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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
Third-party certification for Formaldehyde testing Green Star Buildings NZ, DABv1.1, DABv1 July 2025 13 - Indoor Pollutants, 13 - Exposure to Toxins Engineering Wood Products
Approved Ruling:

A signed and current certificate from a JAS-ANZ accredited third-party certifier, stating that a product complies with the relevant AS/NZS standards in the submission guidelines and confirming test results meet E1, E0 or Super E0, is acceptable evidence of compliance with formaldehyde emission limits of plywood, particle board, MDF, and LVL.


The relevant standards are as follows:
Product & Standard(s)

  • Plywood - AS/NZS 2269:2004, AS/NZS 2269:2008, AS/NZS 2269:2012
  • Particle Board - AS/NZS 1859.1:2004, AS/NZS 1859.1:2017
  • Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) - AS/NZS 1859.2:2004, AS/NZS 1859.2:2017
  • Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) - AS/NZS 4357.4:2005