Opening of unique environmentally-friendly display home nr Bunbury

10/11/98

Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes today opened a state-of-the-art display home near Bunbury which has been specifically built with the environment in mind.

Mrs Edwardes said the building industry was becoming increasingly aware of the need and benefit of ecologically sustainable developments.

She said that by taking advantage of natural light and the cooling afternoon sea breeze, the home was extremely energy-efficient; the use of almost totally recyclable materials also resulted in energy savings.

The unique display home was built by BHP Steel, which commissioned the project in a bid to accelerate the trend towards steel as a building material choice in Western Australia.

The home provides Western Australians with access for the first time to an all-steel display home, which combines the latest techniques in environmentally friendly construction with energy-efficient technologies.

Builders of the home claim the versatility and lightweight of steel enable building with minimal disruption to the surrounding environment.

"Instead of changing the site to fit the house, the house has been designed to fit the site," Mrs Edwardes said.

"This not only offers potential cost savings for the owner but also reduces the impact of the structure on the environment.

"I congratulate BHP on their efforts to create a home which interacts with, rather than imposes itself on the natural landscape."

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell (08) 9421 7777