SBN award winner urges target 100,000 homes be 6+ Homestar rated
Bob Burnett has won the Sustainability Superstar Award at the 2017 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards held in Auckland on 30 November.
The NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards are New Zealand’s longest-standing sustainability awards. Now in their 15th year, they recognise and celebrate success in sustainability.
The Sustainability Superstar Award, sponsored by Westpac, celebrates a person who inspires and leads others to make a difference. It is presented to someone who has gone above and beyond to bring about sustainability change, either within their organisation or in the wider community.
The judges said “Bob is an ardent advocate for energy efficient and sustainable building design. He has shown tireless commitment for 20 years to create better places for the people of New Zealand”. “Having designed and funded the development of New Zealand’s first 10-star Homestar rated homes, he has busted the myth that green building is expensive. Having also founded the Superhome Movement, the judges were impressed with his selfless efforts to normalise energy efficient, sustainable homes through open source sharing of new technologies, design innovations and building techniques. He is a real influencer in the sector.”
Bob Burnett has urged the Government to make the NZ housing build target closer to the standard of houses in Europe, Japan and North America. Currently NZ has no targets for sustainability but other countries do. Eg. France 2020 ‘net zero energy’ Japan 2020 for commercial buildings and 2030 for homes etc.
“Building houses for New Zealander’s is a priority, but building to the low standards in the current building code is not going to work. Houses that are built to the standards similar to overseas nations are warmer, safer and healthier and needn’t cost much if anything more than current houses IF we adopt modern construction standards for the get go”, said Bob Burnett.
“Houses are required last at least 50 years so ones we build now will be there in 2068 and beyond. There is no excuse for building poor quality code minimum houses, harnessing future generations to a lifetime of massive power bill and health problems. The homes we build today will impact our children and grandchildren. We can easily build proper decent houses and its financially positive, so lets do it.”