Sustainable Building

Browse myBIG’s sustainable building documents.

These resources cover design and construction of sustainable buildings, resilient structures, green construction, sustainability legislation, and green energy.

Name	Publisher
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mold Web Course	Current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	Contains information on mold prevention and remediation.
Where We Build, What We Build: Planners	Current South Australian Government	The Where We Build, What We Build project has developed a climate ready home specification that provides increased resilience against flood, bushfire and heat compared with traditional houses.
Where We Build, What We Build: Building Climate Ready Homes	Current South Australian Government	This project aims to encourage building or retrofitting of homes that are climate-ready, by demonstrating.
Where We Build, What We Build: Project Report	Current South Australian Government	The Where We Build What We Build project is supporting the Resilient Hills and Coasts (RH&C) region by enabling assessment of the climate risk exposure of homes and encouraging better climate risk mitigation decisions.
Circular economy in South Australia’s built environment	Current South Australian Government	The purpose of this report is to summarise the circular economy opportunities for South Australia, based on a national and international review of current policies, approaches and case studies.
DES 105 NCC - BCA Volume One: Energy Efficiency Provisions TECHnote	Current NATSPEC	This TECHnote includes information useful in satisfying the NCC Energy efficiency provisions for Class 2 to 9 buildings. The NCC objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. Operational energy is currently the focus of the NCC. Embodied energy may be considered in the future for sustainability controls.
Weathertex Product Portfolio	Available Superseded Weathertex	Sustainable Design Trends for 2020.
Weathertex Design Trends Magazine 2021	Current Weathertex	Our second edition of Sustainable Design Trends, this time for 2021.
Guidelines for special fire services and referrals to the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QLD)	Current Queensland Government	Provides building certifiers with guidance about special fire services as defined in Schedule 2 of the Building Act 1975, and the jurisdiction of referral agencies in Schedule 7, Table 1, Item 1 of the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009.
AS 1170.4-2007 Structural design actions, Part 4: Earthquake actions in Australia	Current Standards Australia	Sets out data and procedures for determining earthquake loads on structures and their components, and also minimum detailing requirements for structures; domestic structures are covered in an Appendix.
An Exploration Of Factors Influencing Quality Management System (Qms) Implementation: The Case Of The Australian Construction Industry		This research primarily aims to investigate an inclusive list of factors impacting on quality management system deployment in the construction industry building sector by focusing exclusively on the external factors and the critical success factors of project level in order to develop a comprehensive framework of quality management system deployment.
Condensation in Buildings Handbook	Current Australian Building Codes Board	Assists in understanding the condensation requirements in NCC 2022 Volumes One and Two
Social Housing Design Guideline: A QCompanion document 2021	Current Queensland Government	A design led, place-based and person-centred approach to good housing in Queensland.
Community Recovery: Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection	Current Australian Government	Provides a comprehensive guide to community recovery in Australia.
State Environmental Planning Policy (Sustainable Buildings) 2022 (NSW)	Current NSW Government	This Policy is State Environmental Planning Policy (Sustainable Buildings) 2022. (NSW legislation.)
Selecting a Suitable Sustainable Construction Method for Australian High-Rise Building: A Multi-Criteria Analysis	Current Sustainability	This research aims to identify the most suitable sustainable construction method for high-rise building construction in Australia; results show that the off-site construction method and robotic construction technique significantly improve the construction performance of high-rise construction in Australia.
Designing for Queensland's climate	Current Queensland Government	The objective of the Smart and Sustainable Homes program is to demonstrate and promote the importance of investing in sustainable design and to increase the demand from owners, builders and developers for more sustainable development practices.
AS 3959:2018 Amd 1:2019 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas	Current Standards Australia	The 2018 edition of AS 3959 is amended as follows; the amendments should be inserted in the appropriate places.
AS 1530.8.1:2018 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 8.1: Tests on elements of construction for buildings exposed to simulated bushfire attack - Radiant heat and small flaming sources	Current Standards Australia	This Standard provides methods for determining the performance of external construction elements when exposed to radiant heat, burning embers and burning debris.
Identifying and assessing the risks of bushfires at work: using fire danger ratings and warnings	Current Safe Work Australia	Helps persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) and workers to use these systems to identify and assess the risk of bushfires at work.
AS 3959:2018 Amd 2:2020 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas	Current Standards Australia	The 2018 edition of AS 3959 is amended as follows; the amendments should be inserted in the appropriate places.
Construction of buildings in flood hazard areas: ABCB Standard	Current Australian Building Codes Board	Specifies requirements for flood-resistant design and construction of buildings that are subject to the NCC requirements and that are located, in whole or in part, in flood hazard areas.
Industry Guidance For Flood Resilient Homes	Current Queensland Government	This Industry Guidance for Flood Resilient Homes provides information about improving the flood resilience of new and existing Queensland homes.
Design Guidance For Flood Resilient Homes	Current Queensland Government	Queensland homeowners who experienced damage to their residential property as a result of flooding in 2021–22 can now register their interest for the $741 million Resilient Homes Fund.
Guideline for the construction of buildings in flood hazard areas (QLD)	Current Queensland Government	Assists homeowners, building professionals and local governments in understanding the new part of the Queensland Development Code (QDC) for construction of buildings in flood hazard areas.
Flood Resilient Building Guidance for Queensland Homes	Current Queensland Government	Provides information about improving the flood resilience of new and existing Queensland homes.
Resilient Homes Fund: Building industry fact sheet. Quoting and contracting resilience works (for licensed contractors)	Current Queensland Government	Flood resilient design is one of the many ways Queenslanders can build their resilience to floods.
DES 018 Bushfire Protection TECHnote	Current NATSPEC	Bushfires are a feature of the Australian environment. The impact of bushfire on life and property can be reduced with responsible preparation and bushfire management plans. Bushfire hazards exist not only in rural areas but also at the rural and urban interface, for example areas adjacent to parks, public reserves and golf courses.
Queensland Building Plan 2017 (QLD)	Current Queensland Government	Creating a safer, fairer, more sustainable construction industry.
AS/NZS 1547:2012 On-site domestic wastewater management	Current Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand	AS/NZS 1547:2012 provides the requirements for treatment units and their respective land application systems to achieve sustainable and effective on-site domestic wastewater management, to protect public health and the environment. This Standard identifies the performance statements that cover the overall design and sustainable management of on-site domestic wastewater systems.
QDesign	Current Queensland Government	Principles for good urban design in Queensland.
Housing Energy Efficiency Handbook	Current Australian Building Codes Board	Assists in understanding the energy efficiency provisions in NCC Volume Two that apply to houses.
DES 014 Environmental Rating Schemes For Buildings TECHnote	Current NATSPEC	There are a number of national environmental rating schemes in place in Australia that can be used to understand how efficiently a building is operating as well as measure and reduce its impact on the environment.
NatHERS Heating and Cooling Load Limits Standard	Latest Australian Building Codes Board	NatHERS compliance pathway for energy efficiency.
NatHERS assessor handbook	Current Australian Government	Explains how NatHERS assessments work and is an essential tool for NatHERS assessors.
NatHERS 2022: Whole of Home Overview	Current NatHERS	The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, or NatHERS, is being expanded to include Whole of Home assessments and ratings to support the proposed National Construction Code energy efficiency requirements for residential buildings in 2022; the changes will help households improve a home's energy efficiency and reduce energy use, which provides a range of benefits including lower energy bills, improved comfort and health for occupants, and reduced carbon emissions.
Indoor Air Quality Verification Methods Handbook	Current Australian Building Codes Board	Assists in understanding the indoor air quality (IAQ) Verification Methods in NCC Volumes One and Two (F6V1 and F6V2 in NCC Volume One and H4V3 of NCC Volume Two).
2017 BASIX energy target changes: frequently asked questions	Current NSW Planning & Environment	BASIX FAQ.
A comprehensive guide to BASIX	Current NSW Government	The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of how the BASIX engine works to estimate energy and water consumption in houses and apartments, and how these outputs can be used to inform design decisions.
DES 026 Living Walls And Roofs TECHnote	Current NATSPEC	This TECHnote highlights design and construction issues for consideration and suggests suitable NATSPEC worksections for the documentation of living walls and roofs.
Apartment energy efficiency Handbook	Current Australian Building Codes Board	Assists in understanding the energy efficiency provisions in NCC Volume One that apply to Class 2 apartment buildings.