Sustainable & Eco Living in Werribee
The natural environment plays a leading role in life at Harpley.
From the century old River Red gums we’re set to protect during construction to the storm water run-off that will be treated through a series of wetlands and harvested to refill Harpley’s extensive waterways, Harpley is a community leading the way in sustainable family living.
Harpley has been awarded 6 Star Green Star Accreditation
Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) December 2016
Lendlease’s Harpley community in Melbourne’s west has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star – Communities rating by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), making it the first 6 Star Green Star project of its kind in the burgeoning outer western suburbs.
The latest accolade for the highly successful project further strengthens Lendlease’s portfolio of Australia’s most sustainable residential communities including Alkimos Beach in Western Australia and Aurora in Melbourne’s north.
Managing Director of Lendlease’s Communities business, Matthew Wallace, said that the Harpley project was assessed against a holistic set of distinct social, environmental and economic benchmarks including governance, design, livability, economic prosperity, environment and innovation.
“Lendlease’s vision of creating the best places is underpinned by a commitment to plan for the next generation with a sense of purpose in mind, and its strong track record in delivering cohesive, socially connected, environmentally sustainable and innovative communities.
“Our ethos around sustainability within our communities is not only reflected in built form, but also how people use them every day.
“We are thrilled that the Green Star rating has recognised our strong investment in community infrastructure. This includes the development and restoration of the Harpley wetlands which features cycle paths, boardwalk and education about local flora, fauna and indigenous culture,” Mr Wallace said.
The Green Star rating also acknowledged Lendlease’s involvement in initiatives such as Greening the West, an innovative trial with City West Water that aimed to reduce the environmental impact of water services installation in community developments, along with Lendlease’s commitment to re-using rock and soil within the development.
To date, Harpley’s re-use of excavation materials has resulted in savings of more than 3050 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking 598 cars off the road for one year.*
Harpley’s range of living options – which supports diverse communities, addresses housing affordability and contributes to the aspiration of creating sustainable cities – was also recognised as a part of the Green Star assessment, as was the creation of a sales office using cross laminated timber.
“No other company has developed more 6 Star Green Star workplaces, urban regeneration projects and communities than Lendlease,” said the GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer Romilly Madew.
“Harpley demonstrates how place-making and sustainability intersect at the deepest level to create places that are good for people and good for the planet,” she said.
The Green Star – Communities rating tool is an internationally-recognised rating system that delivers independent verification of sustainable outcomes throughout the life cycle of projects. It is designed to assist governments, development project teams and contractors in their aim to deliver large scale sustainable developments around Australia.
Recycled Water
Did you know that recycled water is available for all new homes in Lendlease communities? This green initiative is a fantastic way for residents to save on water usage and assists with sustainability of our water sources especially in times of drought.
If you’ve seen the purple pipes around your community, then you know that more recycled water lines are being laid down in your neighbourhood for use in toilets, watering gardens and washing your laundry.
Don’t worry, the process is perfectly safe and recycled water is not used for the drinking water in your kitchen. Drinking water is treated to meet quality standards to ensure it is safe to drink.
How it works is that the water is initially captured and sent to a local treatment plant where it is filtered and tested. This is what is sent out to homes as drinking water.
Once that water washes down your sink, this wastewater is then piped to a plant for further treatment before it is sent back to your home for you to use in your laundry, bathroom and garden.
That means that recycled water, although not meant for human consumption, is also quality tested for safety for use in the home. It is also used for common shared areas in the community such as watering parklands and running fountains.
The Lendlease communities have been specifically designed with maximising recycled water usage in mind.
In Harpley the storm water wastage will be collected and redirected through the local wetlands. The entire Harpley community will then be irrigated using this recycled water so no precious drinking water is wasted.
This also encourages local wildlife and native birds to keep returning to Harpley as their home base – which is all part of a healthy and thriving ecosystem.
And to ensure there is no confusion about which water you should use at home, Harpley houses will be supplied with a separate purple tap and water metre including signage to clearly differentiate drinking water from recycled water.
So now when you flush your toilet or water your grass you know that you are helping the environment in your local community.
For more information read City West’s Recycled Water Fact Sheet.
Any other queries, please contact City West water
More information is available via:
Facebook: /cwwater
Twitter: @citywestwater
Website: citywestwater.com.au/westwyndham