Resources
If you’re struggling to find resources and guides tailored for sustainability and resilience in apartments, units, and townhouses, this page is your new best friend.
We’ll keep gathering and sharing relevant resources, stories, and case studies so you have a one-stop-shop.
If you’re looking for a place to start, we recommend the Unlocking Sustainable Strata guides:
Keep scrolling or select a topic to find more resources:
Energy | Transport | Waste and the Circular Economy | Water | Resilience, Safety, and Community | Other
And if you have a resource to share, please email it to hello@highlifeexpo.au.
Share your story
If you have a story of success or challenge within your apartment, unit or owners corporation, please click here to share it.
Have you or your owners corporation installed solar or EV charging, switched from gas to electric, started a shared garden, installed double glazing, improved recycling practices, run events to connect and grow community within your building, or anything else related to sustainability and resilience in apartments/units? If so, we’d love to hear about it!
Sharing stories of successes and challenges makes it easier for others to follow in your footsteps.
Guides & Information
Energy
Unlocking Sustainable Strata Guide to Electrification
Guidance to help transition to all-electric for both common areas and your home, be it an apartment or townhouse. Choosing the best electric products – whether it’s a new heater, cooktop, hot water system it can be confusing. This guide makes it simple by providing product recommendations. The benefits and considerations for each product have a rating of Best, Good, and OK.
Guide to Solar for Apartments
Solar for apartments can be trickier to set up than a single dwelling but it’s a great way to get to know your neighbours and share the process and benefits. The key is to get other residents and your body corporate involved early so that you can gauge the appetite for solar and work together to find out the best solution for your needs.
NABERS for Apartment Buildings tool
NABERS ratings for apartment buildings quantify your building’s energy and water performance. We give your building a rating from one to six stars, based on the energy use of shared services such as car parks, lobbies and gyms. Your water rating can include shared water use only, or all water use, dependent on your preference and metering. Download the NABERS for Apartment Buildings fact sheet.
Energy guide for apartment buildings
Many apartment buildings can cut electricity bills by a third, with low or no-cost solutions. The environmental, financial and social benefits of using less energy aren’t only significant for your building. The more energy efficient we all are, the more resilient our communities will be. The Energy Guide was developed by City of Sydney, however the insights are relevant for apartment buildings in Victoria.
Transport
Making your residential strata building Electric Vehicle (EV) ready
Guidance to help owners corporations plan for and install EV charging. While these materials have been prepared for NSW, where the strata legislation is different, the steps outlined are still relevant to Victorian buildings.
EV-ready buildings for owners corporations
The Victorian Government EV-ready buildings for owners corporations factsheet will help owners corporations through the process of installing EV chargers in multi-unit residential buildings, plus they provide a summary of definitions and considerations for EV charging.
Bicycle Parking Facilities: Guidelines for Design and Installation
Check out section 3.3.2 Multi-Dwelling Residential for guidance relevant to apartment buildings. The guide also includes photos of different bike parking solutions. You can also contact Bicycle Victoria for tailored bike parking guidance.
Waste and the circular economy
Waste and recycling in multi-unit developments (MUDs)
Sustainability Victoria has developed the Guide to Better Practice for Waste Management and Recycling in Multi-unit Developments to improve waste management practices and increase recycling in MUDs.
‘How to’ waste and recycling guides for multi-unit developments
Reground, with support from partner councils and Sustainability Victoria, has developed range of tailored guides:
Water
Water guide for apartment buildings
This guide explains where water is used, how it is metered and paid for, and what you can do to reduce water use in your building. The Water Guide was developed by City of Sydney, however the insights are relevant for apartment buildings in Victoria.
Resilience, Safety, and community
Meet your neighbours toolkit
A toolkit of resources for residents and building managers to support the creation of friendly and resilient apartment communities. The toolkit includes ideas, examples, and downloadable templates that can be used to help your building with your own projects, events and initiatives. Developed by Lane Cove and Willoughby councils (NSW), the ideas are still relevant to apartment communities in Victoria.
High-rise fire safety
The added dangers associated with evacuating a high-rise building mean it is critical to plan for and to know how to respond quickly and safely if there is a fire or other emergency. It is also vital to prevent a fire occurring in the first place. Fin our how you and your owners corporation can prepare on the Fire Rescue Victoria website.
Flood resilience strategies for apartment buildings
There are many practical flood resilience techniques that range in price and are suitable for most apartment building types. Following the Brisbane Floods, Brisbane Sustainability Agency has provided retrofit guidance for apartment buildings in flood prone areas. While these materials have been prepared for QLD, the advice is still relevant to buildings in Victoria.
How to: set up a resident communication channel
Creating a communication channel can make it easier for residents to discuss and improve recycling habits, share resources and strengthen the sense of community.
This short guide created by Reground will help you consider the best ways to communicate with and connect people who live and/or own in your apartment building.
Other
Owners Information - Strata Community Association (Vic)
SCA’s Owners Information page contains a range of resources and videos to help you understand strata and owners corporations.
Victorian Strata regulation
Consumer Affairs Victoria provides information about buying into and living in strata communities.
Victorian Owners Corporation Act 2006
This Act outlines how owners corporation systems must function in Victoria.
Residential Apartment Security Assessment for Owners Corporation Committee
This security assessment checklist from Victoria Police supports owners corporations to better control access, security and safety in apartment buildings.