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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 download the Technical Question form here

Technical Question Title Clarification Type Tool Version Month Released Credit Name Sub-credit Name Amendment/Approved Ruling
NSW Environmental Management Systems Guidelines for EMP Compliance General DABv1 July 2020 7 - Responsible Construction Practices EMP
Seismic Performance Project Specific DABv1, DABv1.1 November 2020 3 - Adaptation and Resilience Earthquake Resilience
VOC Limit Eligibility Criteria General DABv1 October 2019 13 - Indoor Pollutants Paints, Adhesives, Sealants and Carpets
Onsite Testing Results wher WELS Certification not available General DABv1 April 2022 18 - Potable Water Potable water
Green Cleaning Policy General DABv1 November 2020 29 - Innovation Global Sustainability
Reverberation Compliance General DABv1 October 2019 10 - Acoustic Comfort Reverberation

Compliance with the reverberation criterion should be demonstrated for all common areas.

Responsible Party for Sustainable Initiative Delivery General DABv1 October 2019 7 - Responsible Construction Practices High Quality Staff Support
Scope of Credit 20.3 General DABv1 January 2022 20 - Responsible Building Materials Permanent Formwork, Pipes, Flooring, Blinds and Cables
Concrete Verifying Techniques (Credit 19A) General DABv1, DABv1.1 September 2024 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts Life Cycle Assessment
Innovation Point for using 750 MPa Steel Fitment General DABv1 October 2019 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts Life Cycle Impacts – Steel