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How to use the Brisbane Green Factor tool

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Understand how to use the Brisbane Green Factor tool. Download and read the user guide.

Using the Brisbane Green Factor assessment tool

The Brisbane Green Factor tool is a free and accessible tool primarily for urban developers to use for their projects.

The tool assesses developments based on the site’s green infrastructure elements and vegetation. This includes trees, shrubs, soil and lawns.

When the assessment is complete, a scorecard with a project’s green factor rating is produced. It also provides suggestions on how to create a greener development.

There are 2 ways to carry out an assessment. 

  • Begin a new assessment: You need to have some information on hand when starting a new assessment, including the site’s typology and green elements.
  • Upload an existing assessment: The tool allows you to download partially completed assessments, as well as share completed ones. You can also upload an existing assessment for modification or review.

When using the tool, you can jump back and forth to update your details in different sections. There’s also helpful information, including definitions, throughout the tool.

Make sure you have important details about your project on hand before beginning an assessment. This includes the site’s:

  • address
  • typology (e.g. small-scale residential, shopping centre, commercial office)
  • land area in m² 
  • project status (e.g. predesign, design development, documentation)
  • green elements, such as trees and planters.

Council recommends preparing a landscape plan and schedule that details information about the vegetation. This includes the type (indigenous, native, exotic and productive), quantities, scale and location.

Saved assessment files are designed to be fully compatible with the version of the green factor tool they were created in.

If you’re loading an assessment saved from an older version of the green factor tool, it will try to load as much compatible data as possible. It will also prompt you to check the assessment data.

Saved files contain all the data you have included, as well as the calculated green factor scoring data from the version of the green factor tool that was used to save the file. Content of saved data files are in JSON format and can be inspected in text editors (preferably with support for viewing JSON formatted data).

The tool will step you through the process of starting, setting up and specifying a green factor rating for your development.

You’ll be able to jump back and forth between these sections to edit and update your information.

Detailed user information is provided throughout the tool. This includes definitions, guidance text and other useful information.

You can also save your progress as a text file at any time when completing your assessment. This makes it easy to share your assessment with others.

tip

Tip

Make sure you use the navigation buttons and options within the tool. If you use a button outside of the tool, you may lose your progress.

When the assessment is complete, the tool will produce a scorecard.

This scorecard will provide:

  • the overall green factor score
  • considerations for the project
  • a variety of scores, including for the green elements and ecosystem outcomes.

Use these scores and suggestions to help you deliver a greener development.

You can also attach the scorecard to your development application.

Get in touch

For more information about how to use the Brisbane Green Factor tool, contact Council's green factor team. 

Send an email
This image shows a large, green, leafy plant. City buildings can be seen in the background.

Download the Brisbane Green Factor user guide

The Brisbane Green Factor user guide includes information about the green factor concept and how to achieve a greener development.

You’ll also learn about typologies, green elements and categories.

To find out more, download and read the guide.