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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
Location of Changing Facilities Green Star Buildings NZ May 2025 27 - Movement and Place Link
Approved Ruling:
Changing Facilities (end of trip) may be provided on a different floor from bike storage if they are easily accessible and meet all other requirements.
End-of-trip facilities, including changing rooms, showers, and lockers, must be provided in a dedicated facility within easy access of the bike storage. This is to meet the credit intent to encourage occupants and users to use active, low carbon and public transport options instead of private vehicles.
 
Some examples of what can and can't be accepted:
Acceptable
  • Dedicated end-of-trip facilities on another floor, easily accessible by a short walk (not through high traffic areas) or elevator.
  • Dedicated end-of-trip facilities located outside of the building but within easy access. E.g. one end-of trip facility for a complex of buildings.
  • Lockers provided within end-of-trip facilities
Not Acceptable
  • Shower facilities on another floor or within tenancies, with access to them through high traffic areas, past tenancies, or though main part of building where lots of people are expected to be working or living.
  • Showers provided within other bathrooms that are there to meet statutory accessibility requirements.
  • Use of communal showers within a hotel/hostel environment, that customers and occupants use.
  • Lockers provided far away from changing facilities