In a landmark moment for New Zealand’s built environment, the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has officially launched the NABERSNZ Water tool — the first expansion of the NABERSNZ rating system beyond energy since its introduction in 2014.
The milestone was celebrated alongside sustainability leaders and property professionals at an event in Auckland this week.
“This is a pivotal moment for NABERSNZ and for sustainable building operations in Aotearoa,” says NZGBC Chief Executive Andrew Eagles.
“For the first time, we’re expanding the scope of NABERSNZ to include water — one of our most precious resources that is increasingly under pressure. When we save water we save carbon and we reduce infrastructure costs. This tool empowers building owners to take meaningful action, backed by data and independent verification.”
Each year over 150 office buildings use the NABERSNZ tool to benchmark their energy performance. Now, with the addition of the NABERSNZ Water tool, businesses and property managers can assess and benchmark their water efficiency in a consistent, transparent, and independently verified way. Importantly, it helps building owners and managers identify leaks, reduce wasted water, and improve resilience — all critical steps in managing one of our most precious resources.
Bringing the NABERSNZ Water tool to market has been a multi-year effort led by NZGBC in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), industry stakeholders, and technical experts. The development process included adapting the NABERS Australia methodology to New Zealand’s unique climate, infrastructure, and regulatory context, ensuring the tool is both rigorous and locally relevant. The tool was also piloted by pioneering industry leaders Precinct Properties receiving NABERSNZ Water ratings for Charles Fergusson Building, 38 Bowen Street (4.5 stars), Defence House, 34 Bowen Street (5 stars), and 8 Tangihua Street (5 stars), and Argosy who achieve ratings for global award-winning 8 Willis Street (5.5 stars) and 105 Carlton Gore Road (5 stars).
“The launch of NABERSNZ Water is a direct response to industry demand,” says Bobby Shen, Senior Manager for Existing Buildings at NZGBC.
“It reflects our commitment to supporting better building performance across all resource areas — not just energy. This is about future-proofing our buildings and making sustainability the standard, not the exception.”
Upskilling for professionals and Assessors
With the NABERSNZ Water tool now live, assessors can begin offering ratings for office buildings, and training is underway to support their upskilling. A follow-up webinar on July 2 will provide technical guidance and outline how assessors can integrate the new tool into their practice.
As New Zealand continues to raise the bar for sustainable building performance, the expansion of NABERSNZ signals an important step forward - one that aligns with global best practices and responds to the urgent need for smarter resource management.