Ecco Ripley, a development in the Ripley Valley located five kilometres from Ipswich in South East Queensland, has just been named one of Australia's greenest communities. The Sekisui House project has achieved a coveted 5 Star Green Star – Communities rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, a sign of excellence in masterplanned communities.

The project will feature more than 76 hectares of recreation parks and gardens, with residents a short walk from amenities, parklands and open space, with more than 2,000 native trees and shrubs planted and 93,000 native groundcovers already planted in the first 12 months. Sekisui House has committed that 25 percent of housing will be affordable for first home buyers and key workers, 10 percent allocated for accessible housing and 5 percent for social housing. There will also be buses, on and off-road cycling, and pedestrian footpaths so residents aren’t restricted to transport by car.

"For us, sustainability isn’t just a buzz word – it means ‘built to last’,” said Sekisui House Australia CEO and Managing Director Toru Abe. “Our investment in sustainability will continue to pay dividends for residents and investors, in the form of reduced running costs.”

Ecco Ripley joins just four other large-scale property development projects around the country that have demonstrated a commitment to economic, social and environmental responsibility, said the GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew.