Sustainable design assessment

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If you are applying for a planning permit for a large building or a development, you need to provide a report on the sustainability of your design.

About sustainability reports

There are two types of report that assess your development’s sustainability initiatives:

This is for small/medium projects. Between 2 - 9 extra dwellings or development or alteration of a building between 500m² and 2000m².

This is for larger developments. Ten or more dwellings or development or alterations of a building of more than 2000m².

Your building or development will need a minimum 6-star rating under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme.

Knox City Council recommends using these Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) assessment tools:

Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard (BESS) for small to medium-sized buildings
Green Star – Design and As-Built for larger buildings (over 2,000m2 or 10 or more dwellings).

You can use:

These tools tell if your proposed development meets environmental performance standards.

They also suggest simple ways to reduce environmental impact and meet Council targets.

You must submit the outcome of your assessment with your SDA or SMP Report.

If your project is small to medium, you need to:

register your project on BESS and use it to help you reduce your environmental impacts
create an SDA Report describing how you'll use sustainability initiatives in your project
note or draw the major items on the plans (such as eaves, shade structures, bicycle parking and rainwater tank and rain gardens)
include any assessment reports (BESS and STORM or InSite Water) with your planning submission
make sure the project documentation and plans are consistent with the SDA Report.

The SDA Report will be endorsed as part of your final planning permit. It must be fully implemented in the final building.

If your project is larger, you need to:

register your project on the Green Star Design and As-Built tool and use it to help you reduce the environmental impacts
create an SMP Report describing how you'll use sustainability initiatives in your project. Talk with a sustainability professional if you need to
note or draw the major items on the plans (such as eaves, shade structures, bicycle parking and rainwater tank and rain gardens)
include any assessment reports (BESS and STORM or InSite Water) with your planning submission
make sure the project documentation and plans are consistent with the SMP Report.

The SMP Report will be endorsed as part of your final planning permit.

We'll check your application to make sure the sustainability aspects are consistent and meet Council’s standards.

If your development doesn't meet the standards, we won't endorse it.

Our planning enforcement officers will also check that you have implemented the initiatives when your project is finished.

Find more information in our:

The Your Home Technical Manual also provides useful information on sustainable design.

Contact Planning Services and we will get back to you.

Or call our Planning Services team on 9298 8000.