A BUSLOAD of development industry professionals toured an Alkimos estate on June 24 to see the steps being taken to promote sustainability.
The group touring Alkimos Beach included Romilly Madew, chief executive of the Green Building Council of Australia .
The visit followed an announcement that the development, created through a partnership between LandCorp and Lendlease, had received Australia’s first six green star communities rating last year.
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READ NOWMs Madew said Alkimos Beach was setting benchmarks for environmental sustainability, and the energy storage trial – a first for Australia – was being watched around the world with interest.
“Living in a six-star green star community is not just about energy and water efficiency,” she said.
“It’s about creating a community that is a great place to live.
“A range of initiatives – from the community hub to help micro businesses get off the ground to the financial incentives to help residents invest in solar panels – all encourage residents to embrace more sustainable ways of living.”
Ms Madew said the sustainability certification would be reassessed every couple of years to ensure estates continued to meet the standards expected.
She said it covered five areas – liveability, governance, economic prosperity, environment and innovation – with various credits within each.
“The industry can choose credits that are relevant,” she said.
Ms Madew said part of that included pathways that made a community walkable and rideable. “We don’t want communities that we are forcing people into a car,” she said.
Lendlease group head of sustainability Geoff Dutaillis said the developer provided sustainable, attractive and accessible precincts that promoted green building programs, technologies and design practices.
During the tour, WA communities business general manager Anthony Rowbottam said there would be about 2500 homes near the future Alkimos city centre.
“The densities here are higher than in Subiaco, higher than in inner parts of Perth,” he said.
“It’s designed to be like the Joondalup of the north.”
To compete in a residential market full of incentives, Mr Rowbottam said the developers had to be “innovative”.
He highlighted features such as solar cells, native species in landscaping, emphasis on Aboriginal history in the area and community events and workshops.
The tour group was also told that more than 60 households had signed up for the solar energy storage trial.