CIBSE ANZ’s Technical Advisor, Steve Hennessy and Regional Manager, Sharon Pestonji attended the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) meeting in Sydney, reaffirming our commitment to advancing sustainability and resilience across Australia’s built environment.
ASBEC plays a vital role in bringing together peak organisations from across the building sector—industry, government, and research—to advocate for policies that support a more sustainable, productive, and liveable built environment. Its collaborative efforts have driven progress in areas such as net zero buildings, resilience, sustainable housing, and building performance.
Guest speaker, Hon Paul Scully MP, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, introduced the NSW Housing Pattern Book—a bold initiative offering architect-designed low-rise housing plans for just $1. All in the aim of speeding up the delivery of new homes in NSW via affordable, easy to build and sustainable designs, said Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully.
The group also benefited from a refreshingly candid address from NSW Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment, James Griffin BA MP. He reaffirmed bipartisan alignment on net zero goals, emphasising that both government and opposition share a commitment to climate action—despite the political complexities behind the scenes.
Griffin spoke openly about the challenges of engaging constituents in the energy transition, highlighting the difficulty of cutting through fragmented news sources to communicate real progress and policy intent. His remarks offered valuable insight into the political realities of climate leadership and underscored the importance of clear, consistent messaging in building public trust and momentum.
For CIBSE and our members, being part of ASBEC means we have a stronger voice in shaping the policies that impact building services and sustainability outcomes nationwide. It also offers valuable opportunities to collaborate, share knowledge, and stay ahead of key regulatory and technological developments affecting our sector.
We are excited to rejoin ASBEC at a time of critical change and innovation and look forward to contributing our expertise to its future initiatives—working together to drive meaningful progress in Australia’s built environment.