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 Green Star Technical Clarification Rulings

Technical Clarifications for Green Star represent our answers to Technical Questions submitted by projects, and provide further guidance and reference to others. The list is regularly updated.  

There are two types of Technical Clarifications listed in the table below:

General Clarifications

These are extensions to the guidance provided in the Submission Guidelines. They clarify and sometimes supersede the original Credit Criteria or 
Compliance Requirements. General Clarifications set precedent for future project teams to follow. Should a project team wish to apply a general clarification to its project, there is no requirement for further Technical Questions to be submitted. NZGBC Assessors will also use them as precedents to assess submissions.

Project Specific Clarifications

These are published as references for other projects but, unlike General Clarifications, they do not set precedent. They often relate to special 
situations where multiple prerequisites exist for a particular project and are less likely to reoccur to another project. Therefore, rulings set for Project Specific Clarifications are often conditional and will likely vary for other projects. Each project still needs to submit its own Technical Questions and provides evidence relating to its own building in order to have a similar ruling approved for that specific building. 

Should you wish to apply any Technical Clarification for legacy rating tools to your projects, please submit a Technical Question to the NZGBC to 
explain why and how it applies. You can access the online Technical Question form here

Technical Question Title Tool Version Date Released Credit Name Sub-credit Name TC Link
Concrete Eligibility for Life Cycle Impacts - Concrete DABv1 October 2019 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts Life Cycle Impacts – Concrete
Approved Ruling:

What types of poured concrete can be included in calculating the cost for the Life Cycle Impacts - Concrete pathway?


This credit is intended to incentivise better practices in concrete application generally and as such should include all poured concrete types including precast, cast in situ or prestressed. The cost should also include low or non-structural concrete uses such as for pavement (where pavement is poured, as distinct from concrete pavers), footpaths, blinding, kerbs, channels and drains.
For a concrete use to qualify for inclusion in the cost it must meet the other requirements outlined in the submission guidelines, which are as follows:

  • The concrete has to be new 
  • It cannot be concrete masonry (filled or not)
  • It cannot be recycled