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Sustainable Homes

Your Home: www.yourhome.gov.au
'Your Home, Your Future, Your Lifestyle' - a comprehensive guide to building, buying or renovating a comfortable, energy efficient home.

Australia Home Ideas Centres: www.homeideas.com.au
Australia's Home Ideas Centres offer free entry to permanent exhibitions of products for building, extending, renovating, decorating, landscaping, architecture and interior design. They are located in all States of Australia (and NZ) and offer many services, and offer large onsite displays of building products and provide other services including conference facilities and expert advice on timber use.

Sydney Building Bookshop: www.buildingbookshop.com 
Based at the Home Ideas Centre in Alexandria (Sydney) the Sydney Building Bookshop carries a large range of books related to sustainable building. ABSA members are entitled to a 10% discount when purchasing books over the counter.

The Building Centre: www.buildingcentre.com
The Building Centre offers online access to information of building products, ideas, information, books and free brochures to help with your building, renovation, extension, home improvement or real estate needs.

Windows Energy Rating Scheme: www.wers.net
This website provides unbiased information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, window films, skylights and window-furnishing & shading products.

HIA Greensmart: www.greensmart.com.au
The Housing Industry Association’s GreenSmart Display Villages and estates across Australia give people the chance to view environmentally friendly homes.

Energy Star: www.energystar.gov.au
Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient office equipment including computers, printers and photocopiers; as well as home electronics like TVs, VCRs, audio products or DVD players.

Green Power: www.greenpower.com.au
Green Power is a nationally accredited scheme whereby householders can purchase renewable energy from their energy retailers.

Energy Rating: www.energyrating.gov.au
Explains the energy star rating label program for electrical appliances and includes a database of appliances and their energy ratings. You can also search for the most energy efficient products in their class.


Sustainability Rating Schemes

Australian Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme (ABGR): www.abgr.com.au
The Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) Scheme is a 'world first initiative' to help commercial building owners and tenants across Australia benchmark their greenhouse performance.

Green Star: www.gbcaus.org
Developed by the Green Building Council of Australia, Green Star is a comprehensive sustainability assessment of existing and proposed commercial buildings.


Industry groups/associations

Housing Industry Association (HIA): www.hia.asn.au
Information on the latest developments in the housing industry.

Building Designers Association of Australia: www.bdaa.com.au
The Building Designers Association of Australia is the peak coordinating body for Building Designers Associations in Australia. BDA members can produce the design for your residential, commercial or industrial project.

State Building Designers Associations:
Northern Territory: www.bdant.com
NSW: www.bdansw.com.au
Queensland: www.bdaq.com.au
Tasmania: www.bdat.com.au
South Australia: www.bdasa.com.au
Victoria: www.bdav.org.au
Western Australia: www.bdawa.com.au

Royal Australian Institute of Architects: www.architecture.com.au
By promoting better, responsible and environmental design, the Institute actively lobbies to maintain and improve the quality of our built environment.

Master Builders Australia: www.masterbuilders.com.au
Master Builders is the major Australian building and construction industry association.

State/Regional Master Builders Associations:
ACT: www.mba.org.au
Newcastle: www.newcastle-mba.com.au
NSW: www.mbansw.asn.au
Northern Territory: www.tcant.com.au
Queensland: www.masterbuilders.asn.au
South Australia: www.mbasa.com.au
Tasmania: www.mbatas.org.au
Victoria: www.mbav.com.au
Western Australia: www.mbawa.com

Planning Institute Australia: www.planning.org.au
Information on planning to create livable communities.

Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA): www.udia.com.au
The UDIA has an important national voice in development matters, particularly in relation to initiatives for homebuyers, urban developers, professionals and others involved in property development.

Archicentre: www.archicentre.com.au
Provides architectural services to home buyers, new home builders and renovators, with more than 900 architects Australia-wide available in almost every suburb and region.

Institute for Sustainable Futures: www.isf.uts.edu.au
The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) was established by the University of Technology, Sydney in 1996 to work with industry, government and the community to develop sustainable futures.


Regulation and standards

Australian Building Codes Board: www.abcb.gov.au
The ABCB is responsible for developing and managing a nationally uniform approach to technical building requirements, embodied in the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

Australian Standards: www.standards.com.au
Through this web store you can buy all Australian, ISO and IEC Standards, plus a range of publications from other national and international organisations.


State Government Sites

BASIX: www.basix.nsw.gov.au
Introduced as part of the NSW planning system, BASIX (the Building Sustainability Index), is a web-based planning tool that measures the potential performance of new residential dwellings against sustainability indices.

Sustainable Energy South Australia: www.energy.sa.gov.au
Contains household energy tips and details of energy management in South Australia.

Sustainable Energy Development Office WA: www.sedo.energy.wa.gov.au
SEDO aims to increase uptake of energy efficient products, best practice energy management and renewable energy. Website contains energy smart advice for the home and community.

Sustainability Victoria: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria and EcoRecycle Victoria joined forces in October 2005 to become Sustainability Victoria. It acts as a catalyst for change by providing a vehicle to support the tangible delivery of the Victorian Government's Framework for Environmental Sustainability.

NSW Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability: www.deus.nsw.gov.au
DEUS promote the sustainable, safe, reliable and affordable supply and use of energy and urban water in NSW.


Commonwealth Government Sites

Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER): www.orer.gov.au
Features information on Renewable Energy Certificates for solar hot water systems and solar power systems.

Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO): www.greenhouse.gov.au
The AGO is a Commonwealth Government agency established in 1998 to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC): www.ephc.gov.au
The EPHC is responsible for environment protection and heritage (natural, historic and indigenous heritage). Council members are ministers from participating jurisdictions – Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, as well as the NZ and PNG governments.

Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH): www.deh.gov.au
DEH develops and implements national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage.


Building Products/Services

Selector.com: www.selector.com.au
Developed in partnership with the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, this website presents detailed product information for thousands of building products in an easy-to-read, standardised format.

Ecospecifier: www.ecospecifier.org
Ecospecifier is a knowledge base of over 1,000 environmentally preferable products, materials and resources.

Outdoor design source: www.outdoordesign.com.au
Outdoor Design Source is Australia's most comprehensive external works directory of products and services.

Spec-Net Building Index: www.spec-net.com.au
An online Building & Construction Directory with information about building, construction, engineering products and services.

Infolink: www.infolink.com.au
Contains information on Australian architecture, building, construction and design.

Energy Smart Allies: www.energysmartallies.com
A directory of over 270 organisations that can provide energy efficient products and services, from air conditioning and lighting specialists to engineering consultants and architects.