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Hume opens five star green building

In July, Hume City Council opened one of Australia’s greenest office buildings, setting the bar high for all future Local Government and business multi storey office buildings.

Located in Melbourne’s west, Hume City Council’s new Municipal Office at Broadmeadows is six storeys high. It provides a single, comfortable working environment for Council’s 396 administration staff, who were previously located in four different locations.

Hume Mayor, Councillor Gary Jungwirth, said the five star Green Star Design Rated building is one of the most environmentally progressive in Australia.

“Hume City Council’s new $23 million Municipal Office is not just an iconic ‘green’ building, it is part of our vision for the City,” he said. “It brings us another step closer to transforming Broadmeadows and creating a world class city.

“Cutting edge, environmentally sensitive design is a key feature of the building, making it up to 70 per cent more energy efficient than our previous two offices. It will also reduce our water consumption by 57 per cent.”

These environmentally friendly features, as well as bringing staff into the one location, are expected to deliver cost savings to the community of between $750,000 and $1 million each year. Locating staff mainly in one building has reduced travel costs, improved productivity and eliminated duplication of operation and maintenance costs.

The following features enabled the building to obtain its five star rating:

• the building is oriented to make maximum use of solar energy for heat, light and shade
• rainwater is harvested on the roof and is being used to flush toilets
• the design incorporates energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling
• solar panels have been installed to generate electricity
• greywater from sinks and showers is being recycled and used to irrigate the gardens
• a new waste and recycling system has been installed, which incorporates recycling, organics and garbage, so Council can reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill by approximately 80 per cent.

The new Municipal Office is also central in Council’s plan to develop Broadmeadows into a transit city and kick start the Broadmeadows Transit City Masterplan, Council’s guide to building a better future for Broadmeadows.

“Strategically located next to Hume Global Learning Centre, the Broadmeadows Shopping Centre, railway station and the Town Park, the new building will stimulate activity, attract businesses and other investors and lead to more jobs for local people,” Mayor Jungwirth said.

The newly completed Municipal Office also highlights Council’s customer service focus, with newly refurbished customer service centres easily accessible for all residents.