Future Geelong: Smart design ‘a must’ as Geelong continues to grow

As Geelong continues to grow both up and out, one leading industry figure says property developers and builders must share the responsibility of bringing evermore sustainable properties to market.

Villawood Properties executive director Rory Costelloe said the push towards higher energy ratings in new homes required a fundamental rethink of how new builds were designed.

“It can’t just be about trying to change the windows to mathematically meet the (rating) range, you need to redesign the houses to get the thermal mass in the right spot,” he said.

“Part of the solution has to come from the developer by providing the proper infrastructure and the proper covenance to make people do things.

“But part of the solution also has to be provided by the builder, who actually has to redesign the houses from the ground up.”

From May this year, new homes must achieve a 7-star rating under the government’s nationwide house energy rating scheme that was introduced in 1993.

A new whole-of-home energy rating must also be met, taking into account the efficiency of utility appliances.

Both measures will help ensure homes are more comfortable in all weather conditions, while reducing the environmental impact at the same time.

A PropTrack report released in November found residential buildings are responsible for a quarter of overall electricity use and more than 10 per cent of all carbon emissions nationally.

Villawood has long mandated 7-star homes within its developments and Mr Costelloe said a 7.5-star rating was optimal as it provided the right balance of “ultra-design and a normal urban house”.

The company’s VillaRange homes are gas-free with a 9-star rating.

“We’ll push boundaries beyond any other developer in Geelong, or Victoria for that matter, in an urban sense,” he said.

“There’s a need to redesign the houses thermally properly from the ground up, because then if you have a 7.5 star house, you can have a range of between 18-23 degrees for your ambient temperature throughout the year, except for extreme days.

“Then you don’t need any heating or cooling in the bedrooms, you just have one split-system in your main living area to handle, maybe, a winter or summer extreme … a properly thermally designed house, people can live far more comfortably and healthily.”

The Geelong region’s population of around 285,000 is expected to push towards 400,000 by 2040, with many of those new residents to purchase properties in yet to be developed greenfield sites.

Mr Costelloe’s comments follow Barwon Water boss Shaun Cumming’s prediction that, with right planning, new housing developments in Geelong had the potential to boost the region’s water supply, rather than diminish it.

“By capturing local stormwater and sewerage for treatment and reuse, the growth areas could become net water exporters,” he said.

Capture and reuse has several benefits, including increasing resilience to water shortages, maintaining water in the environment, and helping to create greener, cooler neighbourhoods.

Article by Luke Griffiths featured in the Geelong Advertiser, February 23, 2024 – View article online