Information for Councils

CREATING AN ECO DESIGN ADVISOR ROLE IN YOUR COUNCIL

The Eco Design Advisor Service provides free, independent and personalised advice on improving home performance and occupant health. Establishing this position in your Council is highly valuable to homeowners

BENEFITS TO COUNCILS

  • Positions council as being proactive in leading healthy housing initiatives
  • Delivers an improved quality of life for current and future residents
  • Develops internal staff capacity to promote the principles and practice of sustainability
  • Demonstrates Council’s commitment to meeting the Building Act, by ensuring buildings are designed in ways that promote sustainable development
  • Ensures that councils are taking practical measures to meet carbon emission targets
  • Promoting building and housing measures that can reduce infrastructure burden and resilience

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

As part of having an Eco Design Advisor service, participant councils need to allow for the position to:

  • Undertake free in-home consultations with householders as the primary role of the service
  • Provide free phone advice and short consultations for homeowners regarding their new home or renovation plans
  • Undertake presentations and network with industry and community groups to promote the service and increase understanding and uptake of sustainable building practices
  • Participate in fortnightly conference calls across the network – a key part of keeping up to date with best-practice approaches and latest research findings

The current Eco Design Advisor positions are a mix of part and full time roles

A survey of 700 users of the Eco Design Advisor service found New Zealanders are increasingly taking action to make their homes more energy efficient. 88 per cent of those surveyed had made important changes in the home after getting a consultation from an Eco Design Advisor. An Eco Design Advisor service is currently offered by six local councils across New Zealand. Eco Design Advisors are knowledgable and experienced in the field of home performance and receive regular training to keep abreast of current developments. Householders can have confidence that the advisory provides advice that is in accord with ‘best practice’, impartial, independent – and tailored to their needs.

DID YOU KNOW:

The BRANZ House Condition Survey paints a dismal picture of the state of New Zealand housing.

53% could benefit from retrofitted insulation
51% of childrens’ bedrooms were not heated in winter
Mould was visible in 49% of all houses
Only around half of NZ house have extractor fans in the kitchen or bathroom that are vented to the outside

New Zealand faces the challenge of bringing its housing stock of 1.6 million existing homes to standards considered normal in most developed countries, and to design and build new homes that perform to the levels that we are capable of designing to.