The government needs to ensure sustainability is “front and centre” of school infrastructure spending, a leading green building organization has said in light of comments by an Infrastructure Australia board member made yesterday.

Infrastructure Australia’s Peter Newman, who also heads Curtain University’s Sustainability Policy Institute in Perth, lamented state spending as a “missed opportunity” to boost green technology in schools.

“It will be regretted because this should really last a generation … this kind of funding opportunity that comes along doesn’t happened that frequently,” he told The Australian yesterday.

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is “concerned” that the government’s sustainability requirements contained in the stimulus agreement are being ignored in the rush to get projects underway. 

“We hope that the pressure on the states to approve ‘shovel ready’ projects isn't leading them to ignore their own legislation, sustainability guidelines and environmental standards,” GBCA chief executive Romily Madew said. 

It is essential that the states be made to report on whether the sustainability measures included in the Treasurer’s letter of 12 February 2009 are being incorporated into the projects, Madew said.

In its $14.7 billion stimulus package for schools, the federal government committed that “any new [school] building will be designed to maximise energy efficiency including insulation, energy efficient solar hot water (where appropriate), energy efficient lighting, energy efficient glazing, energy efficient heating and cooling, and a water tank”. 

“We now have solid international research which confirms that green schools and universities can enhance student learning, create a better workplace for teachers and boost a school’s competitiveness – not to mention reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.  This is a one-off, $14.7 billion opportunity to invest in the future of our nation,” Madew said.