Western Australians Growing Increasingly Keen To Buy Green

Recent research suggests Western Australians are becoming increasingly keen to buy green when it comes to apartments, with sustainability regularly considered alongside price and location.

A survey undertaken by the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, examining whether people in Perth are likely to buy into green developments highlighted that the usual criteria of affordability, location and size are now joined by the need for ‘sustainability characteristics’.

Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) Research fellow Jemma Green, who conducted the survey, said research indicated developments that include sustainability features attract more buyers.

“There’s a lot of supply in the market and consumers are tired of the same old, same old.

"We’ve seen that the developers providing a product that offer more in terms of sustainability better match consumer demand and the sustainable product is viewed as a premium product and more desirable,” Ms Green said.

One consumer buying green is social worker Jenny Marsh, who recently purchased a one-bedroom apartment off the plan at Evermore WGV, a Yolk Property Group development in White Gum Valley that will deliver 24 highly sustainable apartments powered by cutting-edge solar photovoltaics and lithium battery technology.

Evermore WGVMs Green said in a soft market or in tough economic times buyers like Ms Marsh become even more savvy and discerning.

“We’ve seen that consumers don’t want to buy a product that suits the developer and not themselves, they are looking for liveability as well as sustainability and they are willing to pay for it,” Ms Green said.

Evermore WGV interiorThe solar PV lithium battery technology utilised at Evermore WGV is forecast to produce approximately 80 per cent of the apartments’ required power (with strata fees injected into a strata body sinking fund to pay for any upkeep or upgrades to the technology) allowing residents to benefit from a saving on their electricity bills.

The Bioregional One Planet Living framework is being implemented at Evermore WGV to guide development and aid in a holistic and long-term approach to sustainability. In addition to the solar PV lithium technology and shared solar governance system at Evermore WGV, other initiatives include:

• Real-time measurement and recording of water and power consumption to ensure maximum energy-efficiency

• Site-wide bore water system to reduce potable water and use in landscape irrigation; electric vehicle charging point

• Compost tumblers, worm farm and veggie planters, and

• Bicycle repair station, and communal bicycles for resident’s use.