Beacon

Why are councils important for sustainable building?

Beacon Pathway’s research suggests that many people would find it easier to build and retrofit their homes sustainably if council policies, plans and processes were more supportive of sustainable design.   Even when policies are neutral or supportive of sustainable building, Beacon’s research has identified that Council administrative processes can be a disincentive.  (Read more at Barriers to sustainable building in local councils)

Yet, Beacon’s assessment of existing council policies and programmes suggests that councils which want to successfully promote more sustainable homes in their districts can make it easier for homeowners to build and retrofit more sustainable homes.

Council officers have told us that there is strong interest in sustainable building within councils, but many feel that they are only at the beginning of the journey. Currently, there are limited resources, knowledge gaps, and a generally piecemeal approach to policy initiatives to support sustainable residential building.

Why should councils promote sustainable homes?

For councils, there is a strong value case for being involved in promoting more sustainable homes in their regions, districts, and cities. Sustainable homes promote the health, economic efficiency, and environmental well-being of communities. They can reduce demand for infrastructure and services provided by councils. Building and renovating sustainable homes can also offer significant employment opportunities. For every 1,000 houses that are retrofitted, 151 full-time equivalent jobs are required on-site, and a total of 392 full-time equivalent jobs would be required to provide the necessary products and services.

There is a good legislative basis for councils to promote more sustainable building choices, and there are a range of tools that councils could employ to this end. Opportunities exist in council strategies, regulation, design guidance, economic tools, community education, and - importantly - in councils’ own administrative practices.

What can councils do?

Although there is no single, simple mechanism for councils to implement, they can capitalise on the numerous small opportunities that exist across all aspects of council operations, to develop a comprehensive and effective approach to encouraging more sustainable homes.  Building on the policies and programmes that are already in place in different councils, there is considerable scope to strengthen and extend the range of initiatives that councils offer.

Building sustainable homes:  a resource manual for local government

Based on our research with local government, in sustainable renovation and in defining what makes a sustainable home, we have developed Building Sustainable Homes: A Resource Manual for Local Government.  This Resource Manual sets out to assist councils to:

1. Understand the context: why we need sustainable homes and what is the value to councils of promoting sustainable building?
2. Define the outcomes: what makes a sustainable home?
3. Establish the basis for action: what are the legislative prompts for council action?
4. Evaluate the options for action: a detailed assessment of the initiatives that councils could develop, identifying the scope, pros and cons, and existing examples of the different methods.

Workshops are being held around New Zealand to introduce and discuss the resources in the Manual.  Read more at Free local government workshops

Download the full Manual at the bottom of the page or access the Word versions below

• Part I. Context: The need for sustainable homes

• Part II. Outcomes: What makes a sustainable home?

• Part III. Basis for action: Local government’s role in sustainable homes

      Part IV.  Options for action: What councils can do

• Introduction

• Section 1. Strategic policy signals

• Section 2: Resource Management Act policies and plans

• Section 3: Development standards and guidelines

• Section 4: Building Code administration

• Section 5: Bylaws

• Section 6: Economic tools

• Section 7: Community education

• Section 8: Council administrative practices

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  07-Jun-2009 (Publication HR2420/6)

  Building Sustainable Homes: A Resource Manual for Local Government (PDF 1.7MB)

  Megan Howell, Damon Birchfield

  This Resource Manual sets out to assist councils to understand the need for sustainable homes, define what makes a sustainable home, establish the basis for action, and evaluate the options for action. It provides information and examples to support councils to build their own, locally-specific, value case for sustainable building policies and programmes.

   

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  30-Sep-2008 (Report HR2420/7)

  Assessing the Viability of Financial Incentives for Sustainable Housing Initiatives (PDF 274KB)

  Julia de Blaauw, Dan McGregor

  This  report investigates the potential financial incentives local governement could offer to encourage sustainable building, what issues they might raise for local authorities and how these issues can be addressed in practice. In particular, this paper sets out the legal framework that local authorities must consider when deciding whether to offer financial incentives, and assesses current initiatives already in place throughout New Zealand against this framework.