Indoor Environment Quality includes the following aspects:

• daylight
• thermal comfort
• natural ventilation

Mandatory requirements for indoor environment quality

You must meet the National Construction Code (NCC) requirements for ventilation, daylight, energy efficiency, and the objectives and standards of the local planning scheme.

Our best practice standards for indoor environment quality

• Habitable rooms of single-aspect apartments should be limited in depth to 8 metres from a window.
• Achieve a minimum daylight factor of 1% for 90% of the floor area in each living area including kitchens, and a minimum daylight factor of 0.5% for 90% of the floor area for each bedroom. A daylight modelling report for large scale developments may be required.
• For non-residential developments, achieve a daylight factor of at least 2.0% for at least 30% of the floor area of regularly occupied primary spaces.
• Design living areas and private open spaces so that at least 70% of apartments in a development receive a minimum of three hours direct sunlight between 9am and 3pm in mid winter.
• Limit the number of apartments with internal bedrooms to a maximum of 10% of the total apartments proposed.
• Design for all dwellings to be effectively naturally ventilated, either via cross ventilation, single-sided ventilation or a combination.
• Design for at least 60% of a development’s dwellings to be cross ventilated.
• For adequate single-sided ventilation, room depth to be no more than 5m.
• For adequate cross-ventilation: The length of the breeze path should be a maximum of 15 metres. Ventilation openings should be at least 1m2.
• Ventilation openings on adjacent walls should be at least 3m apart. There should not be more than 1 doorway or opening between ventilation openings. Any doors in the breeze path should be provided with door catches. Where the doorway is a front door, a security screen door must be provided.
• Locate external noise sources to prevent acoustic impacts to openable windows.
• Design external shading devices to provide protection from summer sun angles and respond to different façade orientations.
• Provide openable external windows to circulation corridors and lift lobbies to facilitate natural ventilation and daylight.
• Avoid the use of light courts for daylight provision to habitable rooms.
  
  

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how indoor environment qualities can be satisfactorily achieved.

You can find more information on our Daylight factsheet (PDF 714kB), Natural ventilation factsheet (PDF 935kB), Indoor environment quality factsheet (PDF 506kB) and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.

Energy efficiency includes the following aspects: 

• efficient shading
• building fabric enhanced above the minimum Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements
• efficient heating and cooling services
• onsite generation of energy. Also, refer to information on solar panels.

Mandatory requirements for energy efficiency

You must meet: The National Construction Code (NCC) requirements for energy efficiency, and the objectives and standards of the local planning scheme.

Our best practice standards for energy efficiency

• Achieve an energy efficiency standard at least 10% above minimum NCC compliance.
• Install energy efficient hot water, heating and cooling systems within one energy star rating of the best available.
• Provide daylight and occupancy sensors for external lighting.
• Provide on-site renewable energy generation.
• Install energy efficient lighting to achieve an improvement of at least 10% above NCC compliance for lighting power density.
• Provide external natural clothes drying facilities.
• Ensure basement carparks are either fully naturally ventilated, or use Carbon Monoxide monitoring to control the speed and operation of ventilation fans.
  
  

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how energy efficiency can be satisfactorily achieved.

You can find out more in our Energy efficiency factsheet (PDF 539kB), Sunshading factsheet (PDF 1.1MB), Building Envelope Performance factsheet (PDF 599kB), Zero Carbon Development factsheet (PDF 1.5MB) and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.

 Water efficiency includes the following aspects: 

• use efficient fixtures and fittings
• avoid the use of mains water for landscape irrigation
• reuse water (e.g. greywater)

Mandatory requirements for water efficiency 

You must meet: The National Construction Code (NCC) requirements for water efficiency, and the objectives and standards of the local planning scheme.

Our best practice standards for water efficiency

• Install WELS rated fittings within one Star of best available.
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  The installation of a rainwater tank that is sized to capture the vast majority of otherwise discharged rainwater and plumbed to a consistent year round water use such as toilet flushing.
• The installation of separate water meters in individual dwellings and non-residential areas within the same development.
• Reduce water use for landscape irrigation by selecting low water consuming plants.
• Incorporate measures to reduce water consumption for fire safety system testing, such as re-using water on site and fitting isolation valves or shut off points for sprinkler systems on each floor.
  
  

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how water efficiency can be satisfactorily achieved.

You can find out more in our Water efficiency factsheet (PDF 523kB) and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.

Stormwater management includes the following aspects: 

• minimise watercourse pollution
• maximise stormwater capture

Maximise on-site rainwater re-use (e.g. for flushing toilets and irrigation).

Mandatory requirements for stormwater management  

Must meet The National Construction Code (NCC) requirements for water efficiency.

New developments may be required to install a rainwater tank. For a single dwelling, a rainwater tank must:

• have a storage capacity of at least 2,000 litres
• be connected to a roof catchment of at least 50 square meters
• be connected to all internal toilets.

Meet the objectives and standards of the local planning scheme including permeability, site coverage, stormwater management and water sensitive urban design (as applicable).

Our best practice standards for stormwater management

• Exceed Victoria’s best practice stormwater performance targets, set out in the Urban Stormwater Best Practice Environmental Management Guidelines (BPEMG) and local integrated water management plans. These targets may be demonstrated by a STORM rating of at least 100% or equivalent modelling results (MUSIC, Urban Developer).
• Note: rainwater tanks sized for retention are in addition to any required for detention in storm events.

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how best practice stormwater management can be satisfactorily achieved.

You can find out more in our Stormwater management factsheet (PDF 896kB), Site permeability factsheet (PDF 2.2MB) and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.

Building materials includes the following considerations:

• embodied energy of materials
• use of materials with recycled content
• future recyclability of materials

Mandatory requirements for building materials 

You must meet the National Construction Code (NCC) requirements and the objectives and standards of the local planning scheme.

Our best practice standards for building materials

• Substitute some cement content of concrete with recycled content.
• Select low embodied energy materials. Limit or do not use aluminium, zinc and other high embodied energy materials.
• Source all timber from sustainably managed sources that hold third party verification.
• Select recycled or re-usable materials.
• Avoid materials which are toxic in manufacture and use.
• Select low maintenance and highly durable materials.
• Dematerialise project through reduction in the quantity of materials required.
• Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how their sustainable building materials have been selected.

Transport includes the following aspects: 

• providing convenient and secure bike storage
• providing access to showers and lockers at work
• green travel plan for residents, visitors and staff

Mandatory requirements for transport 

The objectives and standards of the local planning scheme.

Our best practice standards for transport

• For residential developments,provide at least one secure bicycle parking space per dwelling and one visitor bicycle parking space per 4 dwellings.
• For non-residential developments,provide at least one secure bicycle parking space for 10% of building occupants and sufficient end of trip facilities (showers and lockers).
• For large developments, commit to the development of a Green TravelPlan.
• Incorporate electric vehicle charging infrastructure into the development.
• Allocate 5% or at least 5 parking spaces for motorbikes and/or small vehicles.

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how sustainable transport modes will be satisfactorily promoted

You can find out more in our Transport factsheet (PDF 795kB), Electric vehicles factsheet (PDF 816kB) and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard. 

Waste management includes the following considerations: 

• preparation of a construction Waste Management Plan
• adoption of a demolition and construction material recycling target
• preparation of an operation Waste Management Plan

Mandatory requirements for waste management 

Construction waste – to the satisfaction of the relevant local authority.

Operational waste – to the satisfaction of the relevant local authority.

Urban ecology includes the following aspects: 

• maintaining / enhancing the site's ecological value
• creating resident amenity
• encourage biodiversity areas
  
  

You must meet local planning scheme provisions for minimum site permeability, protection of significant trees and vegetation (as applicable).

Our best practice standards for urban ecology

• Protect existing on-site vegetation.
• Provide additional vegetation that serve the amenity and environmental performance of the development.
• Provide areas for social interaction between building occupants.
• Incorporate indigenous and/or productive gardens into the design.
• Provide a tap for irrigation and drainage on balconies and courtyards.
  
  

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how improved urban ecology can be satisfactorily achieved.

You can find out more in our Urban ecology factsheet (PDF 876kB), Green walls, roofs, and facades factsheet (PDF 2.7MB), and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.

Examples of innovation could include:

• significant enhancements of best practice sustainable design standards
• introduction of new technology
• good passive design approach

Mandatory requirements for innovation 

None.

Our best practice standards for innovation

Construction and building management includes:

• building user’s guide that explains a building's sustainable design principles
• preparation of an operation Environmental Management Plan
• contractor has valid ISO14001 (environmental management) accreditation.
  
  

Mandatory requirements for construction and building management

Ensure ongoing health, safety and amenity levels for equipment and safety installations in accordance with National Construction Code (NCC) requirements.

Our best practice standards for construction and building management

• Adopt a recycling target of at least 70% for all demolition and construction waste.
• Prepare a stormwater pollution reduction strategy for the building construction works.
• Commit to the preparation and availability of a Building Users Guide (BUG) and/or Building Operations Manual for large developments.
• Provide individual utility meters for all dwellings / non-residential areas.
• Provide sub-metering for all major common area services.
• For larger developments, engage ESD professional(s) on the project design team to provide advice from preliminary design through to construction
• For large developments, commit to regular fine-tuning of building services and their ongoing maintenance to ensure a building’s maximum environmental performance.
• Undertake preliminary building energy ratings (e.g. NatHERS, JV3 etc)

Developments, which seek to vary from these best practice standards, must demonstrate how sustainable construction and building management principles will be addressed.

You can find out more in our Construction and building management factsheet (PDF 423kB) and Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard.