Central Park Sydney - A Sustainable Habitat

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GREEN TRANSFORMATION

With an unprecedented investment in eco-friendly designs, Central Park will raise the bar for sustainable living not just in Sydney, but globally. Central Park will be Australia’s greenest urban village, housing its own on-site tri-generation plant. This energy source will supply electricity, heating and cooling using ingenious ‘green transformers’ powered by natural gas. And that’s just the beginning.

At Central Park, ‘sustainability’ is more than a buzzword – it's an attitude that requires an honest, thoughtful analysis of how we live our lives today, in order to create a better world tomorrow.

With a massive investment in ‘green’ technologies including an on-site central thermal tri-generation plant and an on-site water recycling plant, Central Park will achieve a minimum 5 Green Stars for each building and exceptional environmental standards for the entire precinct. These commitments are almost unprecedented in high-density urban communities.

Of course, sustainability is not just about embracing the latest green technologies. It’s about creating environments that stand the test of time, and neighbourhoods that fulfil our desire to live, work and play close to the city, reducing our reliance on cars. Sustainability also requires elegant architectural forms, and an abundance of public parks and spaces. It’s based on the philosophy that quality urban environments lift our spirits, and improve our happiness and wellbeing.

Central Park is characterised by its rooftop gardens, green walls and smart-metering systems. On-site water recycling and a central thermal tri-generation plant will reduce carbon emissions, minimise mains water demand and may export excess water and electricity to nearby neighbourhoods in a remarkable display of self-sufficiency.

93% of all demolition waste has already been recycled, making Central Park one of the largest recycling projects in Australia – not bad for a development that covers 5.8 hectares in size.

Central Park strives to be Australia’s greenest and most self-sufficient mixed-use urban development, where sustainability is a way of life. Central Park's sustainability strategy was devised in close collaboration with the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, which is one of the world’s leading experts on green living, and Elton Consulting.

Energy

Central Park will have its own low-carbon natural gas power plant, producing thermal energy for its residents and workers.

In the first stage of its development, a two-megawatt (MW) tri-generation energy plant, run on natural gas, will produce low-carbon thermal energy, providing heating and cooling for 3,000 residences and 65,000 sqm of retail and commercial space in 14 buildings at Central Park. The stage one tri-generation energy centre will also supply low-carbon electricity to the heritage County Clare Hotel and the mixed-use Brewery Yard building.

Tri-generation is twice as energy efficient as a coal-fired power plant. Environmental consultants and design engineers WSP have forecast that Central Park’s two-megawatt plant could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 190,000 tonnes over the 25 year design life of the plant. This has the same effect on greenhouse gas emissions as removing 2,500 cars off the roads every year for 25 years.

Central Park's tri-generation plant has been funded by a $26.5 million Environmental Upgrade Agreement (and EUA) - a new type of low-cost, long-term funding for green infrastructure. EUA is a voluntary agreement between a building owner, a finance provider and a local council, made possible by changes to the Local Government Act in 2011 to encourage building upgrades. Frasers Property and Sekisui House entered into an EUA with the City of Sydney in March 2013.

Central Thermal Plant can be contacted at the following: 02 8313 9183 or CTP@au.Brookfieldea.com

Water

A key element of Central Park's sustainable infrastructure is the recycled water network. Central Park Water will be the biggest Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) recycled water facility in the world built in the basement of a residential building. Central Park Water is wholly owned by Flow Systems and will service approximately 4,000 residents and more than 15,000 workers and visitors daily.

Central Park Water will own, operate and maintain all water related infrastructure within Central Park – effectively taking over the management of the water cycle within the precinct. Thanks to Central Park Water, residents will use between 40 and 50 per cent less drinking water, saving money and precious drinking water supplies.

Multiple sustainable pipelines within the precinct enable the delivery of differing water qualities. Given households use only 10 to 20% of water for drinking/ cooling and another 20 to 30% for cleaning, Central Park Water is enabling households and businesses to use recycled water for the 50 to 70% of other activities such as toilet flushing, washing machine use, irrigation, green-wall watering and air cooling.

The recycled water Centre will be built over four basement levels. It uses MBR and Reverse Osmosis (RO) technologies, designed to simplify operational management and minimise maintenance.

Importantly the technology can be completely controlled remotely, it requires minimal space and does not smell or make any disturbing noise. Central Park Water will bill customers directly and is subject to the same licensing requirements as Sydney Water. IPART and the Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water oversees the administration and operation of private water licences.

Our recycled water network harnesses multiple water sources with varying qualities and creates multiple water supplies, covering all the water requirements of the community.

The seven water sources include:
·       Rainwater from roofs
·       Storm water from impermeable surfaces/planter box drainage
·       Groundwater from basement drainage systems
·       Sewage from an adjacent public sewer
·       Sewage from all buildings within the Central Park community
·       Irrigation water from all greenwalls
·       Drinking water from the public water main

For more on Central Park Water, visit www.centralparkwater.com.au

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Central Thermal Plant

Generating hot and cold potable water and electricity