Bluewattle, Defence Housing Australia’s (DHA’s) residential development in Townsville, is the first Queensland project for the innovative developer to receive the esteemed EnviroDevelopment green tick of approval from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA).
Bluewattle has been recognised for its outstanding performance across all six leaves – Ecosystems, Waste, Energy, Materials, Water and Community. Of specific note was the effort and commitment DHA displayed in regards to ongoing community engagement in the suburb.
DHA’s vision for the 98 hectare residential development in the suburb of Rasmussen in Townsville is to create a sustainable, integrated community which enhances the existing community by implementing a masterplan that is responsive to the social needs of residents.
“At DHA we strive to be innovative in our approach to building not just houses but communities. We’re committed to making purposeful developments that are suitable for the community in which they are situated and serve not just the residents of today, but those of the future as well,” DHA Managing Director Peter Howman said.
“Bluewattle underpins two of DHA’s core objectives: to build communities - not just houses, and to be at the forefront of innovative building design.”
Chair of the National EnviroDevelopment Board of Management, Brent Thomas commended DHA on its commitment to community engagement and its respectful and innovative reinvigoration of the surrounding natural environment at Rasmussen.
“DHA’s ability to capture the spirit of the region and apply it to the built environment is a great accomplishment; one that will have a positive effect on the residents and surrounding communities now and for years to come,” Mr Thomas said.
“At the heart of DHA’s development was the need to respectfully integrate the social needs of the community into their design and I believe they’ve done a terrific job of accomplishing this vision,” he said.
EnviroDevelopment projects have met stringent standards set by an expert panel including experienced ecologists, town planners, engineers, architects, lawyers, economists and developers.
Bluewattle captures the essence of the development, representing the suburb’s evolution into a reinvigorated space where the community, natural and built environment work in harmony. It also pays tribute to the Mt Stuart butterfly population, signifying new beginnings, positive change and growth.
Civil construction for the first three stages has already been completed and this Sunday (10am to 1pm) marks the community launch of the development.
ENDS
Background:
An initiative of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Qld), EnviroDevelopment is a comprehensive national rating tool, offering third party verification of the sustainability outcomes of built environments. The tool certifies eligible developments across six key elements (or ‘leaves’) of environmental sustainability:
- Ecosystems
- Waste
- Energy
- Materials
- Water and
- Community
The unique marketing tool allows developers to proudly advertise the outstanding environmental outcomes they have achieved in their projects.
EnviroDevelopment has been created to assist in the uptake of sustainability measures throughout all aspects of the development process and across all development types, including residential, retail, commercial and industrial, as well as mixed-use developments. Its purpose is to mainstream, through awareness, more sustainable development, beyond display projects.
Since the public launch of the system in October 2006, EnviroDevelopment has been successful in growing awareness of sustainable development amongst developers, associated professionals, government agencies and consumers and provided recognition to exemplary projects. To date, more than 75 projects have been certified nationally including DHA developments AE2 in NSW and Breezes in the NT.
For media enquiries contact:
Sarah Tyrrell, National Manager Marketing on 0414 753 280 or sarah.tyrrell@dha.gov.au