Sustainability Resource Kit- Managers
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Sustainability Resource Kit- Managers |
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This kit is intended to be used as a resource for CHO managers who hope to increase the sustainability of their existing stock, and also provides information to those developing new properties. The document focuses on resource efficiency measures to enhance the sustainability of properties. Contents
SUSTAINABILITY- WHY BOTHER?
As the poet Gary Snyder put it, “nature is not a place to visit, it is home”. This quotation sums up how the idea of living sustainably is not just an ethical or moral issue, but also a practical one. Our day-to-day actions and decisions impact on the world we live in, which then impacts back on us.
So, even if you have little moral or ethical interest in becoming more sustainable, reducing negative impacts on the environment still makes sense. Issues like climate change, dwindling oil supplies, and the ongoing drought are predicted to increase the cost of resources we rely on to survive, such as food and petrol. Smart metering, to be completely rolled out across Victoria by 2013, is also predicted to push the cost of electricity bills out of reach for many.
Any sort of manager, be it of a business, a club, or a CHO, needs to prepare and plan around such a future. As such, it is imperative that change comes early, before doing so becomes more difficult and expensive, and those most vulnerable to change cannot be adequately helped.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
The First Step to Sustainability…
The hardest part of any journey is taking the first step. This is certainly true of the journey toward sustainability, as it is often difficult to move from being ‘interested’ or ‘enthusiastic’ to making meaningful change.
Deciding on ‘aims’ or ‘outcomes’ is an important first step. For example, your organisation may want to ‘improve its environmental sustainability’. This an excellent starting point, but doesn’t necessarily provide any information about what outcomes the organisation aims to achieve for its members. For example would your organisation mainly like to:
While it may be possible to achieve a number of these outcomes through one action, this will not always be the case. For example, installing more efficient space heaters in properties may achieve all of the above outcomes, while installing rainwater tanks may have environmental benefits but only very minor cost savings. For this reason, it is very important that you prioritise which outcomes are most important to your organisation, as this will impact on which actions you choose.
But before deciding on actions, it is important to arm yourself with information and knowledge. Accumulate as much information about your properties and your tenants' perspectives as you can. For example, identify which properties are owned by the co-op and which by the Department of Housing? Which are old and un-insulated? Which can produce the greatest return from the smallest capital outlay?
Home sustainability audits are a useful way of obtaining this kind of information. In particular, they will provide information about the most effective ways to achieve your outcomes. For example, while ‘big ticket’ items such as solar panels may seem impressive, an audit may show that far cheaper measures, such as draft proofing and installing external blinds, may be more effective in achieving the outcomes you seek.
Thinking very carefully about outcomes should help your organisation use its effort and resources far more effectively. However, it may also be useful to set some solid goals to aim for and work towards.
One common approach to goal setting is the ‘SMART’ method. ‘SMART’ goals should be:
S Specific: Ensure the goal is very clear and gives detail M Measurable: Ensure outcomes and changes can be quantified to measure success A Agreed Upon: Everyone has to agree that the set goals are worthwhile achieving R Realistic: Make sure the goals are within the capabilities of the organisation T Time Based: Be sensible about how much time you allocate to achieving goals
Source: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html
An example of a ‘SMART’ long-term goal based on the aim of ‘achieving cost savings for tenants’ might be to ‘reduce tenant energy bills by 15% over the next three years’. Of course, your organisation would need to ensure that this is realistic given its specific circumstances. It is also sensible to set more incremental goals, which are goals for small steps toward a long-term goal. For example, carrying out sustainability audits might be one step on the road to the long-term goal of ‘reducing tenant energy bills by 15% over the next three years’. Therefore, a ‘SMART’ incremental goal may be to ‘have 4 sustainability audits carried out in the next 3 months’.
DESIGN ASPECTS FOR NEW BUILDINGS
CHOOSING ACCREDITED CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS
SOME IDEAS FOR PRIORITISING SUSTAINABILITY WORKS
Making sustainable improvements to properties can be very expensive for CHOs, so therefore it will rarely be possible to provide the same works for all of its properties. This is a challenging issue for many CHOs, as providing benefits to one tenant and not another may seem unfair. However, this shouldn’t be seen as a reason not to make any improvements to properties; rather, the following guidelines can be used to decide which properties should receive priority.
Properties that already need to repairs made to them may provide an extra opportunity to incorporate some sustainable improvements. For example, if a property’s electric space or water heater needs work then it may be worthwhile considering an upgrade to a gas model. The net cost of this upgrade may turn out to be surprisingly low, as the new model will have a warranty and hence cost nothing to maintain for many years.
Consider prioritising improvements that will make a genuine difference to tenants. For example, day rate water heaters are often a cause of large power bills, which is especially challenging for those on low incomes. Making upgrades of properties with these water heaters a priority not only has an environmental sustainability benefit, but also helps makes tenants’ lives easier.
Properties for which the co-op owns the title are more likely to be eligible for certain types of rebates (such as free roof insulation, and water heater upgrade rebates- for more details see ‘Rebates’). Therefore, it will typically be cheaper to make sustainable improvements to these properties first.
This kit is intended to be used as a resource for CHO managers who hope to increase the sustainability of their existing stock, and also provides information to those developing new properties. The document focuses on resource efficiency measures to enhance the sustainability of properties.
RECOMMENDED SUSTAINABILITY AUDITORS
There are various kinds of audit, and choosing an appropriate type will depend on a range of factors, including budget, type of building, and the kinds of issues you are hoping to identify. A highly detailed audit (often called a Level 3 audit) will typically involve engineers, and can cost up to $10,000. Such audits are typically required for larger, more complicated buildings, such as old mansions used as rooming houses. For more conventional buildings it is also possible to gain useful information from less thorough audits, providing they are still carried out by reputable providers. The following is a list of auditors who are well established:
It is also important to identify the best ways to get value for money from energy audits. If your CHO has only a very small budget to play with, consider organising audits for properties that best represent your housing stock. For example, if a large number of your properties are similar in age, size and type, an audit on one of these may provide useful information for the other properties like it. So, while all properties are unique in some way, you may still be able obtain useful information for all your properties through a small number of audits.
FUNDING SOURCES/REBATES
Given most properties in the community housing sector are owned by the Office of Housing, obtaining funding for retrofits and other sustainability measures can be challenging and frustrating. However, there are still options available. The following funding and rebate options are organised depending on the title status of properties:
If your organisation does not own the title:
If your organisation does own the title:
CHEAP & FREE NATIVE PLANTS FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS
Given the prolonged drought in Victoria, native plants are an excellent option for gardens. In addition, many native plant types are low-maintenance, making them especially appropriate for rented properties.
Community housing organisations should check out the Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-operative (VINC), which is based in Fairfield. VINC provides a wide variety of native plants to community organisations at either no charge or a nominal fee.
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