Property owners told to get green
Property owners will be forced to have an energy efficiency rating attached to their buildings within months or risk facing hefty fines under a proposal by the Federal Government.
But landlords could slash waste and save thousands of dollars by having their buildings rated before the scheme becomes mandatory, according to Colliers International.
The national Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure scheme is being debated in Canberra. Apart from minor details, it has bipartisan support and is expected to start between October and December.
The scheme will make it mandatory for all commercial buildings with a net lettable area of 2000sqm or more, which are sold or leased to a potential purchaser, tenant or sub-tenant to have a registered Building Energy Efficiency Certificate.
The certificate will contain a NABERS rating from zero to five stars, based on the building's environmental performance in terms of energy, water, waste and the indoor environment.
A landlord could be fined up to $110,000 for every day they withhold this information. Some buildings, including retail premises, will not be included in the scheme, while new, strata or special purpose buildings could apply for an exemption.
Colliers head of sustainability and national director of real estate management Simon Cox said NABERS ratings were already available and landlords could save thousands of dollars through improved efficiency by getting a rating now.
He said a NABERS rating was about $3500 plus registration costs but it would quickly pay for itself through identifying "simple measures" to reduce waste, such as light sensors and different temperature settings for air conditioning systems during summer and winter.
"Each half a star in NABERS equals a 10 per cent improvement in energy consumption," Mr Cox said. "If you can get the 10 per cent or better shift in consumption by virtue of getting that rating, identifying some issues and shifting (the rating) up, it pays for itself."
He said in addition to these savings, a high rating would help retain and attract A-grade tenants.
"Government represents 25 per cent of the leasing marketplace in CBDs, including Perth, (and) most governments are requiring a 3.5 star or better base building NABERS rating for them to go and lease your building," he said.
"On top of that you're going to have some of the bigger corporates who are also going to have similar sort of standards mandated. You might be up to 40 to 50 per cent of the existing leasing pool excluded because you're not rating your building."
Mr Cox said only 22 properties in Perth's CBD, about 12 per cent, had a NABERS rating. This was far lower than Sydney, where more than 40 per cent of buildings were rated.
Despite the slow take-up, the latest addition to Perth's skyline, Cbus Property's $350 million development, one40william, is one of the greenest buildings in the city and was designed to receive a 4.5 star NABERS rating. <div class="endnote">
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