Green Star FAQs

No. Whilst the intention is to have plants evenly distributed throughout the floorplate of a building, it is not a requirement that there be 500cm2 of soil surface area in every 10m2 of nominated area.  Compliance can be demonstrated by showing that the total percentage of soil surface area within each...

No, all apartments are not required to be tested for air-tightness in Green Star. Project teams may test a minimum of 10 dwelling units or 10% of the total number of dwelling units, whichever is greater as sample units to satisfy the Testing Area Requirements. The sample units selected must include: A representative...

The GBCA has no specific requirement as to when registered projects should submit for a Designed Assessment. Below is some guidance to help establish the best timing for your project. This supplements information provided in the rating tool Submission Guidelines.  Purpose A Designed Assessment (or Design Review under the Legacy rating tools)...

The GBCA recommends that, when a contractor, sub-contractor, consultant, or other party involved in a Green Star registered project is unable to complete project works or provide documentation for the Green Star submission due to insolvency or another unforeseen event, the project team should contact the GBCA as soon as...

Technical questions related to Innovation were previously marked as free of charge. However moving forward Innovation related technical questions will be charged the standard fees of $220 (excl. of GST) as per a technical question. The following is a list of all places in the rating tool where a technical...

Yes, in the Circular Economy Leadership Challenge, project teams may weight the chosen products against the total material cost associated with the project in lieu of the total project cost. This is on the basis that the Leadership Challenge focuses on the circularity of materials/products within a project therefore the alternate...

Yes, where credits in Green Star allow the use of carbon offsets the GBCA will accept electricity and nature based offset initiatives that have been certified by the standards and labels listed within the Carbon Positive Buildings and our Net Zero Ambitions document. For note, this list is not exhaustive...

Fixed Benchmark Pathway (22A) Projects teams delivering a Green Star rated Interiors project within a Green Star Design & As Built rated base building may aggregate the base building and fitout construction and demolition waste to determine the maximum waste allowance based on the combined GFA and NLA. Up to one (1)...

Yes. Projects may target one (1) point through 30B Market Transformation under Green Star - Design & As Built by conducting additional leakage diagnostics to document leaks found during testing, rectifying and reporting at least one major defect identified during air permeability testing to all stakeholders, in addition to targeting and...

Yes. Projects targeting the Exceeding Green Star Benchmarks for Indoor Pollutant innovation UItra-Low VOC Paints may use theoretical calculations to determine the grams of VOC per litre (g/L) in addition to the current methods of demonstrating that a paint, adhesive or sealant complies with this criterion. Total VOC (TVOC) values...

Yes. Projects pursuing certification under Green Star - Design & As Built, and Green Star - Railway Stations may target the 'Designing for Robustness' credit from the 2015 'BREEAM In-Use International' Technical Manual. One (1) point is available where all compliance requirements for the credit has been addressed and evidenced as per...

We’ve developed a short guidance document for project teams on what level of documentation is acceptable for Design Review – Green Star Design & As Built and Green Star – Interiors. This Design Review Guidance provides answers to common questions asked by project teams. The Guidance - Submitting for Design Review document is...

For the purposes of credit criteria - Stormwater Pollution Targets, project teams are only required to use independently verified performance certification for the equipment, where a treatment train that does not contain biological treatment is being used to achieve the Pollution Reduction Targets in column C of Pollution Reduction Targets...

The following guidance is provided for projects wanting to target the Soft Landings Framework innovation point in the Commissioning and Tuning credit.  Minimum Compliance  All compliance requirements as per Credit 2: Commissioning and Tuning must be achieved prior to pursuing the 'Soft Landings Framework Innovation credit'.   Documentation Requirements Design Review Submission Documentation to support how...

Yes. The GBCA requires evidence that the drawings supplied are as constructed, whether they have an ‘As Built’ stamp or not. 'For Construction' drawings are acceptable provided they are accompanied by formal confirmation from the head contractor or other relevant professional(s) that the For Construction drawings depict the site as-built...

Before achieving certification you can promote your Green Star registered project in writing, but cannot use the Green Star logo or Green Star certification trade mark. The Green Star certification trade mark can only be used once the project is certified. The Marketing and Style Guide explains how Green Star certified projects can...

In Regards to 19A - Life Cycle Assessment in Green Star - Design & As Built v1.2 the GBCA clarifies the following: 19A.1 – Comparative Life Cycle Assessment - Are exceeding benchmark points available for operational energy improvements beyond the three (3) capped points The GBCA clarifies that exceeding benchmark points can...

No. All supported documentation listed for each credit in the Submission Guidelines are suggestions only, unless specified otherwise. Alternate documentation to those listed can be used by project teams to demonstrate credit compliance if it adequately supports the claims made within the Submission Templates.

Documents can be referenced, rather than duplicated in credits, as long as the Submission Templates include both: hyperlinks to the relevant document(s); and references to specific page numbers within the document(s) which demonstrate compliance with the specific credit. Page numbers are likely to change for each credit submission, as appropriate to the credit compliance being demonstrated. Please note...

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) does not normally certify Green Star projects outside of Australia. If you believe your project should be considered as an exception circumstance, please complete an Eligibility query and provide details of your project and why this should be considered for Green Star certification. Alternatively, we...