A rating tool for developments at a precinct, neighbourhood or community scale
Why Green Star Communities?
By 2027, we can expect Australia to be home to over 28.3 million people, as much as 70% will be dwelling in our main capital cities.
How our towns and cities grow and take shape will have a major impact on our planet and its people. Those of us working in the property and construction industry have the opportunity to be able to shape the progress of our existing and future communities to make them better not just for people and the planet, but for business too.
Addressing sustainability and liveability issues at the precinct scale is an opportunity to deliver better built form which goes beyond the building and addresses other issues such as:
- public realm and amenity
- sustainable transport and walkability
- integrated water management
- place and community development
The Green Star Communities rating tool provides guidance on how you can develop precincts that consider these issues and in turn are healthy, resilient and positive places for people to live and work in.
Current version: Green Star - Communities v1.1, released 13/09/2016. For current users of v1, please see more information about transition timings to v2 here.
Upcoming version: Green Star Communities v2 Submission Guidelines are available for members to download for free from the resources portal. For non-members, they are available to purchase from the online shop.
Learn about Green Star Communities V2 in our advanced course
What types of communities can be Green Star certified?
Certification is available for a range of precinct typologies. Airports, university campuses, greenfield residential projects and mixed-use urban regeneration areas are just some of the kinds of precincts that have received a Green Star - Communities certification.
As of the end of 2024:
- 86 communities have been certified totaling 19,500 ha of Green Star - Communities certified
- 935,000+ people will live or work in a Green Star community
See some of our case studies below:
Introducing the next version of the tool: Green Star Communities v2
GBCA have been developing the next version of Green Star Communities as a part of our Future Focus Program, setting a new standard for creating great places to live, work, and play. Green Star Communities v2 focuses on practical, real-world solutions to create vibrant, low-carbon and healthy communities that are ready for the future.
- Built for the future - Uses the latest climate science to make sure precincts can adapt and thrive in a changing world.
- Flexible for different projects – Works for all kinds of developments, from residential neighbourhoods to mixed-use hubs, with a certification process that rewards progress at every stage.
- Strong connections between people and nature – Supports green spaces, biodiversity, and better urban design to make communities healthier, more liveable and more connected.
- Lower emissions, smarter energy – Prioritises fully electric, renewable powered developments to reduce carbon and running costs.
- Progress you can see – Tracks sustainability efforts at every stage, providing clear benchmarks to measure success and keep projects on track.
Nick Alsop, GBCA's Senior Manager of Buildings, Precincts & Homes explains the update below:
If you'd like to learn more, contact our Market Engagement team below.
Download the submission guidelines Request a briefing with our Market Engagement teamGreen Star Communities v2 is structured around eight holistic categories that are defined by a distinct outcome, including:
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Frequently asked questions
Download the Submission Guidelines from the Resources Portal online or reach out to the Market Engagement team for a briefing at meteam@gbca.org.au.
Registrations for Green Star Communities v2 will open in March 2025. Online submissions are expected late 2026, (subject to our online system development). if you wish to submit sooner than that, please contact the Market Engagement team to discuss at meteam@gbca.org.au.
Fees will be made available when we open for registrations in March 2025.
Green Star Communities v2 certification rewards what has been delivered in the precinct. This is to ensure Certification is robust and represents outcomes that have occurred, providing a strong level of assurance to customers, precinct users and project financiers. This aligns with other Future Focus rating tools. The Masterplanned assessment provides projects the opportunity to have their projects recognised early, and show they are on track to a certification. This allows them to promote to stakeholders their plans early in the project. The annual submission process supports this, by ensuring progress is tracked regularly towards their certification.
Projects using earlier versions do not have to upgrade, and can continue using the version of the tool they most recently certified/registered under. If you would like to upgrade, GBCA will support you through the process.
Sets new benchmarks
- Minimum Expectations replace conditional requirements, introduction of Climate Positive Pathway and star rating requirements for biodiversity enhancement
- Recalibrates what bets practice through to world leaderhsip looks like
Verfiies delivered outcomes
- Certification represents delivered results not future commitments
- Awarded once projects can demonstrate completed credit outcomes
Tracks progress
- Introduces annual Masterplanned assessment to acknowledge plans and progress towards long-term outcomes
- From 5 year certification cycle to simplified annual assessment
GBCA will be releasing a range of guidance documents to support those using Green Star Communities v2. This includes, but is not limited to,:
- Guidance on submitting for Masterplanned Assessment and Certification (when registrations open in March)
- Guidance on calculating precinct upfront carbon (first half of 2025)
- Guidance to support upgrading from earlier versions of the tool (first half of 2025)
- Guidance for government (second half of 2025)
Green Star - Communities v1
The Submission guidelines explain each credit's aims, criteria and compliance requirements, and offers additional guidance, background information and resources.
You can download the submission guidelines from the shop or the Green Star resources portal. GBCA members can access the Submission guidelines for free.
There will be a 12-month registration transition period for Green Star Communities v2, i.e., from the date that registrations open for version 2, registrations under version 1.1 will continue to be accepted for a further 12 months. Projects that register under an earlier version of the rating tool can upgrade to version 2 at any time but once upgraded, cannot revert to the previous version.
For projects registered under current or earlier versions of Green Star Communities, it is not mandatory to upgrade to version 2 when recertifying.
For any queries, please contact our Market Engagement team at meteam@gbca.org.au.