The multi award-winning community of Alkimos Beach, which received Western Australia’s first six-leaf accreditation under the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s prestigious EnviroDevelopment scheme in 2012, has obtained re-accreditation in all six ‘leaves’ under the program in 2020.
To achieve an EnviroDevelopment rating, a project must meet rigorous criteria and achieve a minimum number of credits in at least one of six categories or ‘leaves’ of Energy, Water, Community, Ecosystems, Materials and Waste. The more leaves a development has been awarded, the more sustainable initiatives it is implementing.
Lendlease General Manager of Development in Western Australia, Anthony Rowbottam said that the re-accreditation was a truly outstanding result that demonstrated Alkimos Beach’s progress and commitment to delivering a sustainable coastal master-planned community of global significance that is moving towards carbon-neutral living.
“Ultimately these independently verified certifications make it easier for purchasers to recognise and select more environmentally sustainable communities such as Alkimos Beach,” he said.
Research shows buyers continue to look for genuinely sustainable places to live, not just for the health and wellbeing benefits EnviroDevelopment communities deliver, but also for the savings in household running costs year-on-year.
“Environmental design standards at Alkimos Beach are consistently proving to deliver lower energy and water bills for our residents,” he said.
“Residents participating in our eco coaching programs generally find their energy consumption is 45 per cent lower than typical Perth homes and water consumption is 50 percent lower.”
Mr Rowbottam said that when Alkimos Beach achieved its first accreditation in 2012, it was a major coup as it reflected DevelopmentWA’s and Lendlease’s vision for achieving a new benchmark in sustainable living while carefully balancing the superb natural environment with a progressive yet affordable development.
“Since then we have maintained our commitment to the program to demonstrate and have it independently verified by the Urban Development Institute of Australia, one of Australia’s peak industry bodies, that we deliver on the aspirational commitments we made at the start of the development.”
DevelopmentWA chief executive officer Frank Marra said “The WA state government want to encourage sustainability in the property industry by promoting green programs, technologies, design practices and operations. Enviro-developer accreditation is more than just a pat on the back for developers. It demonstrates commitment to best practice in designing and delivering the communities of the future.”
Alkimos Beach earned its EnviroDevelopment accreditation with nation-leading sustainability initiatives that contribute to a smarter and more efficient way of living including an Energy Smart Home Package, a community battery storage trial plus a strong commitment to environmental education and behaviour change by development partners Lendlease and DevelopmentWA as demonstrated through the delivery of an extensive behaviour change program with tailored eco-coaching and educational workshops and material.
There are now more than 2,000 residents currently living at Alkimos Beach who have also benefited from early establishment of amenities including the Sprout community hub, two schools, the Gateway shopping precinct, one of WA’s fastest growing Surf Life Saving WA surf clubs, and a true outdoor lifestyle enabled by an extensive network of walking and cycling paths and beautiful parks.
UDIA’s EnviroDevelopment program has been guiding and certifying development projects for over 14 years – with more than 190 projects certified across Australia.