ................. 124
5.2.4 Enforcement .................................................................................................................... 126
5.2.5 The future ........................................................................................................................ 127
5.3 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 128
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 130
Appendix A: Environment and planning Act 1987 ................................................................... 130
Appendix B: Clauses in the planning scheme related to ESD .................................................. 130
Appendix C: ResCode guidelines ............................................................................................. 131
Appendix D: Survey Questions................................................................................................. 132
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Appendix E: Survey answers .................................................................................................... 135
Appendix F: Building Commission Practice Note 2006-44 ..................................................... 139
Appendix G: Initial ESD report by Janine Parker ..................................................................... 140
Appendix H: ESD Checklist Janine Parker 2011 ...................................................................... 145
Appendix I: ESD Website references, Janine Parker 2011 ....................................................... 149
Appendix J: Sustainable Landscape Plan Checklist, Janine Parker 2011 ................................. 151
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 152
