NABERS - National Australian Built Environment Rating System

Implement NABERS Building Tuning practices for HVAC + BMS + lighting controls + chillers + cooling towers + boilers to achieve target NABERS rating uplift. Conduct seasonal commissioning checks each year + functional performance tests + BMS trend analysis. Maintain a continuous improvement plan tracking annual rating performance + identified upgrade opportunities + capital investment pipeline + tenant engagement.

• Annual tuning report
• Seasonal commissioning records
• BMS trend analysis reports
• Functional performance test records
• Continuous improvement plan
• Capital investment pipeline
• Tenant engagement minutes

• No annual tuning
• BMS trends not reviewed
• No improvement plan
• Capex not aligned to rating

Achieve and maintain NABERS Energy rating on a six-star scale (one half-star increments from 0 to 6 stars where 6 stars is market-leading and 4.5 stars is the minimum threshold for compliance with the Commercial Building Disclosure scheme and many leasing requirements). Track 12-month rolling energy consumption normalised for hours of occupancy, climate zone, and net lettable area. Cover Scope 1 (gas + on-site fuels) and Scope 2 (electricity) greenhouse gas emissions plus eligible Scope 3 with mandatory reporting under National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) where thresholds apply.

• NABERS Energy certificate
• 12-month metered consumption data
• Climate zone determination
• Net lettable area survey
• Hours of occupancy log
• NGER report alignment
• Renewable energy and offset documentation

• Incomplete 12-month dataset
• No occupancy normalisation
• Missing renewable evidence
• Expired certificate

Establish governance of the NABERS rating process under the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) as national administrator on behalf of all Australian states and territories under the National Partnership Agreement. Engage NABERS-accredited assessors to undertake ratings per the published NABERS Rules covering offices, hotels, shopping centres, data centres, apartments, schools, hospitals, warehouses + cold stores, and retirement living. Maintain awareness of NABERS standards updates and rating tool revisions.

• NABERS-accredited assessor engagement contract
• NABERS Rules version reference
• Building type classification
• Boundary documentation (base building vs whole building vs tenancy)
• Rating governance committee minutes
• DCCEEW correspondence

• Using non-accredited assessor
• Outdated Rules version
• Unclear rating boundary
• No governance oversight

Achieve and maintain NABERS Indoor Environment (IE) rating measuring four metrics: thermal comfort, indoor air quality (CO2, VOCs, formaldehyde, PM2.5/PM10), lighting (illuminance, glare, daylight access), and acoustic comfort. Conduct measurements at occupied workstations during normal operating hours per the NABERS IE Rules and AS 1668.2 (mechanical ventilation), AS/NZS 1680 (lighting), and AS 2107 (acoustic) standards. Supplement with occupant satisfaction surveys (BUS or equivalent methodology).

• NABERS IE certificate
• Field measurement raw data
• Calibration certificates
• AS 1668.2 ventilation compliance
• AS/NZS 1680 lighting survey
• AS 2107 acoustic survey
• Occupant satisfaction survey results

• Stale measurements
• Uncalibrated instruments
• No occupant survey
• Incomplete metric coverage

Comply with the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) Program (Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Act 2010 - Cth) which requires a Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC) including a NABERS Energy rating (minimum 4.5 stars) plus a tenancy lighting assessment for all office buildings of 1000 square metres or larger being sold, leased, or subleased. Renew BEECs every 12 months for buildings remaining on the market.

• Current BEEC
• Tenancy lighting assessment
• NABERS Energy rating certificate
• CBD register entry
• Marketing material disclosure compliance
• Annual renewal log

• Expired BEEC
• Missing tenancy lighting assessment
• No CBD registration
• Marketing without disclosure

Submit annual NABERS ratings to DCCEEW through the NABERS portal + maintain auditable evidence including consumption data + assessor working papers + photographic evidence + sub-meter inventories for a minimum of 7 years. Display the NABERS star rating in prescribed marketing material per CBD requirements. Re-rate annually to maintain currency. Submit rating data to corporate sustainability reporting frameworks (GRI + GRESB + TCFD + ISSB IFRS S2 + Climate Active where applicable).

• Annual NABERS submission record
• Assessor working papers
• Photographic evidence
• Sub-meter inventory
• 7-year retention archive
• CBD-compliant marketing material
• GRI/GRESB/TCFD/ISSB/Climate Active alignment

• No annual resubmission
• Missing working papers
• Incomplete retention
• No sustainability framework alignment

Achieve and maintain NABERS Waste rating for offices, shopping centres, and applicable building types on the six-star scale tracking the proportion of waste diverted from landfill (general waste + recyclables + organics + e-waste + construction and demolition + clinical waste where relevant). Engage licensed waste contractors with traceable manifests + waste audits per AS 4123 standards. Cover all material categories (paper + cardboard + glass + plastic + metals + organics + e-waste + soft plastics + co-mingled recycling).

• NABERS Waste certificate
• Waste audit report (AS 4123)
• Contractor manifests + EPA tracking
• Material category breakdown
• Diversion rate calculation
• Hazardous + e-waste evidence

• Missing audit data
• No contractor manifests
• Unclear diversion methodology
• Expired certificate

Achieve and maintain NABERS Water rating on the six-star scale based on 12-month potable and non-potable water consumption normalised for occupancy, climate, and floor area. Cover all water sources including mains supply, rainwater harvesting, stormwater capture, greywater reuse, recycled water, and bore water. Use AS/NZS 3500 and Plumbing Code of Australia conformant metering and the NABERS Water Rules to calculate the rating.

• NABERS Water certificate
• 12-month potable water bills + readings
• Non-potable water source register
• AS/NZS 3500 compliant metering
• Rainwater/greywater/recycled water inventory
• Sub-meter map
• Climate normalisation calculation

• Missing non-potable source records
• Sub-metering gaps
• No occupancy normalisation
• Expired certificate