As sustainability continues to be the focus of urban real estate development in Australia, understanding planning frameworks and assessment tools has become indispensable. Whether you are a real estate developer or a designer, understanding Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD), Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA), and Sustainability Management Plans (SMP) ensures your project meets council expectations and contributes to sustainable housing in the country. 

In this article, we will break down these seemingly complex abbreviations, explain their differences, and tell you how they fit within the local planning process. 

What is ESD (Environmentally Sustainable Design)?

Environmentally Sustainable Design, or ESD, is a sustainability framework that focuses on minimising the environmental impact of buildings and enables you to build a more sustainable home. 

Here is what ESD typically focuses on:

• Indoor environmental quality 
• Energy efficiency 
• Water efficiency 
• Stormwater management 
• Building materials 
• Waste management 
• Building management 

Several local councils in Australia now demand a comprehensive report (SDA and SMP) based on ESD principles for small to large-scale construction projects. Victoria amended clause 15.01- 2s in the Planning and Environment Act of 1987  ensure that builders and architects include ESD principles in their plans. 

Remember that you don’t need these reports if you are building a single dwelling, but it is required once you want to build two or more dwellings. The reports based on ESD principles (ESD itself isn’t a report; it is a set of principles that guide reports) are called the SDA (Sustainable Design Assessment) and the Sustainable Management Plans (SMP). 

SDA: Sustainable Design Assessment (1-9 Dwellings)

The SDA is a formal report submitted with planning applications for small-scale developments, usually between 2 and 9 residential dwellings. For non-residential buildings, SDA is mandated when the gross floor area (GFA) is between 500 m² to 1000 m². 

The goal of this report is to demonstrate compliance with ESD principles. While less detailed than an SMP, SDA still addresses many key areas, such as:

• Energy efficiency (often supported by NatHERS energy rating) 
• Water conservation (via rainwater tanks or efficient fixtures) 
• Indoor environmental quality (natural light and ventilation)
• Waste management during and after construction 
• Sustainable transport access (bike storage, EV charging, and more)

SMP: Sustainability Management Plan (10+ Dwellings) 

For domestic developments with 10 or more dwellings or commercial buildings with over 1000 m² or over 4 storeys, councils require a more comprehensive report in the form of the Sustainability Management Plan (SMP). It is a detailed document that provides a robust analysis of how the development will meet or exceed ESD performance targets. It covers everything in SDA, but on a large scale, and also includes:

• Energy and daylight modelling 
• Waste minimisation strategies 
• Life Cycle assessments of materials 
• Long-term management and monitoring plans

For commercial buildings, you also need daylight assessments and facade insulation and glazing calculations. 

Tools for SDA and SMP: BESS and STORM  

The SDA and SMP reports usually rely on two crucial tools:

1. BESS (Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard)

BESS is an online assessment tool that focuses on the following areas:

• Management 
• Water 
• Energy 
• Stormwater 
• IEQ
• Transport 
• Waste
• Urban Ecology 
• Innovation 

After assessing a development through BESS, you get a scorecard that shows how sustainable it is and identifies areas of improvement. Like BASIX in New South Wales, BESS is the standard tool in Victoria to gauge dwelling sustainability.

Developed by the Victorian Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE), it has replaced STEPS (Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance Strategy) and SDS (Sustainable Design Scorecard), which were used for residential and commercial buildings, respectively. 

2. STORM Water Assessment 

STORM is a government-approved calculator developed by Melbourne Water that evaluates the effectiveness of proposed Water Sensitive Urban Designs (WSUD) measures. Users input the details about impervious surfaces and select from the various WSUD treatment options:

• Rainwater tanks 
• Rain gardens 
• Ponds 
• Wetlands
• Infiltration systems
• Buffers 
• Swales 

The calculator then assesses whether the proposed treatments meet the best practice targets for stormwater quality and gives a STORM score, ranging between 0% and 100%. A score of 100% indicates that the development fully complies with the required standards. 

ESD vs. SDA vs. SMP 

Design Sustainable Buildings with PassivEnergy 

Australia is moving really fast towards a sustainable future, and property development is at the forefront of it all. As an architect and developer, it is up to you to keep pace with these advancements and design future-proof buildings. PassivEnergy is here to help you by creating high-quality and detailed SDA, SMP, and WSUD-based reports. 

We have a highly experienced team that is at the cutting edge of building innovation. Dedicated to building a green future, our professionals are proficient with tools like BESS, STORM, NCC, and many more. 

Get in touch today on the phone or by email and let’s build a green future together.