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Sustainable Housing Design The Sustainable Home Brisbane incorporates many clever features that ensure environmental sustainability. Bio-diversity, clean water, air, and soil, and adequate energy are essential elements for healthy living. Applying environmentally sound principles to housing is a simple and cost-effective solution for protecting the environment. The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development defines ecologically sustainable development as ‘development that aims to meet the needs of Australians today, while conserving our ecosystems for the benefit of future generations’. A house that is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable will enable people with a diverse range of needs to comfortably live in and visit the house throughout its lifetime. The Sustainable Home Brisbane gives everyone a unique, practical insight into the latest environmental practices in residential building and land development. Smart Housing Program Smart Housing is simple, common sense housing design. Why is Smart Housing important? Deciding to buy, build or renovate a home is one of the most important decisions anyone can make. Knowing that your home will meet the needs of you and your family now and in the future will give you peace of mind for years to come. There are many benefits of Smart Housing, including: increased livability, comfort and peace of mind; lower expenses and maintenance costs; being able to stay in your home longer, among friends and familiar neighbours; helping the environment; and more people interested in your house when it is time to sell. (Queensland Department of Housing, 2004)
Brisbane City Council
Sustainable Homes Rebate The rebate may apply to houses, townhouses, terrace houses, villas, units or apartments. Who is eligible?To apply for the rebate, you need to be the owner of a new home that:
The $500 rebate is available to the first 500 applicants with new homes that meet the sustainable home rebate requirements. Corporations are not eligible to apply. To be eligible your home must also score the required points in the sustainable home checklist for houses. The required points are:
The Council is offering a separate rainwater tank rebate until 30 June 2006. The sustainable home rebate toolkit includes:
To have the sustainable home toolkit posted to you phone the Call Centre on 07 3403 8888. You'll need to specify whether you need the toolkit for a house or for a unit or apartment. The Watersense Blue Van will visit the Sustainable Home Brisbane on selected days and offers information about the Council's water efficiency programs. The Council is encouraging people who are building or buying a new home to discuss their home’s sustainability features with architects and builders. The Council has guidelines to help architects, engineers, planners, developers and builders incorporate sustainability principles into their developments.
The state government is currently proposing to legislate certain sustainable housing features. To find out more about building sustainable homes, including information about training, visit the Housing Industry Association website. Take a tour of the Green Home: the Green Home is a model of a comfortable house and garden that uses sustainable living principles. The Green Home provides sustainable living ideas to help make your home more comfortable and environmentally friendly. The Green Home website has facts sheets (available here
as PDFs) on the following: You can find out more sustainable home
information at these websites: |
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