Environmental restriction in multi-owned property

In this chapter, we examine impediments to environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient change in multi-owned properties and how this impacts on the capacity of the strata community to achieve economic and environmental goals. Our research identifies four major impediments to sustainable adaptation in the Australian context. First, there are missed opportunities to integrate core environmental sustainability principles into initial design and construction. Second, centralised systems create difficulties in terms of facilitating consumer awareness of on-site energy and water use and waste. Third, decision-making for environmentally sustainable adaptation of dwellings is complex with strata managers remaining key gatekeepers of environmental and financial product information in this process. Finally, the market does not provide appropriate financing mechanisms to facilitate loans within the multi-owned property sector.