URBAN RESILIENCE THE KEY TO HAPPIER, HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES Tuesday 25 October 2016 Australian cities and urban areas face more challenges than ever before. A growing and increasingly urbanised population is putting increased pressure on cities, infrastructure and the housing sector. How can our built environment handle these demands, as well as dealing with climate change and emergency events like natural disasters and extremist acts? The answer lies in urban resilience: the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt and grow no matter what kind of stresses and shocks they may experience. The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has released a set of fact sheets on urban resilience for three segments: Cities – Population growth is providing challenges in managing demands on available space, transporting people and goods, and keeping communities safe, cohesive, fulfilled and happy. Infrastructure – Maintaining and expanding the critical infrastructure that provides Australians with high-quality utilities, transport, healthcare and other essential services will require significant investment from governments. Housing – Available, affordable housing with access to employment, services and facilities is a major issue. The Chair of ASBEC’s Resilience Task Group, Adrian Piani said the fact sheets were designed for organisations involved in the planning, design, delivery and operation of the built environment. “ASBEC’s aim is to help built environment sector professionals embed resilience thinking into their decision-making, and begin a discussion with stakeholders and supply chains.” Mr Piani said. The fact sheets were developed by the ASBEC Resilience Task Group in collaboration with specialist resilience advisers from integrated infrastructure firm, AECOM. “Each fact sheet provides a series of questions organisations can work through,” said Kieran Power, AECOM Senior Consultant – Sustainability and Resilience. “They provide a practical way for organisations to self-assess and gain an understanding of what resilience means to them and the projects they deliver.” ASBEC President Prof Ken Maher noted this initiative is part of ASBEC’s focus on community wellbeing and a more sustainable future. “By understanding the principles of urban resilience, organisations can discover opportunities to contribute to a better quality of life for Australians.” said Prof Maher. “Urban resilience is not just about dealing with problems – it improves the wellbeing of communities by enhancing economic, environmental and social outcomes. It is a model for good times as well as bad.” Download the Resilience and the Built Environment Fact Sheets: ASBEC Resilience Fact Sheets - Cities ASBEC Resilience Fact Sheets - Housing ASBEC Resilience Fact Sheets - Infrastructure

2. About AIRAH
Vision
Safe, sustainable, healthy and comfortable built
environments.
Mission
To provide leadership, promotion, representation and
support to the air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and
related services industry and membership.

3. Strategic aims
1. Promote and develop tomorrow's efficient, productive
and resilient industry
2. Grow industry skills and capability for the future
3. Inform regulation and policy processes
4. Build member value and engage members

4. AIRAH – industry leadership
1. HVAC&R Resilience
2. HVAC&R Sustainability
3. HVAC&R Compliance
4. Innovation and Research
5. Transition to low gwp refrigerants including PRIME

5. AIRAH today…
• specialist organisation for air conditioning,
refrigeration, heating and ventilation professionals
• 2500 members
• 25,000 publications distributed monthly
• Professional development
• Industry accreditation schemes
• National / International conferences
• Technical publications
• Government collaboration
• Membership activities / trade nights
• Highly regarded objective technical experts working with
government
• Members from whole HVAC&R supply chain

6. Why does resilience matter to building services?
• Australia’s built environment will need to become more
resilient
• Heatwaves, cold snaps, floods, storms, bushfire
• Other emergency events resulting in utility outages
• The changing face of the built environment
• Places of refuge – Stockland Cairns in Cyclone Yasi
• Public services – hospitals
• The HVAC&R Industry plays an important role
• Safeguarding building occupants during extreme conditions
• Providing a clean and healthy indoor environment until
outdoor conditions are safe

7. How does this impact building services?
• Heat
• Building overheating – increased requirements for cooling
• Increased energy and water demand
• Impact on thermal performance and comfort
• Impact on external surfaces/cladding
• Increase in maintenance
• Increased requirements for cooling and areas of respite
• Increased heat stress events amongst building users
• Demands on network – increase in blackouts disrupting operations
• Reduced productivity and business continuity
• Water
• Increased flood events limiting access and egress
• Greater intensity of runoff results in drainage capacity issues
• Inundation of building and car park
• Increase in maintenance
• Changes to environment suitable for water bourne diseases and pest species
distribution
• Impacts to potable water supply
• Reduced productivity and business continuity

8. How will this temperature increase affect
buildings in Melbourne?
• Typical office building in Melbourne – internal temperature

9. How will this temperature increase affect buildings
in Melbourne?
• Typical office building in Melbourne – energy and GHG
emissions

10. How will this temperature increase affect
buildings in Brisbane?
• What about in a Brisbane climate?

11. What are AIRAH doing to address this?
• Preparing Australia’s building services for a changing climate
• AIRAH Resilience Framework
• Whole of Supply Chain approach to tackling resilience
• Integrated Building Design
• HVAC&R Equipment
• HVAC&R Installation
• Facilities and Operations

12. How will we change the way that things are
done?

13. What to take away…
• AIRAH are thought leaders in resilience for the building services
industry
• Life cycle philosophy: Design, Engineer, Install, Operate
• Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success

14. NCCARF CoastAdapt Tool
• Beta-testing website www.coastadapt.com.au