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BASIX
- New requirements to save water and energy in new homes
If you are building
or renovating you have the perfect opportunity to create a home
which uses natural resources such as energy and water wisely, has
minimal impacts on the environment and is cheaper to run.
From July 2005, development applications for new residential dwellings
in New South Wales must include a BASIX certificate demonstrating
that the home will be designed and built to save energy and water.
From 1 July 2006, these rules will be extended to alterations and
additions.
BASIX (the Building Sustainability Index) is a web-based planning
tool which measures the potential performance of new residential
dwellings against sustainability indices.
BASIX ensures each dwelling design meets the NSW Government's targets
of:
- 40% reduction in water consumption and
- 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared
with the average home.
The
greenhouse target will increase to 40% from July 2006.
The NSW Government estimates that over the next ten years the BASIX
rules will save 287,000 billion litres of water and 9.5 billion
tonnes of greenhouse gases (equivalent to taking 2.6 million cars
off the road). It is also expected that the average home built to
BASIX standards will save $500 – $600 each year on water and energy
bills.
Meeting the sustainability targets to secure a BASIX certificate
is not difficult, but requires careful planning at the design stage.
For further information see the BASIX website at www.basix.nsw.gov.au
or contact the BASIX Helpline on 1300 650 908.
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