Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I support this quirky motion moved by the member for Moreton. As we attack many of the environmental problems that confront our nation, especially our metropolitan areas, we should look at ideas like this. It is appropriate, as the member for Moreton indicated, that we should be debating this matter, where we see an exemplar of a green roof covering this building, even though it used to be thought of as an architectural artifice. One thing we need to consider is the potential to look at spaces that make up the roofs of our cities. We need to look at the examples we see in cities such as Toronto and those mentioned in the motion to see what can be achieved. We also need to give due credence to what Australia can do.

For instance, I think it is important that we look at Australian native plants and the various Australian xerophytes that could be used, because they are not as dependent upon water as other species. We could then use our great mechanical and engineering knowledge to overcome some of the problems that have already been outlined in the debate about weight upon roofs and things such as that. The development of appropriate membranes and appropriate filtration systems is well within the capacity of Australian thinkers.

Another concern has been raised in this debate. I go back to my experience during the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage inquiry into sustainable cities. One thing we need to do is sit down with the states and territories to achieve a set of building codes that take into account the potential that arises for these types of environmental aspects. The codes are completely silent on that. That should not be used as part of a blame game in pointing our fingers at the states and territories. It needs to be seen as an add-on. Once you do that as an add-on, we then have to sit down with the building industry and think of innovative ways in which we can decrease the cost to people. That will be used as an argument for these not to be built into codes. The Australian government and the parliament can play a role by having a debate such as this to encourage people to look at these ideas.

The Australian community foods alliance appeared before the sustainable cities inquiry. They were looking at encouraging the use of green roofs in Australian cities for food production. You have this complete development—the add-ons—and also the psyche, the fact that gardens have been replaced by buildings which, in turn, can be replaced by the use of building spaces. We see a lot of innovative developers throughout our major cities that indeed see the positive aspect of this and can use it as a marketing tool. We see such developments as the Mirvac development in Melbourne, the Four Tower Yarra Edge development, where a green roofscape has been created using a combination of native grasses, crushed recycled glass and decorative pebbles and things like that. They create an atmosphere in which people can relate to the environment that they are living in and that adds to the sustainability. Mention is made of triple bottom line reporting not only for businesses but with respect to the way our cities work. One of the great things that we should be talking about in any idea like this is the social consequences. We can talk about the environmental consequences, and I think people can understand that: if you make green spaces using the roof. We can look at the economic benefits because that, in turn, reduces the cost of insulation and the like.

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