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Category: Regulations
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ABCB to revise energy efficiency provisions
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has opened consultation for an energy efficiency scoping study. The ABCB has been directed by the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) to investigate possible changes to the energy efficiency provisions, with an emphasis on residential buildings in the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC). The work is to […]
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Raising the efficiency bar for homes
Expect new Australian homes to become more sustainable after an agreement at last week’s Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) to enhance energy efficiency provisions for residential buildings in the National Construction Code (NCC). The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has warmly welcomed the agreement. “The homes built today will still be operating in 2050 – […]
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Last chance to review training package
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is coordinating an update of the national electrotechnology training package and has made the draft materials available for final comments. The electrotechnology training package includes the materials used to teach refrigeration and air conditioning throughout Australia. It has undergone some important changes. Three units have been restructured so that students get […]
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Cladding safety plan unveiled
The Victorian government has announced a plan to replace combustible cladding. But the proposed approach has not met with support from all quarters. Earlier this month, the Victorian Cladding Taskforce delivered its report. It contains the results of audits performed on buildings in Victoria. Combustible cladding: state of play The report notes that although some […]
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Hospital design guidelines under review
The Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority (VHHSBA) is revising its guidelines for engineering services, Design Guide for Hospitals and Day Procedure Centres (DGHDPC) Part E. The guidelines were last updated in 2004. The intent of the revised guidelines is to provide relevant minimum requirements for engineering services for new capital projects in healthcare. As […]
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Shape the future of Standards Australia
Standards Australia (SA) is working towards making its content more accessible to stakeholders and users, and is seeking input on how it distributes content. As part of this process it has released a Distribution and Licensing Policy Discussion Paper that is open for review. SA entered into a new distribution agreement with Techstreet recently, after a ruling that SAI […]
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NSW opens talks on professional registration
Earlier this year, a bill passed in Victoria that should see professional registration of engineers become mandatory in that state. Queensland already has this requirement. Now it appears that New South Wales will go down the same path. The NSW government has released a discussion paper that responds to recommendations of Shergold and Weir’s Building […]
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Have your say: New licensing in Queensland
As reported last year, Queensland is updating its licensing framework for mechanical services work, including air conditioning and refrigeration. It is now looking for feedback on the proposed licence classes and transitional arrangements. Perhaps the biggest change for air conditioning and refrigeration is the introduction of the occupational licence class, with a minimum Certificate III […]
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WA: Air-handling and water systems regulation review
The Department of Health (DOH) is reviewing the Health (Air-handling and Water Systems) Regulations 1994. Since the Public Health Act 2016 was introduced, the Air-handling Regulations must be reviewed and either repealed or replaced with new regulations. The focus of this review is to obtain feedback on the most effective option for managing the public health risks […]
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Fire compliance changes for soffit insulation
Insulation Australasia has circulated a statement alerting the industry to changes around fire compliance for soffit insulation in the new National Construction Code (NCC), adopted on May 1. “Soffit insulation manufacturers and building practitioners are alerted to the end of the concession period for acceptable demonstration of group numbers for building linings as required by the National […]
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Professional registration on track in Victoria
Victoria’s Legislative Assembly has passed the Professional Engineers Registration Bill 2019. The legislation, modelled closely on the existing Queensland Professional Engineers Act, is intended to fulfill the government’s 2014 goal to introduce a mandatory, statutory registration scheme, and work with other jurisdictions to develop a nationally consistent registration scheme for engineers. “The government remains determined […]
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Shooting for input on Green Star for New Buildings
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has put out a call to industry for feedback on newly proposed changes to its Green Star program – beginning with Green Star for New Buildings. Over 2,250 projects across Australia have now been certified under Green Star, a program established with the goal of making the built […]
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Training package ready to review
The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that has been working on the Electrotechnology Training Package Review project has prepared draft materials and is now looking for industry feedback. As reported previously, the project is an extension of the UEE11 Electrotechnology Training Package Transition Project. The transition and review of the training package is […]
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IEC rejects rise in flammable charge limit
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) committee responsible for IEC Standard 60335-2-89 has narrowly voted down a draft international standard that would have raised the allowable charge of flammable refrigerants in certain appliances. The vote comes after a five-year effort to raise the charge limit of flammable refrigerants such as propane and isobutane in some commercial […]
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Introducing stand-alone ventilation systems
The European Commission has released an online consultation on the possible introduction of the inspection of stand-alone ventilation systems in Europe. Stand-alone ventilation systems are defined as ventilation systems whose sole function is to ventilate a building. Inspections can be considered a way to improve the performance of ventilation systems. Article 19a of the EPBD […]
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New data on skills shortages
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) has conducted an online survey for stakeholders to find out more about skills shortages in the electrotechnology industry. And the results have now been published. In the electrotechnology sector, 76.9 per cent of respondents reported experiencing a skills shortage in the past 12 months. The occupations reported as being in shortage […]
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BMF prioritises professional registration for engineers
Following an independent assessment of problems in the building and construction industry, the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) has developed a roadmap for reform. And one of the key changes it has signalled is the need for a nationally harmonised registration scheme for building practitioners, including engineers. The implementation plan is a product of the Building […]
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Podcast: The low-down on the HFC phase-down
The fifth episode of AIRAH on Air, AIRAH’s regular podcast series, explores the HFC phase-down. The phase-down is a worldwide initiative designed to mitigate climate change by reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration that can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming. […]
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Free guide specification for air tightness testing
The Air Infiltration and Ventilation Association of Australia (AIVAA) has published a free guide specification for air tightness testing. It is intended to be used by projects with a defined target for air tightness and testing, to verify it has been met. The guide specification is appropriate for residential or simple buildings. SUHO ESD Consultant […]
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Untangling industry training
The Australian training package for electrotechnology – including refrigeration and air conditioning – is under review. Revised units are now available for public feedback. The project was originally intended to be a straightforward “transition” to reorganise the material in line with the Standards for Training Packages 2012 format. But it soon became apparent that the […]