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  • Home buyers and builders angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Residential land for sale
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      Talk to our sales team
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    • Home buyers
      How to buy land through SLA

      Your complete guide to buying process.

      Display village

      Everything to make your dream home a reality.

      Affordable Home Purchase Scheme

      Helping low to medium income households.

      Mingle, our community development program

      Our community development program that builds thriving and sustainable communities.

      Rebates and initiatives

      Explore how our rebates can help you achieve your dreams of sustainable, affordable living.

    • Builders
      Buying methods for builders

      The Suburban Land Agency has several ways for builders to purchase land.

      Put and call

      Put and Call gives you the opportunity to secure blocks of land with an extended settlement.

  • Developers angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Land for sale
      Land for sale
      Current development opportunties
      Current development opportunties
    • Developers
      Developer's guide

      Learn about our sales process and find land for sale.

      Why develop in Canberra

      Find out about our vision for the ACT.

      Build-to-Rent

      Growing the number of rental homes in Canberra.

      Upcoming releases

      See whats coming up in the future.

      Sales results

      Browse our latest commercial and industrial sales results.

  • Sustainability and Innovation angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Sustainability Strategy
      Our Sustainability Strategy
      Our Sustainability Strategy
      Case Studies
      Case Studies
    • Commitment to sustainability
      Why sustainability is important

      Learn why we need to live in happy, green and prosperous communities.

      Our vision for a sustainable future

      Find out how we aim to create great places where communities thrive.

      Showcasing our innovation

      Learn about our Built Form Program that is delivering climate-wise building projects.

      Supporting you to be sustainable

      Find guides and rebates that can help you build a sustainable home.

      Sustainable case studies

      Find out how we embed sustainability into all our work.

    • Our key priorities
      Placemaking

      Learn how we use Placemaking to understand the needs of the community and the environment.

      Resilient communities

      Discover how we're protecting our communities against climate change.

      Zero emissions suburbs

      Learn how we're making the ACT the most energy efficient place in Australia.

      Responsible production and consumption

      Find out how we're transitioning to a more circular economy.

      Healthy prosperous and inclusive places

      Learn how we're improving the wellbeing of communities through design, development and engagement.

  • About us angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Join the team and grow your career
      Join the team and grow your career
    • Our people
      Who we are

      Our vision, our team, our CEO and Board.

      Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples

      Learn about out Reconciliation Action Plan.

      Careers

      Help create vibrant communities and sustainable neighbourhoods for ACT.

      Partnerships, Awards and Sponsorships

      Some of our achievements.

    • Our work
      What we do

      Delivering residential, commercial and industrial developments.

      How we price land

      Valuations and setting reserve prices.

      Housing Strategic Action Plan

      The framework that guides our actions.

      Indicative Land Release Program

      Find out when land is likely to be made available.

      Resources

      Find all our published documents in one place.

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Building with sustainable materials

21 Oct, 10:49 AM
When it comes to building a home, the first decisions we make are often the most impactful. Choose sustainable building materials.

When it comes to building a home, the first decisions we make are often the most impactful. Choosing sustainably sourced, energy efficient and low emissions materials can help you create a more climate-resilient, future-proof and cost-effective home for you and your family.

What is ‘embodied carbon’ and why does it matter when building?

Human activity, including the construction of our homes, produces carbon emissions. These emissions trap heat from the sun and warm our planet, causing climate change. ‘Embodied carbon’ or ‘embodied energy’ is the total amount of carbon emissions created from the construction, maintenance, renovation and demolition of a home. Low emissions materials are those with lower embodied carbon. Understanding this term is important because the embodied carbon of each material is determined by how much energy is needed to source, transport, dispose of, or recycle it.

Your home’s carbon footprint

Everything we do on a daily basis produces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which, when released into the atmosphere, trap heat from the sun and contribute to climate change. The construction and operation of our homes produce GHG emissions and are often referred to as a home’s ‘carbon footprint’, encompassing both ‘embodied carbon’ and ‘operational carbon’ emissions.

You can find out more about your carbon footprint here at Everyday Climate Choices.

What is ‘embodied carbon’ and why does it matter when building?

Your home’s ‘embodied carbon’ or ‘embodied energy’ includes carbon dioxide emissions created during material manufacture and construction. It also includes emissions from the maintenance, renovation and demolition of a home. Choosing materials with low embodied energy is a sustainable building practice as every material has its own individual embodied energy.

The embodied carbon of each material is determined by how much energy is needed to source, transport, dispose of, or recycle it. Before you build, consider each material's embodied energy throughout its lifetime. More information on embodied energy in building materials can be found here.


Both the planet and your back pocket will thank you for exploring your options ahead of time.

Other ideas to consider

Lower your carbon footprint and reduce the embodied energy of your home by:

  • Sourcing recycled or recyclable materials

  • Exploring renewable materials such as FSC-certified materials and zero-carbon bricks

  • Selecting durable materials that require minimal maintenance throughout the lifecycle of your home and are less likely to end up in landfill

Additional ways to build a more sustainable and liveable home include:

  • Choosing non-toxic materials, including paints with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

  • Reducing your overall building footprint and material use with clever design choices

Your building journey is an opportunity to make choices that align with your values. When you know which information to look for, you can understand the impacts of each material and build a sustainable home that suits your family’s needs for years to come.

Jacka Energy Rebate

The planning phase is a great time to ensure your build will meet the criteria needed to claim the available rebates. In Jacka, an energy rebate of $7,000 is on offer for building an energy-efficient, all-electric home. Find more here.

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We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Acknowledgement artwork by Leilani Keen-Church

Artwork by Leilani Keen-Church

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