New legislation has been introduced in Queensland requiring all sellers and real estate agents to complete a Sustainability Declaration prior to listing a house, townhouse or unit for sale from 1 January 2010. Houses cannot be advertised for sale unless it is declared where the Sustainability Declaration for the property in question can be viewed. Information as to where the Sustainability Declaration can be located must appear on the advertisements (being online listings, real estate agency window pane advertisements, letterbox drops of advertising materials and all other forms of advertising) and be available at open inspections. The sustainability Declaration addresses dwelling's sustainability features in four areas being energy, water, access and safety. A Sustainability Declaration is also required for all properties that have been listed prior to introduction of the new legislation and remain unsold at 1 January 2010. Currently there are no requirements for such reporting for commercial buildings. Failure to complete the Sustainability Declaration can result in a fine. |