Forest land returned, block at a time

A DEVELOPER responsible for the sale of 10per cent of new suburban house blocks in Melbourne will donate an equal area of land to Victorian forests.

Villawood Properties, which sells about 1100 housing allotments a year, has purchased 280ha of private land within the Kamarooka National Park, north of Bendigo. And for every housing block bought after April 1 this year, Villawood will donate an equivalent area to the Victorian Government.

"People who buy a cleared block in Melbourne can feel good that it is offset by the return of land to our state forests," said Villawood joint executive director Rory Costelloe. "This is about doing more than is required, and taking the responsibility to help make going green a reality."

A two-hour drive north of Melbourne, the 280ha area is a mix of box and ironbark forest and mallee scrub. The land has an abundance of wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, possums and wombats, and has been deemed by the state Government to be of significant ecological importance.

Mr Costelloe said the 280ha to be returned to state forest would represent about three years of sales, or 3000 house blocks.

He did not disclose the purchase price of the land, but said it had been bought at "farm" rates.

Villawood is involved in a major Melbourne housing development at Point Cook with the giant Industry Superannuation Property Trust.

The company first came to prominence some years ago when it upstaged other developers by launching its own green guide for home buyers. The forest handback is part of a program the developer calls Villawood Positive Change.

The program has been developed to encourage buyers and builders to construct more environmentally sustainable homes, Mr Costelloe said. Information on the Villawood website demonstrated how it was possible to reduce harmful carbon emissions by cutting electricity and gas use, as well as saving water.

Mr Costelloe said the average home owner could reduce carbon emissions by 7.4tonnes per year and save 86,000litres of water by measures as simple as putting seals on doors and diverting grey water to gardens and lawns.

He said the savings at the 1100blocks to be sold by Villawood this year were potentially 8600tonnes of CO2 and 100million litres of water. At the 11,000 new homes across Melbourne, the savings would be 86,000 tonnes of CO2 and one billion litres of water.

As part of its promotion, Villawood has offered two monthly $2000 cash prizes to residents of its estates who demonstrate the greatest savings on carbon emissions or water use.

The Australian | Maurice Dunlevy | June 21, 2008