The South Australian State Government’s redevelopment of the old Mitsubishi site at Tonsley has been granted the 6 Star Green Star – Communities certification.
Awarded by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), The Green Star – Communities rating tool is one of the world’s first independent, transparent, national schemes able to assess and certify the sustainability of community-level projects.
“Tonsley’s 6 Star Green Star accreditation is an unprecedented milestone for the South Australian building industry,” said South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis.
“Tonsley is Australia’s only urban renewal development to achieve this level of certification and is a testament to the world-class design principles which have guided the redevelopment of the former Mitsubishi site.”
Tonsley is a partnership project between South Australia’s Department of State Development and Renewal SA. The State government is investing more than $253 million in the project that will integrate industry, education, training, research, residential living and community. Tonsley is forecast to attract more than $1 billion in private investment.
Situated 10 kilometres from Adelaide CBD and covering 61 hectares, the redevelopment will ultimately house approximately 1,200 residents in 650 homes, plus cater to a daily population of 2,000 students. A total of 6,300 full-time equivalent workers will have been employed during the construction phase.
Among its features is the re-use of the massive Main Assembly Building (MAB), which covers 8 hectares. This re-use has prevented the loss of around 90,000 tonnes of carbon emissions embodied in its original construction.
“Through achieving 6 Star Green Star – Communities certification, Tonsley has become an exemplar for high quality, sustainable urban renewal both in Australia and around the world,” said GBCA Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew. ” The South Australian Government and Renewal SA are to be commended for their commitment to ensuring every part of the project delivered the best possible outcomes,” says Ms Madew.
The development will also feature connected walking and cycling paths for easy access to public transport, plus a potential 3 MW solar power system on the MAB roof; which will be Australia’s largest rooftop solar panel array. Electricity infrastructure at Tonsley will provide the basis for a Smart Grid Energy system.
Part of the initiative is the Adelaide Living Laboratory project; which is bringing industry, government and researchers together to research solutions for low carbon outcomes in the built environment.
Chrysler Australia Ltd originally opened a vehicle manufacturing plant at Tonsley Park in 1964. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan and Mitsubishi Corporation bought Chrysler Australia Ltd and the Tonsley Park site in 1980. Mitsubishi ceased manufacturing operations at Tonsley Park in 2008.
