Green Star Buildings & Precincts

Green Star certification can be applied to building construction, performance of established buildings, fit outs, and community precincts. To date, 13 Green Star buildings for design and/or As-Built construction have been certified by the Green Building Council of Australia (opens in a new window) (GBCA), with plans for additional Green Star rate buildings currently underway.

As part of the Western Growth Strategy, the establishment of vertical CBD campuses, and the repurposing of campuses such as Werrington provides an opportunity for increasing engagement with Green Star Communities, with discussions with GBCA representatives underway.

Established and certified Green Star buildings include those developed within the established campuses and the new CBD campuses. These include Werrington Park Corporate Centre, buildings for the College (Nirimba, Milperra, Kingswood, and Lithgow), Macarthur Clinical School on Campbelltown Hospital, the Science Building at Parramatta, the Peter Shergold Building (Parramatta City), Ngara Ngura Building in Liverpool, the Parramatta Engineering Innovation Hub, Westmead Innovation Quarter, and Bankstown City campus.

Discussions are underway with GBCA as to opportunities relating to Green Star Communities accreditation for campus re-development. Western has contributed to Parramatta City Council's application for Green Star Community accreditation for the public domain of Parramatta Square.

• Penrith Sustainable Innovation Community

Accreditation is a formal process during design and construction, requiring the involvement of Green Star accredited consultants and auditing by GBCA leading to accreditation.

Green Star certification has evolved over time and from 2023 requires new project registrations to be Climate Positive as a requirement for 5 or 6 Star accreditation. Also, complementary rating systems such as WELL Certification (measuring and monitoring a building's impact on human health and well-being) are emerging, with submissions already underway on several buildings. The new Sustainable Buildings SEPP (the SEPP) (opens in a new window) will come into effect on 1 October 2023, and Western will be subject to the provisions of the SEPP for all non-residential development with requirements for measurement and minimisation of emissions, energy and water standards, and creation of net zero statements.

Western Sydney University's Bankstown City Campus project stands as a shining example of the University's commitment to sustainable building practices and water efficiency. This case study focuses on how the University applied and exceeded Green Star Standards to minimize water use, leading to the prestigious achievement of a 6 Star Green Star As Built v1.3 certification from the Green Building Council of Australia (opens in a new window).

Read more about Bankstown City Campus case study here.

Western is one of the leading universities in Australia for the number of Green Star building projects, shown in the table below.

Certified Green Star buildings can be found in GBCA's Green Star Project Directory (opens in a new window) using the associated Green Star number.

Green Star Communities represent a significant opportunity for Western to establish a benchmark for sustainable development in Western Sydney. The framework assesses the planning and construction of developments in relation to governance, design, liveability, economic prosperity, environment, and innovation.