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Greenwashing: it’s a problem in the property industry. You know the places. They say they’re eco-friendly because there’s an option to include LED lights, all the while they are ploughing down trees and letting storm water run off into the nearest river.
If you’re looking to move somewhere where you’re really helping the environment, then we have you covered. These are the top five most environmentally-friendly developments in Queensland, included for the work they’re doing to improve the environment around them, the innovations that help residents keep costs down and look after Mother Nature, and their ongoing commitment to keeping it green.
443 Queen Street is a standout eco-friendly development. It’s exterior will be aesthetically pleasing, with the integration of large amounts of greenery throughout the design, but more importantly, the entire building is designed to ensure that every part of it is environmentally friendly. 443 Queen Street will be the first building in Australia to achieve a Green Plot Ratio (GPR) of 197%. The apartments are all designed to facilitate cross-flow ventilation through the breathable facade, as are the lobbies, foyers and car parks, which are not sealed spaces (which saves a massive amount of energy). There are gardens located on every floor, which, in conjunction with the natural daylight and air, will help reduce total energy consumption by up to 60%.
There are 264 one, two, three and four bedroom apartments at 443 Queen Street. Construction has now commenced, with completion due in late 2020. Prices start from $725,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.
Renovaré is a townhouse and apartment development located in Yeronga. The five-stage development has five UDIA Envirodevelopment leaves, and the ‘Community’ leaf was given to the development for the central recreational area all residents can access, with a pool and BBQ, community centre and garden, gym, and function spaces. The donation of 3,439 sqm of space to the local community (which is 20% of the total development) was another reason this leaf was granted to Renovaré. The ‘Ecosystems’ leaf was given to Renovaré due to its inclusion of the community garden, providing 20% extra green spaces for residents, making sure that all replanting was 90% Australian flora (with fast and slow growing species), and providing a storm water management plan.
The latest stage of Renovaré is Arboreti, which is currently under construction. The one, two, three, four and five-bedroom apartments are selling now, with prices starting from $409,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.
Minnippi is a large house and land estate located in Cannon Hill that has been over 20 years in the making. The main feature of the massive estate is the golf course, which, once complete, will be the first to be built in Brisbane in 70 years. Once complete though, there will be over 110 hectares of green spaces for residents and the public to access, which includes the aforementioned golf course, along with parklands, playgrounds, natural corridors and a lake/lagoon and tidal creek.
Developer Urbex received an Environmental Excellence award at the 2018 Queensland UDIA Awards night. This is due to the 110 hectares of open spaces, along with the decision to plant 80,000 native plants (to date), the removal of 30 hectares of lantana and other invasive weed species throughout the part of the estate that is currently under development, and the installation of nest boxes, fauna poles and monitoring cameras to protect the resident Squirrel Glider colony (which, once the development is complete, will have a habitat area that has doubled!).
Land is priced from $250,000, with individual house and land packages available on request.
Harmony Estate has achieved all six Envirodevelopment leaves by ensuring that almost every aspect of the estate helps the environment in some way. The Sunshine Coast house and land development will deliver 4,800 homes once complete, with 100 hectares of the total 378 dedicated to open space. The house designs on almost 70% of the lots throughout the development have been oriented to maximise the amount of sun, and therefore solar energy, that can be collected, whilst the storm water management system that runs throughout the entire estate is designed to minimise the environmental impact of storm water run-off.
Harmony was actually the first master-planned estate in South-East Queensland to receive accreditation for all six leaves. Lots range in size from 250 to 505 sqm, with prices starting at $228,500. House and land packages start at $402,448, whilst the new terrace homes are priced from $389,900.
Drift is well-known developer Mosaic’s newest entry into the Sunshine Coast apartment market. The 56-apartment project has received all six Enirodevelopment leaves for a number of reasons. The ‘Energy’ leaf was given for the inclusion of LED lighting — which has been shown to be 80% more energy efficient than traditional lighting options like incandescent and fluorescent lights — and the use of solar panels to power the common areas, which includes the pool, wine cellar, car park and recreation area. Drift was awarded the ‘Water’ leaf for the inclusion of shower and tap head designs that limit water consumption to less than six litres per minute.
The apartments are all designed to be low-maintenance, and there are two and three-bedroom apartments throughout the development. Prices start at $545,000, and construction is expected to be complete in November 2019.
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