Australia Declares 2004 the Year of the Built Environment

SYDNEY, Australia, December 16, 2003 (ENS) - In a move to encourage greater community participation in planning cities, suburbs, towns and regions, the Australian government has proclaimed 2004 as the Year of the Built Environment.

Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery, the Patron-in-Chief of the Year of the Built Environment 2004, officially launched the Year on Monday on the construction site for "30 The Bond at Millers Point" a new Sydney office building, the first in Australia being built to a five star Australian Building Greenhouse Rating.

Australian Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery (Photo courtesy Government of Australia)

The new building, 30 The Bond at Millers Point, will use a passive chilled beam air conditioning system for the first time in a large commercial building in Australia. The use of chilled beams reduces energy consumption in a building by up to 30 percent. The system operates by pumping chilled water through cooling elements in the ceiling. People and computers heat the air that rises to the ceiling. This hot air is then cooled by the chilled beams and falls, creating a natural convection process of hot air rising and cold air falling.

Speaking at the launch, the Australian Environment Minister Dr. David Kemp, said the idea built environment is "sustainable, energy efficient, safe, healthy and comfortable."

"The aim is to help us appreciate how the structures, buildings and streetscapes which form our built environment make a difference to our quality of life, and to contribute to creating the kind of environment we want for ourselves, our children and future generations," Dr. Kemp said.

The Year of the Built Environment 2004 will be celebrated with a program of events and activities across Australia. It has been endorsed by all state and territory governments, building and construction industry organizations, professional bodies and a range of interest groups and individuals within the community.

A National Steering Committee has been formed to oversee national events and activities and includes representatives of the Australian government's Department of the Environment and Heritage, as well as the Western Australian Department of Housing and Works, and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects President David Parken said, "It is wonderful to see our proposition for a focus on the built environment being acknowledged and accepted by the Commonwealth Government."

"This Commonwealth support will enable the realization of the principal aim of the Year of the Built Environment which is to foster community debate on the nature and quality of the built environment and the legacy the community wishes to leave for future generations," Parken said.

Australia's most famous building, the Sydney Opera House (Photo credit unknown)

"This year should be about turning around the huge impact our cities have on the environment," said Henry, "and the government should be making some real commitments to addressing greenhouse pollution in the building industry."

The Australian government has pledged to contribute $500,000 to celebrating the Year of the Built Environment, which is part of its $168.5 million commitment during 2003-04 to protecting the nation's built heritagem and making urban life more sustainable.

Henry said now is the time to write regulations for the construction industry that address greenhouse gas emissions. In 1997 Prime Minister John Howard said his government would write such rules if the building industry did not implement voluntary improvement within a year. But, said Henry, "the greenhouse impact of commercial buildings remains completely unregulated while the introduction of limited energy efficiency standards for residential building will come into effect in most states by 2005."

"The fact is we can't afford to keep dragging our feet on this," said Henry. "The commercial building sector uses nearly a third of all electricity and is set to double its contributions to greenhouse gas emissions within just 20 years."

"If we're serious about creating sustainable cities, the government needs to give the Australian Building Codes Board some teeth by giving it adequate powers and funding to really deliver on sustainability," said Henry.

The Chief Executive of Engineers Australia, John Boshier said, "Engineers Australia appreciates the opportunity the Year of the Built Environment will provide to highlight the essential role of engineering in providing a livable and more secure built environment for the community."

Engineers Australia will undertake events and activities that highlight design quality, sustainable urban development, heritage conservation, water management and energy conservation.

The Australian city of Melbourne. (Photo courtesy AAMAS03)

The Australian Institute of Project Management has offered its support to the Year of the Built Environment. "The built environment means buildings, places and structures in which we live, work and play. While we are becoming more aware of our natural environment and our need to appreciate and protect it, it is easy to take for granted the buildings and structures within the built environment that have so much influence on our lifestyle and well being," the institute said.

Dr. Kemp said, "Eighty-seven percent of Australians, more than 17 million people, live in our cities, posing ongoing challenges for those working to achieve the right balance between urban development and environmental protection."

The Year of the Built Environment 2004 will complement two existing government programs. First, the four year $52.6 million Distinctively Australian heritage program will identify, protect and manage the buildings and other places that help define the national identity.

And the Sustainable Cities program, developed in collaboration with the Australian Democrats, is a five year, $40 million package to make Australian cities and towns cleaner and more sustainable.

In addition, the House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Heritage report "Sustainable Cities 2025 Inquiry," due next year, will examine and report on issues and policies related to the development of sustainable cities to the year 2025.