The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has just launched a first-of-its-kind website called Living Green Star to help home buyers find sustainable housing – including retirement villages.
Designed to make it easier for people to find information and see reviews from people already living in Green Star-rated developments, simply click the site’s interactive map to find Green Star retirement villages near you. Currently there are 14 listed – with more to come.
So what will a Green Star-rated village offer you?
Going green
To receive the Green Star seal of approval, retirement villages are independently assessed as a whole – with everything from common areas and walking paths to access to public transport and connection with the wider community is considered.
Operators must also meet a range of sustainability benchmarks including energy and water efficiency; natural light and ventilation; and water recycling and management.
Projects are then awarded a rating – either Best Practice (4 Green Star), Australian Excellence (5 Green Star) or World Leadership (6 Green Star) – such as Stockland’s Mernda retirement village pictured inset.
We think it’s a good initiative. More of us want to live in homes that are good for our health, save us money and help the environment – downsizers included.
Why not make it easier to do?
