Policy Snapshot - October 2020

Last week, the Government delivered a budget to accelerate Australia’s recovery from the economic effects of COVID-19. Much has been written and said about the sizeable investment it makes in regrowing our economy, with multi-billion-dollar investments in transport infrastructure, incentives for businesses and tax cuts to boost consumer confidence and drive spending. 

While Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) supports the scale and importance of these stimulus measures, our response notes that much work is left if we want to secure long-term growth and liveability. We have long argued for a recovery that delivers for our communities and the environment – one that seizes the opportunities found in high performing, sustainable buildings and infrastructure. This means leveraging more public value from the investments which we saw announced in the Budget, and from the projects which are being fast-tracked in every State and Territory. With the built environment deeply integrated into the fabric of our economy, more and better buildings means more growth, more jobs and more liveable and prosperous communities.

Kind regards,

Sandra Qian
Senior Manager – Policy and Government Relations

Election advocacy in QLD and ACT

In the lead up to elections in Queensland and the ACT, we have directed its advocacy efforts to improving the built environment sustainability platforms of contesting parties. 

For both jurisdictions, we have identified key opportunities that would work within existing frameworks to complement current policy initiatives. 

Recommendations include:

• leveraging social infrastructure to support economic “bounce back” and broader environmental outcomes
• supporting residential and commercial building energy efficiency through co-funding upgrade schemes
• leading by example by upgrading government buildings.

We look forward to continuing our efforts to encourage the adoption of these policies that would support emissions reductions and drive economic stimulus.