This note, originally published in November 2000, was reviewed by John Todd in August 2005. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. Air pollution in the sprawling Australian suburbs and many rural cities ...

Sustainable water systems will meet water service needs at the lowest cost to society and with the lowest environmental impact through maximising water use efficiency first, then maximising water use effectiveness, optimally matching the quality of ...

Energy saving technologies can significantly reduce building energy consumption, while enhancing thermal comfort and occupant health and wellbeing, and reducing running costs. Further resources: Yang RJ, Zang Y, Yang J, Wakefield R, Nguyen K, Shi L ...

This paper summarises a study that looked at the factors that influence both energy and water efficiency for commercial office buildings. Using NABERS ratings for both of these, comparisons were made of various grades of buildings, with the ...

This note discusses the difficulties currently being experienced in implementing Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) from a development perspective. It looks at what motivates developers and examines what is needed, either through mandatory ...

Read time: 25 minutes A summary update has been provided for this note in June 2023. This summary reflects updates to this topic on the National Construction Code 2022 and BASIX. There is an urgent need to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. A balanced mix of play activities is critical to a child’s development. However for many children in Australia, as elsewhere in the developed world, the proportion of active, outdoor ...

This note was reviewed in September 2018 and retained for legacy. Social sustainability is about ensuring the sustenance of the diverse social relations that exist in healthy communities. Creating the physical, cultural and social places that ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. The physical destruction accompanying disasters typically creates an urgency to rebuild and help survivors get back on track. There are inspiring examples of how architects and other ...

Read time: 20 minutes Decades of advocacy to achieve progress toward sustainable outcomes have highlighted an urgent need to reframe our relationships with the natural world and with one another. Humans exist within a reciprocal dynamic with one ...