TOOL NAME: Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy (STEPS)
OWNED/DEVELOPED BY: Moreland City Council
- Form of the CAT – whether it is a rating tool, strategic framework, guidelines etc. – and capacity to link with other tools.
STEPS is a voluntary, web-based rating tool (Excel spreadsheet format) for assessment of the environmental impact of existing and proposed residential developments, applied at planning application stage. Uses inputs from other tools – e.g. FirstRate, Moreland Greenlist.
- Governance/administration of the CAT – its purpose and the organization behind it, the jurisdiction or scale of influence/application.
Developed and administered by Moreland City Council – currently in pilot phase, eventually intended to be implemented by way of a Local Planning Policy in the Moreland Planning Scheme. No public information on extent of usage in pilot phase. Aim of tool is to encourage reductions in GHG emissions (per resident) and reducing water use.
- Sector or phase of development to which the CAT is applicable – e.g. planning, design, construction – residential, commercial, infrastructure etc. – including capacity to influence urban renewal and retrofitting outcomes.
STEPS awards scores for five elements relating to sustainability in residential construction – greenhouse emissions from operating energy, peak energy use, mains (drinking) water use, stormwater quality impacts and building materials impacts. It also provides a calculation of number of bicycle spaces required and areas needed to provide for waste recycling services.
Target scores for each element are specified based on improving current practice – e.g. percentage reduction in energy use against average usage over past 20 years – (part of pilot process is testing how realistic these target scores are). Capacity for influencing urban renewal and retrofitting outcomes limited due to voluntary nature of tool application and building-only focus.
- Ability to promote systems thinking – how well the CAT encompasses and integrates the component factors and measures of urban sustainability.
Tool is weak in this regard – the ‘scorecard’ structure does not encourage appreciation of interrelated dynamics of sustainability parameters. Range of indicators limited, and weak in relation to landscape functionality & performance. Residential building-specific focus only, centred on reducing energy and water use.
- Capacity to inform design decisions – how well the CAT is able to derive and test alternative design strategies to inform decision-making.
Poor capacity in this regard, due to ‘scorecard’ structure. Facility to derive and test alternative design strategies not incorporated in the tool.
- Capacity to encourage collaboration – how effectively the CAT integrates input from multiple stakeholders in the context of its implementation and use.
Not apparent in either development or application of the tool.
- Adaptability of the CAT to differing local environmental contexts
Tool is “equipped to be used by other Melbourne metropolitan councils”, but currently references location-specific targets and indicators.
- Ability of the CAT to drive innovation in urban planning and development.
Unable to assess on current information.
- Flexibility of the CAT to adapt and evolve over time to changing understanding and measures of urban sustainability – including review processes and systems for ongoing monitoring, evaluation and reporting of outcomes.
Unable to assess on current information.
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