Share How could the Wollongong community support Council in implementing the leadership action below, as set in the 2020 – 2022 plan?
L11 - Review the Wollongong Development Control Plan Chapter A2 – Ecologically Sustainable Development, to ensure alignment with the Climate Emergency Declaration commitment and net zero emissions targets.
The current 3 pages of text with Chapter A2: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Wollongong Development Control Plan (DCP) 2009 commence with “Council encourages the application of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) for all development in the Wollongong local government area”.
Now we all know that ‘encourage’ does not take the meaning of ‘must’ or ‘requires’.
In a world of overwhelm, we need Council's leadership to define what good looks like, if we are to even out the playing field and position Wollongong as a leading sustainable city.
Take, for example, Randwick City Council’s 7 pages of text in Chapter B3: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013.
Here are some contrasting statements for you to consider:
Appliance Efficiency
Wollongong - Council encourages the use of the most efficient water and energy appliances and systems.
Randwick - All new or replacement electrical appliances must achieve the highest available energy rating at the time of development.
Building Material Selection
Wollongong - The embodied energy of construction materials should be considered when selecting building materials and during construction.
Randwick - Submit a schedule of materials with the DA that maximises the use of the following:
Materials that are durable with low maintenance requirements.
Materials with low embodied energy content.
Renewable materials.
Locally sourced products.
Salvaged or recycled materials.
Timber from plantation or sustainable managed re-growth forests.
Low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials.
Mechanical fittings instead of adhesives or glues.
Toxin-free flooring.
See the difference?
Because our DCP is not prescriptive enough on ESD, statements like these are accepted in the Statement of Environmental Effects for development application assessments:
“The proposal is consistent with the relevant objectives contained within Section 1.2 of this chapter with respect to energy efficiency, landscaping, and design”.
If we want to see better design, more reuse, responsible building material selection, and more efficient appliances, we need Wollongong City Council to provide this leadership. on Facebook
Share How could the Wollongong community support Council in implementing the leadership action below, as set in the 2020 – 2022 plan?
L11 - Review the Wollongong Development Control Plan Chapter A2 – Ecologically Sustainable Development, to ensure alignment with the Climate Emergency Declaration commitment and net zero emissions targets.
The current 3 pages of text with Chapter A2: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Wollongong Development Control Plan (DCP) 2009 commence with “Council encourages the application of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) for all development in the Wollongong local government area”.
Now we all know that ‘encourage’ does not take the meaning of ‘must’ or ‘requires’.
In a world of overwhelm, we need Council's leadership to define what good looks like, if we are to even out the playing field and position Wollongong as a leading sustainable city.
Take, for example, Randwick City Council’s 7 pages of text in Chapter B3: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013.
Here are some contrasting statements for you to consider:
Appliance Efficiency
Wollongong - Council encourages the use of the most efficient water and energy appliances and systems.
Randwick - All new or replacement electrical appliances must achieve the highest available energy rating at the time of development.
Building Material Selection
Wollongong - The embodied energy of construction materials should be considered when selecting building materials and during construction.
Randwick - Submit a schedule of materials with the DA that maximises the use of the following:
Materials that are durable with low maintenance requirements.
Materials with low embodied energy content.
Renewable materials.
Locally sourced products.
Salvaged or recycled materials.
Timber from plantation or sustainable managed re-growth forests.
Low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials.
Mechanical fittings instead of adhesives or glues.
Toxin-free flooring.
See the difference?
Because our DCP is not prescriptive enough on ESD, statements like these are accepted in the Statement of Environmental Effects for development application assessments:
“The proposal is consistent with the relevant objectives contained within Section 1.2 of this chapter with respect to energy efficiency, landscaping, and design”.
If we want to see better design, more reuse, responsible building material selection, and more efficient appliances, we need Wollongong City Council to provide this leadership. on Linkedin
Email How could the Wollongong community support Council in implementing the leadership action below, as set in the 2020 – 2022 plan?
L11 - Review the Wollongong Development Control Plan Chapter A2 – Ecologically Sustainable Development, to ensure alignment with the Climate Emergency Declaration commitment and net zero emissions targets.
The current 3 pages of text with Chapter A2: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Wollongong Development Control Plan (DCP) 2009 commence with “Council encourages the application of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) for all development in the Wollongong local government area”.
Now we all know that ‘encourage’ does not take the meaning of ‘must’ or ‘requires’.
In a world of overwhelm, we need Council's leadership to define what good looks like, if we are to even out the playing field and position Wollongong as a leading sustainable city.
Take, for example, Randwick City Council’s 7 pages of text in Chapter B3: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013.
Here are some contrasting statements for you to consider:
Appliance Efficiency
Wollongong - Council encourages the use of the most efficient water and energy appliances and systems.
Randwick - All new or replacement electrical appliances must achieve the highest available energy rating at the time of development.
Building Material Selection
Wollongong - The embodied energy of construction materials should be considered when selecting building materials and during construction.
Randwick - Submit a schedule of materials with the DA that maximises the use of the following:
Materials that are durable with low maintenance requirements.
Materials with low embodied energy content.
Renewable materials.
Locally sourced products.
Salvaged or recycled materials.
Timber from plantation or sustainable managed re-growth forests.
Low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials.
Mechanical fittings instead of adhesives or glues.
Toxin-free flooring.
See the difference?
Because our DCP is not prescriptive enough on ESD, statements like these are accepted in the Statement of Environmental Effects for development application assessments:
“The proposal is consistent with the relevant objectives contained within Section 1.2 of this chapter with respect to energy efficiency, landscaping, and design”.
If we want to see better design, more reuse, responsible building material selection, and more efficient appliances, we need Wollongong City Council to provide this leadership. link
How could the Wollongong community support Council in implementing the leadership action below, as set in the 2020 – 2022 plan?
L11 - Review the Wollongong Development Control Plan Chapter A2 – Ecologically Sustainable Development, to ensure alignment with the Climate Emergency Declaration commitment and net zero emissions targets.
The current 3 pages of text with Chapter A2: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Wollongong Development Control Plan (DCP) 2009 commence with “Council encourages the application of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) for all development in the Wollongong local government area”.
Now we all know that ‘encourage’ does not take the meaning of ‘must’ or ‘requires’.
In a world of overwhelm, we need Council's leadership to define what good looks like, if we are to even out the playing field and position Wollongong as a leading sustainable city.
Take, for example, Randwick City Council’s 7 pages of text in Chapter B3: Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013.
Here are some contrasting statements for you to consider:
Appliance Efficiency
Wollongong - Council encourages the use of the most efficient water and energy appliances and systems.
Randwick - All new or replacement electrical appliances must achieve the highest available energy rating at the time of development.
Building Material Selection
Wollongong - The embodied energy of construction materials should be considered when selecting building materials and during construction.
Randwick - Submit a schedule of materials with the DA that maximises the use of the following:
Materials that are durable with low maintenance requirements.
Materials with low embodied energy content.
Renewable materials.
Locally sourced products.
Salvaged or recycled materials.
Timber from plantation or sustainable managed re-growth forests.
Low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials.
Mechanical fittings instead of adhesives or glues.
Toxin-free flooring.
See the difference?
Because our DCP is not prescriptive enough on ESD, statements like these are accepted in the Statement of Environmental Effects for development application assessments:
“The proposal is consistent with the relevant objectives contained within Section 1.2 of this chapter with respect to energy efficiency, landscaping, and design”.
If we want to see better design, more reuse, responsible building material selection, and more efficient appliances, we need Wollongong City Council to provide this leadership.
RobynJ
asked
over 1 year ago
Hi again Robyn,
Following on from our previous reply, the Project team has explored options with the Planning team and looked into what opportunities there are within Council’s scope to inform Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD).
Generally, the Council’s DCP and planning requirements in this space can not mandate any controls above what is required from the State Environmental Planning Policy (BASIX) SEPP. So, the most effective action Council can take to influence emissions from buildings is to advocate for the State Government to create stronger standards on ESD.
In saying this, where Council can have influence is in any development that is exempt from the SEPP, this is what the Randwick DCP example you provided refers to. You are right, the wording in this situation is an example we could look to, to increase standards in our LGA (noting that it appears to be a little outdated, as it states that "electric hot water heating must not be installed" - we would advocate for the opposite).
The Environmental Planning team is currently developing the ‘Climate Friendly Planning Framework’. It will initially focus on Low Density Residential Developments as this is the majority of new infrastructure. Following this, there is scope for us to review other parts of the DCP to include more stringent sustainability requirements where applicable.
In the areas of the DCP we are unable to control due to State Gov constraints, we are actively working towards improving our education materials and public information on sustainable building materials.
Thank you again for reaching out with your insights and questions. We will keep you updated on the development of the Climate Change Mitigation Plan 23-27.
Kind regards,
Mitch Golding
Sustainability Officer
Wollongong City Council
