Ross Mills appointed to the Green Building Council of Australia

Congratulations to Senior Landscape Architect Ross Mills who has been appointed to the Green Building Council of Australia’s Expert Reference Panels.

These panels inform the next generation of Green Star development and have been a primary driver of sustainable outcomes in the built environment for the last decade. Hassell has had a long-standing relationship with the Green Building Council of Australia.

Ross joins the Nature and Biodiversity panel, where he will contribute his expertise in sustainable cities and regenerative landscapes. 

We caught up with Ross and he shared these valuable insights.

Q: Tell us why you admire the Green Building Council of Australia?

Ross: The GBCA has been pushing sustainability forward in Australia for years now. They are pushing the industry forward for the benefit of everyone, which will noticeably benefit people and communities far into the future.

Q: What do you hope to bring to the Nature and Biodiversity panel? 

Ross: When I applied for the panel, I felt there was an opportunity to look at the Green Building Council of Australia’s work through the lens of the landscape architect. We are often the ones to use the Green Star tools but, until now, we weren’t represented. I feel I can add another layer to the already skilled and experienced panel.

Q: Why this is important now and to the future of sustainable design/​cities/​landscapes?

Ross: I think that landscape architects have long thought, ​“We plant trees, so we are working sustainably” however, it seems we are now realising how many other layers there are to the climate emergency that can be addressed through our expertise. 

Landscape architects have the skills to move away from the ​‘blandscaping’ of clipped hedges and monocultures that we are so used to seeing, towards a more resilient and regenerative approach to nature and biodiversity. 

Learn more about the Green Building Council’s Expert Reference Panels.