A group of industry professionals concerned with the need to improve the quality of housing to meet the extreme climate demands in Central Otago have formed a steering committee to support the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) Homestar™ rating system.
SHO-Central Otago aims to support the use of this rating system to evaluate new and existing homes in the region with the intention of raising expectations of how a residence can perform while using fewer resources. The group is concerned that minimum building code does not suit the climatic demands of this alpine region, where we experience variances from frosts and harsh sun.
SHO-Central Otago will use the varied expertise of professionals in the building industry in Queenstown, Wanaka and the surrounding area, who have a specialty or interest in energy-efficient, sustainable practice. Members include representatives from Evolution, a division of Rilean Construction, eZed, Mark Gray Architect, QUBE and recently elected Otago Regional Council representative, Maggie Lawton.
SHO-Central Otago spokesperson, Annabelle Numaguchi, says, “We hope to see better building practices become standard here and this rating system strongly encourages this by offering a way of comparing homes based on performance, not just aesthetics.”
She also notes that the non-profit steering group will act as a liaison between the community and NZGBC to ensure the points used to determine a Homestar™ score accurately reflect thermal efficiency and sustainability in practice, not just theory.
Queenstown Lakes District Council has proposed initiatives to promote Homestar™ by offering incentives for a residence achieving a 6 star. SHO-Central Otago hopes the same traction that has been gained in urban centres like Auckland and Christchurch will follow in the Southern Lakes area. The organization may provide a model for other regions to follow in order to give momentum to the adoption of the rating system.
For further media information, please contact:
Annabelle Numaguchi
Marketing/Sales
Rilean Construction/ Evolution
Phone: 03 442 3484
Email: Annabelle.numaguchi@rilean.co.nz