Fire stations in Melbourne are set to become more sustainable, with a specially-developed Green Star rating tool enabling Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB) to gain Green Star certifications for new fire station developments.
MFB has worked closely with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) to develop the first custom-built Green Star rating tool for fire stations in Australia.
GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew said the Metropolitan Fire Brigade is setting new benchmarks for sustainability in the emergency services sector.
The MFB’s Chief Executive Officer Nick Easy said new tool goes to the heart of what the brigade's corporate policies are seeking to achieve, that is to make fire stations more productive and environmentally and financially more sustainable in the long term.
"We look forward to sharing the benefits of the tool with our Victorian and Australian emergency services partner organisations,” Easy said.
MFB’s environmental leadership co-ordinator, Caroline van Oosterom, said the tool will not only green new fire stations, but identify standard ecological sustainable design (ESD) initiatives that can be embedded into major renovations.
The MFB now has exclusive use of its Green Star – Custom rating tool, and will be
registering a new fire station project to achieve a Green Star rating.
MFB collaborated with architecture firm Spowers and engineering firm Murchie Consulting on the tool.
Spowers’ managing director, Ros Magee, said the operational requirements of the MFB are unique and the Customised tool will help the MFB design and deliver fire stations that are
energy and water efficient, minimise greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption, feature environmentally-sustainable materials and provide healthy and productive spaces with good indoor environment quality.
To date there are almost 500 Green Star rated buildings around the country.
Romilly Madew
