Meeting last month in Adelaide representatives from across the built environment — including Arup, Lendlease, Renewal SA, the Australian Institute of Architects and more — co-developed 24 policy recommendations aimed at making adaptive reuse the go-to strategy across residential, commercial and community sectors.
The shift has big implications for the real estate industry, where “new” has long been seen as synonymous with “value.” Among the group’s proposals are:
- mandating that reuse and adaptation be considered first in planning
- establishing a national database of vacant and underused buildings
- reforming policy to recognise the environmental value of embodied carbon
- introducing economic incentives such as tax relief and reduced developer charges
Professor David Ness from the University of South Australia’s Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management said that “while new builds are lauded for their energy efficiencies, large amounts of carbon are ‘embodied’ in their materials and construction.”
These environmental costs, he argued, are rarely factored into policy or developer decisions — something the group believes must change.
The building sector currently contributes around one-third of global carbon emissions, yet “we’re seeing more and bigger builds by default,” Ness said.
“This seems far out of step with EU countries such as France and Denmark, where attention is focussed on making better use of existing space.”
For real estate professionals, this shift in policy and mindset could be profound. If governments adopt these recommendations, planning regimes may tilt in favour of reuse, altering the viability of knockdown-rebuild projects.
Developers could increasingly look to retrofitting undervalued or heritage buildings. And sales agents may find growing buyer interest in older properties with adaptive potential — not just newly built homes.
Yaara Plaves, associate director at Hames Sharley and head of its national sustainability forum, stressed the importance of collaboration: “Siloed expertise creates blind spots and biases.
Addressing these through a community of practice model that brings participants together cultivates learning and mutual trust — and is essential to bring about sustainable, demonstratable solutions”.
The group also flagged that Australia could learn from France, where the concept of “sufficiency” is now enshrined in energy law.
This has led to stronger policy frameworks around building reuse. A similar initiative — an Australian sufficiency lab, to be based in Adelaide — has been proposed as a national centre of excellence for reuse and adaptation across sectors.
Among the participants, Professor Jane Burry from the University of Adelaide described the workshop as “a great springboard to go forward,” while Les Moore of Les Moore Projects added, “With the right ‘can-do’ mindset we can achieve extraordinary outcomes”.
As buyer demand shifts and regulatory settings evolve, real estate professionals are being encouraged to broaden their value lens.
Adaptive reuse doesn’t just make environmental sense — it could soon become a core selling point. For agents, property managers and developers, the opportunity lies in identifying the untapped value hidden in plain sight.
