New report finds Sydney’s green future is in 65 storey high rises

A new report has declared the Australian dream of a house on a quarter acre block is dead and the future is in high rise towers.

The Australian dream of a house on a quarter acre block is dead and the future for affordable, environmentally sustainable living is in 65-storey high rise towers.

A new report called Standing Tall has identified the sweet spot in high rise living that will bring down the cost of homes while also improving the city’s green footprint.

“We need to stop building urban sprawl and start building up instead of wide and flat,” urban studies expert Dr Sebastian Pfautsch from Western Sydney University said.

“And when we build up we need to make sure the areas outside are kept green and open with parks and recreational space that are good for cooling.”

The new report by The Urban Taskforce compared houses, town houses, low-rise and high-rise apartment blocks to find the most cost and energy efficient. It found that high-rise towers between 38 and 65 storeys performed best.

“Who knew: High rise construction is the most sustainable solution for the housing of our growing population,” Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest said.

The Crown Tower at Barangaroo. Picture: Damian Shaw

There are already buildings in Sydney that come close to hitting the target including the residential floors of the new Crown tower at Barangaroo, Greenland on the corner of Pitt and Bathurst streets in the CBD and 1 Central Park on the old Carlton and United Brewery site in Chippendale.

“There has been concern expressed about urban sprawl for many years – but now the results are in. High rise, 65 storey, residential buildings deliver the most sustainable solution,” Mr Forrest said.

The report found that the overall footprint of a high rise compared with the same number of houses was smaller and also took less energy and materials to build.

Over a 20 year period it found that tall buildings over 65-storeys were not environmentally sound because they used too much energy to power the lifts.

“The carbon emissions are lower in the construction process and the industry is now driving down the energy needed to run it,” Mr Forrest said.

High rises would also deliver more affordable housing to offset the demand for homes in Greater Sydney where the population is expected to balloon by two million more people over the next two decades.

The high rise at1 Central Park in Ultimo. Picture: Richard Dobson

“Apartments are a far more effective use of land, are generally better serviced by public transport and provide an affordable option close to restaurants, cafes and bars,” Mr Forrest said.

“This is increasingly an attractive option for Millennials as they struggle to get a foot on the home ownership ladder.”

But he said it could only be achieved with a radical shake-up of Sydney’s planning system. “The planning system turned its back on apartment living under former Planning Minister Rob Stokes. This resulted in a housing supply crisis,” Mr Forrest said.

“Now we know it also damaged our fight against global warming. With new Minister Anthony Roberts, there is hope for progress with both.”