- The average wait time will be halved for those that submit a Life Cycle Assessment with the residential development application.
- LCAs will be subsidised, to a maximum of $200.
- A free one-hour consultation with a member of Vincent’s Design Review Panel is also being offered.
One local government in Western Australia will halve the average time for a home to be assessed if it meets certain green credentials.
The City of Vincent has launched a GreenTrack priority assessment service for residential development applications.
GreenTracked applications will be assessed within 10 working days, whereas the average application time is 20 working days.
Designed to encourage the construction of more energy and resource-efficient homes with environmentally sustainable design principles, applicants who submit a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with any single house and grouped dwelling proposal will be able to have the application prioritised.
“We are thrilled to be the first local government in Australia to introduce a GreenTrack service,” said Mayor Alison Xamon.
“This will have a huge impact on our sustainability footprint in residential areas and help tackle climate change at a local level.”
The City of Vincent said it will subsidise the cost of obtaining a Life Cycle Assessment, to a maximum of $200, to further incentivise more efficient buildings across the local government area.
“Getting this right at the beginning will save time and money during construction as fewer expensive add-ons will be required to achieve performance targets,” said Mayor Xamon.
“This is in addition to a lifetime worth of financial savings for residents who live in a comfortable energy and water-efficient home.”
Among other green initiatives from the local government include a free one-hour consultation, for applicants, with a member of the local government’s Design Review Panel.
“This builds on our work in the Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) space over the past decade, where we’ve supported people in their journey to build energy and resource-efficient homes with minimal impact on the environment,” said Mayor Xamon.
The move aligns with the City’s Enhanced Environment and Sensitive Design priorities in the Strategic Community Plan 2022-2032.
“Back in 2017, we introduced an updated Policy 7.1.1 – Built Form, which includes requirements for landscaping such as tree canopy cover, plants, deep soil zones and environmentally sustainable design elements such as solar panels,” said Mayor Xamon.
“Our Policy 7.5.10 – Sustainable Design also outlines the key elements for homeowners, developers, and builders in constructing and renovating buildings in a more sustainable way.”
