Environmental Policy
Planning and building regulations across Australia are increasingly dealing with ways to improve the environmental performance of housing and address climate change. These regulations can often have an impact on housing affordability and the way new homes and existing homes are built or renovated.
The major environmental issues being dealt with in housing design and construction include:
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Identifying ways to conserve our natural resources through environmentally responsible housing
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Improving the energy efficiency of new and existing housing
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Improving the water efficiency of new and existing housing
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Addressing the operational energy and water use of all housing
HIA’s National Policy Congress has endorsed a series of policies on existing and emerging issues such as energy and water efficiency to assist in HIA’s responses to these important issues.
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Current at: 04 September 2008
Environmental Performance Of Existing Homes
This policy statement sets out HIA’s position on the environmental performance of existing houses and highlights where HIA believes government attention should be focused to resolve the present disparity between the responsibility of new homes to meet environmental benchmarks and performance of existing homes
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Current at: 04 September 2008
Federal Environment Initatives
On November 24, 2007 a new Federal Labor Government was elected. The new Government has made a number of important commitments in respect to housing and improving the environmental impact of new and existing homes.
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Current at: 19 December 2007
Resource Management
A policy that provides HIA’s position in relation to the conservation of natural resources during the residential building process. It also outlines HIA’s proactive stance towards these issues and is based around the principles of the GreenSmart Program.
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Current at: 19 December 2007
Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings
This policy sets our HIA’s position on the regulation of energy efficiency in all housing types. The policy considers alternate methods of increasing the energy efficiency of housing without further increases in the energy star rating requirement and which promote voluntary schemes (such as HIA GreenSmart) and regulations which will improve the performance of existing homes.
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Current at: 19 December 2007
Water Efficiency in Residential Buildings
This policy sets out HIA’s position on the regulation of water efficiency in all housing types. The policy promotes alternate approaches that can improve the water efficiency of existing homes through both voluntary schemes (such as HIA GreenSmart) and regulations.
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Current at: 19 December 2007
Waste Management
This policy covers all aspects of HIA’s position in relation to the creation and disposal of waste (building materials) generated during the building process, as well as the need to minimise waste where possible. The policy is based around the principles of HIA’s GreenSmart program.
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