2004 has been proclaimed the Year of the Built
Environment (YBE) across Australia. The year will be a
collaborative celebration by government, industry, environmental
and community groups to raise awareness in the Australian
community about the built environment. The patron of YBE 2004
is his Excellency the Governor-General, Major General Michael
Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC (Retd).
The Australian Government will contribute $500,000 to
celebrating the Year, which is part of its $168.5 million
commitment during 2003-04 to protect the nation's built heritage and
help make urban life more sustainable. According to Dr. David
Kemp (Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage), "The
Year of the Built Environment aims to embrace all members of the
community, from those in the planning, design and building professions
to community leaders and anybody who lives, works and plays in the
built environment."
A National Steering Committee has been formed to oversee national
events and activities. Each state will also be organising
specific events, which can be found via the main
website. Plus there is a National YBE 2004 Summit
to be held in Canberra during October 2004.
There are six themes that will guide all YBE 2004 activities. They
are:
- Towards Sustainable Communities
- Healthy Environments
- Excellence in Building
- Our Built Heritage
- Imagining the Future
- Design for All
Cetec provides long standing services for most of the above
themes
The overarching objective for the Year of the Built
Environment is to:
- Encourage Australians to celebrate and understand how the
built environment makes a difference to their quality of life
and to foster a sense of community and purpose by setting
directions for a positive and sustainable future.
This will be achieved by:
- Raising awareness in the community about the Year of
the Built Environment and the structures and landscapes that make
up the built environment;
- Providing opportunities for the community to
celebrate the Year of the Built Environment;
- Enhancing understanding about the issues of
sustainability and the impact of the built environment
on the natural environment;
- Encouraging greater community participation in
planning and maintaining the built environment;
- Developing a greater commitment to learning about the built
environment within the education sector;
- Informing the community about the issues that determine the
quality of the built environment and how individuals can
minimize their impact on the built environment as a whole; and
- Fostering a greater appreciation of the heritage
value of the built environment.
You can register an event as part of Victoria’s Year of the Built
Environment 2004 by contacting the Victorian Development Officer at
the Building Commission on (03) 9285 6335 or email
ybe@buildingcommission.com.au.
