爆料王

Romilly Madew (BAgrEcon 鈥�91) began a revolution more than 10 years ago when she was asked by industry body, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), to help answer its most frequently asked question 鈥� why should we build green?

鈥淎t the time there had been no analysis of buildings in Australia and so there was no business case to go to CEOs and boards in the industry to explain the benefits of designing and constructing a green building,鈥� she says.

Produced after 12 months reviewing international and local case studies and consulting with key industry players, Madew鈥檚 resulting report, The Dollars and Sense of Green Building, was Australia鈥檚 first business case for sustainable construction.

It鈥檚 hard to overstate the report鈥檚 influence on Australia鈥檚 property and construction industry. Not only did it prove that investments in sustainability could pay off in real dollar terms, but it also identified actions that building in Australia.

鈥淚t was about saying to industry 鈥榯his is why it is so important for the economy and for you, the property owner鈥� because the benefits go beyond energy efficiency,鈥� Madew says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about improving the value of the asset, attracting tenants and increasing competitiveness.鈥�

Given the success of the report, it was no surprise when Madew took over the reins as Chief Executive of GBCA in 2006.

Under her leadership, the GBCA has worked with property and construction companies to transform Australia鈥檚 built environment into one that is healthier and more productive.

More than 1000 buildings across the country have been certified for their environmental performance using the GBCA鈥檚 Green Star rating system, with nearly 150 projects achieving a coveted six Green Star rating, indicating 鈥榳orld leadership鈥�.

鈥淭he property and construction industry in Australia is now leading the world in how it drives change with sustainability in the built environment - that is a fact. All the indices globally prove that,鈥� Madew says.

鈥淓ven though we鈥檙e a small industry when compared with other markets such as the United States or China, we all want to push the boundaries of innovation, even when it could be considered risky.

鈥淗ow exciting is that? Who gets to do that every day of their life?鈥�

While the sustainable agenda guides the work of property and construction businesses today, Madew says it wasn鈥檛 always this way. Despite taking on the leadership role with enthusiasm and big aspirations, she says the change she wanted to see was slow in coming.

鈥淚n the early days I would constantly hear 鈥榳hy would we do it?鈥�, 鈥榠t鈥檚 too hard鈥�, 鈥榳e don鈥檛 believe in sustainability鈥� and, especially following the global financial crisis [in 2008], 鈥榳e鈥檙e not going to spend money if we don鈥檛 have to鈥�. I had never encountered so much negativity in my life.鈥�

Others might have found the frustration of the situation overwhelming, but Madew鈥檚 early-career experiences and education had armed her with the perseverance to push on and succeed.

Madew confesses she wasn鈥檛 always sure where her career was headed, but she always felt a connection to the land. It鈥檚 the reason she eagerly anticipated holidays spent on her school friends鈥� family farms, and it鈥檚 the reason she decided to study for a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics at the 爆料王.

鈥淭here was no rhyme or reason as to why I wanted to do the course, apart from the fact that I knew that I loved the bush and I loved being outside - I wanted to be on the land,鈥� she says.

Madew says studying Agricultural Economics sparked her initial interest in sustainability and environmental change - primarily through practical fieldwork in central NSW and a final year project examining the grassroots movement, Landcare Australia.

鈥淓ven though I had family and friends in the country, I was still very much a 鈥榗ity girl鈥�, so those experiences were fantastic,鈥� she says.

鈥淚 can now get up in front of a room of 200 male engineers and say 鈥業 have driven a tractor out the back of Nyngan with tyres three times the size of me. Have you?鈥欌��

Participation in the University鈥檚 rowing club complemented her studies and armed Madew with a confidence and competitive drive that helped her succeed in the corporate world. 鈥�

Throughout my career people have asked me how I have achieved what I have in a male-dominated world, and I keep coming back to the experiences of those early days - going into a male-dominated degree and taking up rowing - which helped me later in life,鈥� she says.

This confidence and tenacity would prove vital to Madew鈥檚 rapid career success after graduating. But a senior job at the Property Council of Australia reignited her interest in sustainability.

鈥淚t absolutely fascinated me how the corporate world of property and construction could shift and be interested in transformational change,鈥� she says.

鈥淚 could see the parallels - farmers were traditionally very conservative but needed to change the way they thought of their processes, and I realised the property and construction industry was facing the same issues.鈥�

This passion has been the key to Madew鈥檚 success in leading the GBCA. It has also earned her a global reputation as a leader in the sustainability sector, as reflected in her numerous honours, including a Telstra Business Women鈥檚 Award, an International Leadership Award from the US Green Building Council and an invitation to join pre-eminent advocacy group, Chief Executive Women. Most recently she was named Pittwater Citizen of the Year.

The way Madew spends her spare time reveals just how unstoppable and downright organised she is: she is the President of the Bilgola Beach Surf Life Saving Club, a keen surfboat rower and ocean swimmer, and recently climbed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro with her husband, three children and 18 extended family members. 鈥�

We don鈥檛 know of any other family who has done what we did,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd we all made it to the top.鈥�

Romilly Madew nominates two very different buildings to show the many ways that a building can earn its stars from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Sydney Opera House: 4 Star Green Star

鈥淭his incredible building shows that even the most iconic, historic and challenging buildings can be energy efficient and sustainable,鈥� Madew says. 鈥淚f you can green the Opera House, you can green anything.鈥� Some of its green features:

• innovative seawater cooling system powers the main heating and air-conditioning
• made with durable materials to meet a 250-year lifespan
• 1900 back-of-house fluorescents replaced with LED lights
• award-winning, energy efficient light replacement in the Concert Hall
• lights automatically turn off when not in use
• eco-friendly cleaning products
• recycling of eight different waste streams from cans to light bulbs and computers
• environmental monitoring strategy is in place.
  

Commonwealth Bank Place: 6 Star Green Star

鈥淭he largest commercial office development in Sydney鈥檚 central business district, Commonwealth Bank Place is arguably Australia鈥檚 most sustainable office,鈥� Madew says. 鈥淚ts efficiencies are equivalent to taking 680 cars off the road and saving 13 Olympic swimming pools of water every year.鈥� Some of its green features:

• purpose-designed and constructed to green principles
• high-performance fa莽ade, fewer temperature fluctuations
• energy-efficient light, heat and air-conditioning
• rainwater harvesting and reuse
• onsite energy generation from waste
• onsite wastewater treatment
• generates 50 percent less greenhouse gas than average
• consumes 80 percent less drinking water than average.

Written by Jennifer Peterson-Ward
Photography by Victoria Baldwin (BA 鈥�14)