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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
Zero Car Parking Spaces DABv1.1, DABv1 May 2026 17 - Sustainable Transport, 29 - Innovation Sustainable Transport Prescriptive Pathway
Approved Ruling:

The NZGBC recognises that minimum car parking requirements were removed under Policy 11 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020. As a result, zero car parking is now a permissible planning outcome.

Green Star credits and innovation points relating to car parking are intended to recognise projects that demonstrate leadership by intentionally minimising the provision of car parking beyond regulatory compliance.

Credit 17B.2 Reduced Car Parking Provision and the Innovation Challenge Improving on Green Star Benchmarks – No new car parks on site remain available to projects that can demonstrate a deliberate reduction in car parking provision relative to typical or business‑as‑usual practice for the building type and location.

Projects that provide no on-site car parking (excluding any required accessible or essential operational spaces) may be considered to meet the intent of these criteria, provided the absence of parking reflects a deliberate design decision rather than simply a response to regulatory changes.

Where there is uncertainty about eligibility, project teams are encouraged to seek confirmation through a Technical Clarification.

Credits and innovation points previously awarded to projects with an accepted Round 1 submission or Design Certification will continue to be recognised.