Australia's first university to commit to achieving a Green Star – Communities rating is on track to achieving its goal.
The University of Melbourne's Parkville Campus is seeking campus-wide sustainability with the project covering 66 hectares and 159 buildings.
The university already has three Green Star-certified projects, including the Faculty of
Business and Economics, the new Melbourne Brain Centre and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infectionand Immunology.
Vice-chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis said students, like academics, increasingly consider the environmental significance of their choices.
"We hope a Green Star – Communities rating will signal to prospective students and staff that we are serious about our belief in innovation and investment in sustainability and the future," Davis said.
Green Star – Communities is an independent, national rating tool developed by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) to support the design and delivery of more sustainable, productive, resilient and liveable communities.
GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew said the rating will enable the university to not only minimise its environmental impact, but also create a learning environment that is efficient, healthy, productive and resilient – and one which supports the next generation of leaders.
The University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus will be assessed against best practice benchmarks for liveability, prosperity, environmental sustainability, design excellence, governance and innovation.