Ecologically Sustainable Development

SINSW is committed to operating in a manner consistent with Sustainable Development principles (Bruntland, 1987 and UN SDGs), federal and state legislation requirements and industry best practice.

For School Infrastructure, this means acting responsibly with recognition that the future matters now. It also means taking impactful steps to preserve and enhance the environments and communities in which we operate. The vision for School Infrastructure is that by 2030 it/we will be a leading provider of sustainable infrastructure that inspires students and enriches learning.

In order to achieve this, it is important to set Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) targets for our projects to innovate and improve practices so projects achieve the desired ESD outcomes.

All school projects in Planning phases must develop a Sustainable Development Plan including sustainability targets, initiatives and an ESD schedule detailing the relevant Green Star/EFSG pathway adopted for the project.

Capital works projects must comply with all statutory requirements and government policies when identifying sustainability needs and requirements.

• GREP is a mandatory NSW Government policy to reduce the NSW Government’s operating costs and lead by example in increasing resource efficiency through ESD principles. GREP requires all new projects above 1000m2 and project costs over $10 million to be designed to the following standard:
  • 5 Stars Green Star for projects located in metropolitan Sydney, Wollongong, and Newcastle,
  • 4 Stars Green Star for projects located in other areas of NSW

GREP does not require school facilities to be certified under the Green Star system, however, it prescribes new government facilities to be designed using Green Star as benchmark for best practice. SINSW reports annually against the GREP.

• All SSD projects since early 2019 have had a Green Star condition. It should be expected that all future SSD projects will also have this condition and are budgeted and designed accordingly. All SSD projects in planning must certify to Green Star with the Green Building Council of Australia.
• For projects already in Delivery and for which formal certification was not achievable, SINSW engaged with DPIE to develop an alternative certification pathway satisfying the requirements of Green Star, whilst using an independent verification method. The outcome of the alternative pathway is to achieve Green Star requirements by implementing EFSG requirements whilst satisfying GREP requirements. The scheme has been approved by DPIE, however, is only available to those projects that are in Delivery and for which formal certification through GBCA is not achievable. Please contact SINSW Sustainability and Statutory Planning teams to determine eligibility of your project under this scheme.

ESD principles must be applied in the design, development and operation of all state assets, and are an important contribution to developing a considered whole of life cost development approach. These principles include

• Responsible use of energy, water, and resources in the construction, operation, refurbishment, maintenance, management and their ultimate disposal.
• Protect and support biological and ecological diversity
• Restrict the flow of pollutants into our natural environment.

For whole of life considerations see DG01 Whole of Life

It is expected that spaces will have the ability to be easily reconfigured to allow for different activities, and that buildings will be able to easily adapt over time helps in making the facilities sustainable over their expected life.

In accordance with the NSW Government Resource Efficiency Policy all new facilities must be designed and built so that energy consumption is predicted to be at least 10% lower than if build to minimum compliance with National Construction Code requirements.

Each building's system and façade must comply with the corresponding Section J requirements in the National Construction Code. That is, the building cannot show that their façade, or any system, performs worse than the reference building.

The total building’s energy consumption reduction must be achieved without including renewable energy generation in the calculation.

2.3.1 Lighting

Natural daylight reduces energy usage and improves the indoor environmental quality of spaces.

Natural daylight encourages learning and has beneficial effect on health and wellbeing.

Designers must seek to maximise natural daylight in all learning and administrations paces to reduce energy usage, improve the indoor amenity and create a pleasant environment.

Natural day light can be provided via windows, skylight , and the like.

Refer to  DG12 Light - Natural for further guidence on natural light benchmarking.

In maximising daylighting, designers must consider the following:

• Discomforting glare and brightness contrasts must be avoided.
• Learning spaces need to facilitate the use of audio-visual learning aids.  Provide brownout function to spaces as nominated in the individual room data table. Where a room is required to have a brownout function, skylights must include a method to sufficiently adjust light levels.
• Ensure energy efficiency of lighting by:
  • Including daylight sensors to rooms to reduce light output or turn off lights when sufficient daylight is provided within the space.
  • When the space is large and perimeter lighting is adjacent to windows, perimeter lighting is on a separate zone to make maximum use of daylight.
  • On exposed facades subject to direct sunlight (due north, east and west), external window shading must be provided.

Energy efficiency LED lighting must be installed in all new school buildings and major upgrades of existing school buildings.

For artificial lighting requirements see DG65 Lighting

2.3.2 Lighting and HVAC Controls

All new lighting and HVAC systems installed in schools must have timed or sensor feedback functionality for energy conservation.

For lighting control requirements see DG65.03 Automatic Lighting Control

2.3.3 Energy Efficient Appliances and equipment

In accordance with the NSW Government Resource Efficiency Policy, all new electrical equipment must be at least 0.5 stars above the market average star rating. In categories where no star ratings are available, equipment purchased should be recognised as high efficiency either by being ENERGY STAR® accredited, in a high efficiency band under Australian Standards or being above-average efficiency of Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) registered products.

Appliances and equipment purchased will be at least the following :

• refrigerators – 2.5 stars
• clothes dryers (up to 10 kg) – 3 stars
• washing machines – 3.5 stars
• dishwashers – 4 stars
• pool pumps – 7.5 stars
• fridge/freezers – 3.5 stars
• freezers – 3 stars
• air-to-air heat pumps and air-conditioners – 4 stars if less than 4 kW and 3 stars if greater than 4 kW (applies to both heating and cooling for reverse cycle air-conditioners)
• televisions – 5 stars (Tier 2 rating)

Commercial and industrial-sized clothes dryers (above 10 kg capacity) should aim for high efficiency but will be excluded from this benchmark if there are insufficient models available above the market average.

Equipment purchased in the following categories will have an ENERGY STAR® label recognising its high efficiency:

• computers (i.e. desktops, notebooks and tablets, workstations, small-scale servers and thin clients)
• printers
• photocopiers
• DVD players.

Equipment purchased in the following categories will meet the definition of ‘high efficiency’ under GEMS:

• refrigerated commercial display cabinets – AS1731.14
• distribution transformers – AS2374.1.2
• electric motors – AS1359.51
• external power supplies – AS4665.2.

Equipment purchased in the following categories will meet the following performance benchmarks:

• air-cooled liquid chilling packages – IPLV of 5.1
• water-cooled liquid chilling packages – IPLV of 9.6
• closed-control air-conditioners – AEER of 3.3.

2.3.4 Renewable Energy Generation

For new schools and new building/s (on an existing school site) a photovoltaic (PV) solar power grid-connect rooftop system must be provided to offset power consumption costs at the school.

PV systems must be installed in line with DG66 Photovoltaic Solar Power Generator

Construction materials must be selected based on the following:

• Adequately and economically perform their intended functions, and also have lower adverse environmental impacts throughout their life cycle (refer to DG 3)
• Contain reduced or no hazardous substances ( e.g. low VOC) to ensure effective indoor environmental quality.
• Reduce the demand for rare or non-renewable resources.
• Have low embodied energy and water.
• Are made from or contain recycled materials or can be reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.

2.5.1 Timber

No rainforest timbers, or timbers from high conservation forests, are to be used unless plantation grown. Use only recycled timber, engineered and glued timber composite products, or timber from plantations or from sustainably managed regrowth forests that is FSC, AFS or PEFC certified.

2.5.2 Low VOC

In accordance with the Government Resource Efficiency Policy, all surface coatings, and other volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting products including adhesives, sealants, carpets , carpet tiles and carpet underlays, must be made from low-VOC emission materials. 

Only low formaldehyde-emitting engineered wood products should be used, such as those that meet the Australian Standards for formaldehyde emission limit E1 (NICNAS classification) or lower. The engineered wood products must not exceed the emissions limits stipulated in the Green Star Buildings rating tool. Engineered wood products include particleboard, plywood, Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF ), Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), High-Pressure Laminate (HPL), Compact Laminate and decorative overlaid wood panels. This requirement excludes formwork.

2.5.3 Pesticides

Schools must be designed, constructed and maintained, without using chemicals for termite and other pest control.

New Buildings: no chemical pesticides and termicide to be used. Preventive treatments to be by physical means and careful design to minimise risk.

2.7.1 Construction and demolition waste

Targets must be established to increase diversion of waste sent to landfill, with a minimum diversion rate target of 90%. Opportunities for re-use and recycling of materials in the construction phase must be identified and implemented.

Designers must seek to use of incorporate building materials which are able to be disassembled for re-use, in conjunction with considerations for the addition and removal of accommodation over time.

2.7.2 Operational Waste 

A waste storage area must be included in all new school sites. The provision of space must include source separation including bin stations and appropriate signage of waste and receptacles for multiple waste streams, including:

Designers must refer to AS 4123.7 Mobile waste containers - Colours, markings, and designation requirements for further guidance on bin colour, waste stream and waste type.

Safe methods for vehicle access and the transfer of waste must also be considered.

Operational waste management plan

For new and refurbished schools, an operational waste management plan (OWMP) must be developed to establish operational waste targets, identify opportunities for reuse and recycling in the operation of the facilities and make adequate provision for the facilities to accommodate for the OWMP. The OWMP must consider the below.

A school is committed to maximising conservation of natural resources and minimising environmental harm from waste and the disposal of waste. It is also committed to an effective waste management system that includes recycling and reusing waste products, and safe disposal of waste.

Waste management service contract

Schools must use Contract 9698 in buy.NSW website. This contract is mandatory and covers waste management services (bins, collection, transport, processing, treatment, and disposal). Waste streams include general waste, organic, grease trap, recycling, secure destruction and clinical. 

Waste avoidance

Reduce consumption of resources that have the potential to become waste through strategies such as green purchasing - purchasing items with reusable, recyclable, have no packaging, or are biodegradable.

Waste minimisation

All stakeholders must minimise waste through strategies such as:

Reducing waste

• Examining all processes to determine where wastes are produced and to devise measures for waste prevention or reduction
• Devising ways of reducing waste with students so they too can share in the savings (for example rewards for students who reduce waste)
• Partenering with others to assist with waste minimisation.
• Keeping track of changes and improvement.

Reusing

• Reusing drums, cartridges and containers where possible.
• Selling or donating usable waste materials to other organisations.

Increase recycling 

• Investigating alternative uses for organic waste that cannot be reduced or reused, e.g. composting, bio-gas from waste, digester, etc.
• Diverting recyclable wastes from the general waste
• Provision for a bin station at a central location in school with the option of source separationProvision of clear waste signage to ensure source separation
• Explore opportunities for recycling waste types not included in the mandatory stream separation, e.g. batteries, coffee cups, e-waste, etc.

Waste disposal

Students, staff and cleaners dispose of waste in accordance with the Waste Management Policy

General waste

Handled with appropriate care and stored in the bins provided for collection by an appropriate authorised service provider under Contract 9698 for transport to a facility appropriate for the purposes of disposing of that waste.

Sanitary waste

Sanitary (including clinical waste where applicable) waste handled by trained (or qualified) personnel using appropriate personal protective equipment and stored in dedicated bins and containers for collection by an appropriate qualified and licensed service provider for transport to a facility appropriate for the purpose of disposing of that waste .

Ecologically Sustainable Development principles must be included in any new school buildings. All school projects in Planning phases must develop a Sustainable Development Plan including sustainability targets, initiatives and an ESD schedule detailing the relevant Green Star/EFSG pathway adopted for the project.

A Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP) must be engaged on the project to provide ongoing advice across all project elements related to Green Star.

Benchmarking must be undertaken against the Green Star credits using the edition of the Green Star scorecard current at the time of the assessment. The fcompleted scorecard must demonstrate the project can achieve enough points for the required rating.