The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has launched a new website called Living Green Star, to help home buyers find sustainable apartments, communities and retirement living villages.

According to the GBCA’s CEO Romilly Madew, “The number of residential developments with the Green Star tick of approval has tripled in the last three years, and we now have more than 100 around Australia.”

“Increasingly, people of all ages want to live in homes that are good for their health and wellbeing, and good for the environment,” she says.

“The statistics point to a growing trend. More than 42,000 Australians are already living in Green Star-certified apartments, and a massive 420,000 people are moving into communities with Green Star ratings.”

“If you are thinking about downsizing or upsizing, on the hunt for your first home or wanting to expand with your growing family, Living Green Star is packed full of real world stories of people living in sustainable homes and communities, and the benefits they’ve gained,” Madew says.

“But sustainable living isn’t just about carbon. It’s about health, wellbeing, affordability and liveability. We want Australian home buyers to understand why sustainable living is better for people, planet and the purse strings.”

According to Jonathan Cartledge, head of Public Affairs for the GBCA, this is the first site of its kind to specifically focus on Green Star-rated residential. 

“We have deliberately targeted a broad range of demographics – from first home buyers to downsizers – because we believe everyone deserves to live in a home that is efficient, affordable and sustainable,” says Cartledge.

“Our goal is to make it easier for people to gather information about sustainable homes – whether that’s an individual apartment, a retirement living unit or a block of land in a masterplanned community – and to gain insights from real-world people already living in Green Star-rated homes or communities,” he says.

“It’s early days, but the initial response has been very positive,” he says.

The new website can be found here.