Sustainability

Devine believes it is very important to create communities that are not only attractive, but communities that are in harmony with their natural surroundings. As part of our commitment to sustainable building and development Devine is a proud partner and active participant in the Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) GreenSmart Program. 

The HIA GreenSmart program is designed to establish benchmarks to incorporate realistic and achievable environmental practices in the design and delivery of the places we develop. It is an initiative developed by the HIA in collaboration with Environment Australia, the Australian Greenhouse Office and Greening Australia to encourage environmentally sustainable design and delivery.

Devine works closely with GreenSmart to achieve a 5-Star energy rating and incorporates the following key elements into home and community design:

• Energy Management
• Water Management
• Waste Minimisation
• Landscaping
• Indoor Air Quality Management
• Stormwater Management
• Efficient Resources Management

ENVIRONMENTAL CASE STUDY

Devine's Lollipop Creek revitalisation project at Wyndham Springs was recently awarded the Land Management Award at the 2010 AILA Victoria Awards. The estate, located in Wyndham Vale approximately 30kms from the Melbourne CBD, features abundant parks and recreational facilities and is close to schools, shopping and transport. Previously used for livestock grazing, Lollipop Creek features a waterway, grasslands, rocky outcrops and natural wetlands and was transformed from a weed infested landscape to an ecologically diverse landscape regenerated with indigenous plant species. Working with landscape architect firm Fitzgerald Frisby, Devine wanted to showcase the beauty of the natural landscape, but in a way that was sustainable for the environment. Wanting to leave a very minimal footprint a mimicking natural process called "ecological burns" was used to remove weeds and activate the seed bank. Indigenous plant species were planted and paths and garden beds were only created in areas that had the least potential for regeneration or were severely weed infested. Rocky outcrops were retained to protect existing natural habitats (including the benefits provided from mosses and lichens). The judging panel from the AILA Awards were clearly impressed, stating, "Lollipop Creek demonstrates that a very 'Melbourne' landscape can be incorporated into the hearts and minds of the suburb, and that indigenous landscapes can be managed and maintained in the Melbourne City typology".