Introducing a low-carbon energy network, transforming George Street and building a new town centre for Green Square are among the council's planned projects, as well as revitalising parks, pools and cultural centres across the city.

According to lord mayor Clover Moore, the projects will strengthen Sydney's reputation as a global leader.

"Making our city work for residents is just as important as making it work for business and visitors," she said on May 15.

"It's our high-quality parks, healthy environment and diverse cultural life that attract people, but it's critical our transport network and infrastructure also support growth."

More than $230 million has been allocated for green building infrastructure, including trigeneration and photovoltaic power and LED street lighting, as well as stormwater and waste management in the city centre and Green Square.

The council has outlined 21 major projects that are due for completion by mid-2013, such as the redevelopment of Glebe and Paddington Town Halls, refurbishment of Fitzroy Gardens and the rehabilitation of the former Royal South Sydney Hospital site.

"Hospitals and aged care capital works projects funded in the budget will deliver a significant jobs boom across Victoria, with the creation of more than 700 new construction jobs," Mr Davis said in a statement released yesterday (16 May).

At the centre of the improvements to health infrastructure is the upgrade of Charlton Hospital.  A $22.7 million project, construction of a new facility comes after the prior premises were hit hard by flooding in the region in January 2011.

"The floods saw the Charlton campus forced to close its doors for the first time since commencing service delivery," Mr Davis said.

"I am delighted to announce $22.7 million for the construction of a new facility that will provide the Charlton community with a modern health service well into the future."

Construction work is predicted to start mid-way through next year but planning is already well underway. A dedicated team is working hard during the development phase and surveys are being conducted onsite.

"A preliminary site assessment has commenced with the design phase set to commence in July 2012," Mr Davis added.

But with the building industry in China booming, many may be asking the question – can this pace of development be sustainable?

According to Broad Group – a company that specialises in a range of different technologies including air conditioning and sustainable building – protecting the environment should be a priority.

The enterprises' founder and chairman, Zhang Yue, recently spoke to Reuters in an exclusive interview about the importance of sustainable development in the construction industry.

"There is an urgent need for construction security, especially energy-saving in construction, and this touches on conserving materials," he said.

This is in line with China's goal to have green buildings account for 30 per cent of new construction projects by 2020 – an objective that was announced earlier this month by the ministry of finance and the ministry of housing and urban-rural development.

Wang Youwei, deputy head of the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, commented on the new strategy.

"The document indicates that the country's green construction sector is moving into a fast development phase, and shows the government's resolve to speed up energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts," he said.

State minister for infrastructure and transport, Anthony Albanese, announced today (May 16) that he had approved a plan for the airport going forward over the next 20 years.

One of the main features of the updated strategy is to support the sustainable development of surrounding areas.

Mr Albanese said he was careful to take local considerations into account and that efforts will be made to ensure the environment will be protected going into the future.

"I am also aware of the community's concerns about environmental issues, particularly at Coolangatta Creek," he stated.

"I have made it clear that the airport must ensure appropriate management of species listed under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999."

The new strategy also includes detailed information about the short-term plan for the next five years and an updated ground transport scheme.

Improvements seem to be well underway across the board at the airport, with the establishment having announced a new 'fly thru' service in partnership with AirAsia X in March.

The airport's chief operating officer Paul Donovan said that this new service will create a quicker, easier connection between the Gold Coast and certain Asian destinations including Hanoi and Phnom Penh.

In an announcement by premier Colin Barnett and education minister Liz Constable, a multi-stage plan has been outlined for Willetton Senior High School, with construction set to take place over the next five years.

Stage one will see a new science block added to the school grounds, while stage two – due to begin in 2016 – is likely to focus on redeveloping the current library, mathematics and administration buildings.

According to Mr Barnett, the project will provide more permanent and sustainable architecture, relieving the need for transportable classrooms.

"This school, built in the 1970s, has been growing rapidly, with 1,736 students enrolled in semester one this year," he said on May 11.

"Significant areas of the school need refreshing, so that the increasing number of students learning here can benefit from contemporary learning facilities."

Dr Constable added that the redevelopment program will be planned with the school community, particularly to ensure that disruption to the students' teaching and learning is kept to a minimum.

Executive director for advocacy and business services at the Green Building Council of Australia, Robin Mellon, has congratulated the NSW government on its latest green initiative – but also encouraged it to seek green star certification.

"Green star certification would demonstrate that the money spent on energy efficiency upgrades and other improvements delivers results," he said.

“Other states including South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania have registered public sector projects, such as hospitals and schools, for green star ratings, and we call on the NSW government to follow in these footsteps."

In an announcement by environment minister Robyn Parker last week, $6.4 million in funding will be put towards retrofitting sites such as the police academy at Goulburn and Westmead Hospital, as well as emergency service buildings across the state.

Smaller frontline buildings – such as courthouses, motor registries and disability care facilities – will also benefit from the initiative, as the government looks to save almost 30,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year.

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He also said that growth in this industry could support that of the construction sector and other areas of the economy – the RBA studied market trends and found a strong correlation between mining and building.

"Not surprisingly, this analysis shows that mining investment draws significantly on construction activity, which in turn generates activity in industries such as business services, manufacturing, transport and wholesale trade," Mr Lowe said.

"Based on these figures, mining-related activity is estimated to have expanded by around 12 per cent over the past year and similar growth is expected over the next couple of years," he added.

In other mining news, yesterday AMP announced that it intended to improve insurance schemes for those in the industry.

The company acknowledged that there are several people employed in the sector and that it needs to meet the demand for comprehensive insurance.

AMP's director for retail wealth protection said: "This is all about delivering on our promise to help advisers grow their risk business and making it easier for people to access the insurance they need.

"Through years of experience with the mining sector, we understand the important and varied roles that make up this diverse industry."

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In an announcement by deputy premier and minister for regional and rural development Peter Ryan, the government has finished reviewing bids from gas suppliers and has finalised the two regional gas projects.

While the 12-month assessment process had been marred by an uncertain economic climate, as well as a lukewarm response from some communities, Mr Ryan believes that the government can now expand its strategy to look to a wider range of sustainable development options.

"Connecting homes and businesses to a more dependable energy source that is cheaper and better for the environment will have many benefits to regional and rural Victorians," Mr Ryan said (May 12).

"With a positive result for the people of Huntly and Mildura now achieved, the government will focus on the delivery of natural gas to other priority communities."

Mr Ryan named a range of other potential areas, including Avoca, Lakes Entrance, Invermay, Winchelsea, Heathcote, Orbost, Warburton and Maldon.