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Infrastructure Australia has published the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan, calling for a new wave of infrastructure reform that contemplates sustainability and resilience to fully leverage the Australian government’s $110 billion infrastructure spend and drive the national COVID-19 recovery. The 2021 Plan provides Australia’s infrastructure sector with a 15-year roadmap that Infrastructure Australia says will drive […]
Beijer Ref is further diversifying its portfolio within Australia with the acquisition of Victorian-based climate and ventilation solutions business Armcor Air Solutions. According to Beijer Ref, the acquisition will strengthen its ability to provide a complete suite of HVAC equipment, extending on the residential and light commercial packages currently being offered through its wholesale businesses. […]
Australia’s largest Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) has received more than 80 registrations of interest from potential renewable energy projects. The projects have the potential to produce an astonishing 34 gigawatts (GW) of energy for the REZ, which is located in New England in north-western NSW. NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean says the response demonstrates investor […]
ASHRAE is accepting abstracts for its 2022 Annual Conference, being held in Toronto, Canada, next year from June 25–29. The conference will address the changes to buildings created by the pandemic and explore how this will affect the future of the built environment. The conference will cover eight major themes: Buildings in the aftermath of […]
A joint operation by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) has led to the seizure of more than $200,000 worth of refrigeration equipment imported without a licence. ABF officers seized 100 packages in Melbourne in May 2021 after a tip-off that the Victorian-based importer did not […]
Pacific Ventilation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Systemair AB Group Sweden, a global ventilation company, and Deltrian, a leading Belgian filter manufacturer, have joined forces to launch a new generation of virucidal filters for air handling units (AHUs). Pacific Ventilation says the DELTRI+ filters are Eurovent certified and contain advanced plasma technology capable of neutralising […]
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has welcomed the release of the NCC 2022 public consultation draft as an important step change towards more healthy and comfortable homes for Australian families. ASBEC notes that minimum energy efficiency standards for housing haven’t shifted substantially for more than a decade. The proposed update is to ensure […]
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is seeking comment on proposed amendments to energy efficiency and condensation technical provisions, for possible inclusion in the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022. Some of the more significant amendments proposed in this second and final stage of the public comment draft include: A stringency increase in the thermal performance […]
Leading Queensland HVAC contractor System Air Built Environment Services has has adopted a new trading name: SABE Services Group. The new look and trading name has already come into effect. The company ownership, staff, capacity, and capability will remain unchanged. SABE Services Group will still be a 100 per cent Queensland-owned and operated company. System […]
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is contacting organisations within the HVAC&R sector to discuss responsibilities regarding packaging waste in Australia. As industry, government and consumers strive to improve waste avoidance and the recovery of waste through recycling, there is significant focus on implementing a circular economy for packaging to benefit businesses, society and the […]
TFH Hire Services has partnered with Australian mobile storage business Taxibox to offer mobile onsite cool and steel storage units. The Taxibox onsite steel storage units feature optional wireless Bluetooth locking technology, to avoid problems with lost keys or ungranted access. This allows customers to manage their boxes remotely via any smart phone with access […]
As Australia ponders the challenge of reopening with COVID-19 still present in our communities, the discourse from government has focused on vaccination targets. But increasingly, the public is demanding a more thorough response to the pandemic, incorporating other critical measures. Over the past weeks, one measure in particular has become front-page news: ventilation. “Vaccination is […]
A new study from Lancaster University in the UK has revealed that continued deterioration of the Earth’s ozone layer could have had catastrophic effects on our planet, exacerbating global warming and impacting all plants and animals. The work also reinforces the importance and success of the Montreal Protocol, which phased out ozone-destroying CFCs with the […]
The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are convening for a virtual World Cold Chain Symposium on September 14. The symposium aims to reduce global food waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and promote greater food security. “This is the path to addressing hunger and a better future,” […]
In a move aimed at increasing its focus within the industrial refrigeration sector, Beijer Ref Australia has announced a specialised industrial sales team to service the Australian market. The announcement follows the June 2021 acquisition of the Industrial Refrigeration Components (IRC) business and also the exclusive distribution agreement for LU-VE products in Australia. Through the […]
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has published the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment (Cold room) Regulations 2021 and the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Specifications 2018 Version 10.0. The Victorian Energy Upgrades program sets state-wide targets to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer businesses and households access to discounted energy-efficient products […]
Researchers in MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub have been modelling lighter-coloured and more reflective roads in a bid to lower air temperatures. Dark asphalt is known to raise the surrounding air temperature. Approximately 40 per cent of urban areas are paved, and by absorbing and reflecting heat it can increase the urban heat island effect. The researchers believe […]
An initiative aimed at raising the confidence of women working in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields will soon be available for Australians. Known as STEMazing, the program ran its (northern) spring 2021 program as a pilot initiative. “The aim of the STEMazing program is to empower women in STEM to shine as […]
Building services specialist A. G. Coombs has created a new web page answering commonly asked questions about COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, A.G. Coombs has been responding to requests from building owners and managers about restricting the spread of COVID-19 with the help of building services, especially HVAC systems. Over that time, the […]
Trafalgar Group’s Granville facility has earned ISO 9001:2015 certification for their quality management system. The certification applies to the quality management system, specifically the design, production and supply of passive fire protection products and systems, access panels, safety storage solutions and other specialty building products from Trafalgar’s facility in Granville. ISO 9001:2015 is the International […]