Understanding The Basics of BASIX Certification

by Ian Fry Energy Assessments Services

In order to build a property in NSW, you have to comply with something called the BASIX certification. In this article, some details have been furnished regarding BASIX and how it works.

The Building Sustainability Index was introduced on 1st July, 2004 by the New South Wales Government. This certification has delivered equal and effective water and greenhouse gas reductions across NSW. Basix is implemented under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

This certification is mandatory for all the residential buildings and is a part of the development application process in NSW.

The objective of BASIX assessment is to determine whether or not your proposed property meets the BASIX targets, which are based on the NSW home benchmark average. It requires all new dwellings to be designed and built to achieve a 40% reduction in water consumption and in greenhouse gas emissions compared to an average dwelling without BASIX certification.

A BASIX certificate identifies the sustainability features required to be included into the building design. These features include:

Recycled water

Rainwater tanks

AAA rated shower-heads and taps

Native landscaping

Heat pump

Solar water heaters

Gas space heaters

Ceiling insulation

A BASIX certificate forms a part of the documentation needed to submit to council when applying for a development application in NSW. All the following constructions need BASIX certification:

Single dwellings

Dual occupancy dwellings

Villas

Townhouses

Single unit and multi unit developments

Swimming pools or outdoor spas with water capacity greater or equal to 40,000 litres

Boarding and lodging houses

Changes in BASIX:

The following changes have been made to the BASIX protocol since July 2017:

10% increase in energy targets for low-rise units and houses

5% increase in energy targets to high-rise units

BASIX and NatHERS:

BASIX is a NSW Government initiative whereas NatHERS is a national scheme. The objective of BASIX is to improve the environmental sustainability of residential developments. It fixes standards for compliance in the areas of water, thermal and energy. On the other hand, NatHERS involves the thermal assessment of a development by generating energy rating. These ratings from NatHERS can further be used for thermal section of BASIX. The positive side of NatHERS is that its assessment is much more intense and thorough, accurate and flexible, compared to BASIX thermal tool.

These are some basic information about BASIX certification and why it is needed. If you are planning to build a property in NSW, then be sure to get it checked by professionals and comply with the BASIX protocol.