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Tag: Featured
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Grant benefits for registered NT tradies
NT-based tradies and contractors can now register with the Jobs Rescue and Recovery Plan to provide work through the Home Improvement Scheme, Business Improvement Grants and Immediate Work Grants. The $65m plan is aimed at protecting Territorians from the deep economic impacts of the coronavirus through creating new work opportunities, saving jobs, and helping businesses […]
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Buildings running on empty
AIRAH has highlighted the importance of maintaining HVAC and other building services – even if premises are temporarily unoccupied. Across Australia, offices and other commercial buildings have emptied out as organisations shut down or staff work from home due to the COVID-19 prevention measures. But even when premises are empty, HVAC systems and other building […]
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Webinar: Reinvent your business in troubled times
As part of an NSW Department of Industry initiative, Netstripes is offering a free live webinar for Australian business owners dealing with COVID-19. “Are you looking at ways to improve your cash flow and meet customer needs during these challenging times?” says Netstrips. “Then this free live webinar Reinvent your business in troubled times is just the […]
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Free COVID-19 webinars
The International Well Building Institute (IWBI) is hosting a series of free webcasts on responding to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These sessions are based on webcasts hosted by the IWBI’s China team said to have reached as many as 110,000 attendees at a time. Touching on subjects ranging from remote work ergonomics to air quality […]
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Carrier becomes independent company
Global manufacturing company Carrier has completed its separation from United Technologies (UTC) and is now an independent, publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was established in 1915 by Willis Carrier and is an international provider of air conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilation technologies. It was purchased by UTC in 1979, […]
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NSW, Melbourne extend construction hours
The New South Wales government and the City of Melbourne have extended working hours on construction sites in a bid to protect jobs and limit the economic impact of COVID-19. Under the new rules, construction hours in NSW will be extended to weekends and public holidays. The City of Melbourne is proposing an extra hour […]
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AIRAH releases guide for cold rooms
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) is releasing a new Design Application (DA) manual: DA12 Energy Efficiency in Cold Rooms. “As the definitive reference for walk-in cold room energy efficiency in Australia, this manual will help all stakeholders overcome the barriers to improved energy efficiency in cold room operation,” says AIRAH […]
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Positioning key for local HVAC&R industry
While some sectors of our economy have immediately borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, for others the impact is not so straightforward. According to Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker, there are mixed signals coming from the HVAC&R industry. “I have spoken to manufacturers and there is no real sense yet of any dramatic […]
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Cash for refrigerant data
Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) is seeking help from HVAC&R technicians to better understand what happens to refrigerant from split system air conditioners when they are replaced. And it is paying for the data. RRA is a not-for-profit organisation that works with industry to recover, reclaim and destroy surplus and unwanted refrigerants. The organisation is offering […]
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Ganado brings gender equity to AIRAH board
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has achieved gender equity following the election of Mikaila Ganado, M.AIRAH, to the national board of directors. Ganado joins Paul Jackson, F.AIRAH, and Ura Sarfejoo, M.AIRAH, who were re-elected to the board at AIRAH’s National Convention, which this year was held remotely due to the […]
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Out-of-cycle amendment to NCC 2019
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released a preview of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Amendment 1, expected to be adopted by all states and territories from July 1, 2020. The NCC sets the minimum acceptable standards for all new construction work in Australia. Since 2005, it has included provisions in Section J for energy […]
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Legionella outbreak in Melbourne
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has identified four confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease involving individuals who have spent time in the Brunswick area in Melbourne, including Sydney Road. All cases have required treatment in hospital. All had symptoms commencing in February and March 2020. Particularly because of the current focus on […]
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Webinars on new QBCC licensing
At the beginning of this year, a new licensing framework was introduced in Queensland. Workers will now require a Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licence for mechanical services work. This includes not just air conditioning and refrigeration but also plumbing and medical gases. To help industry understand and transition to the new framework, the […]
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Licensing – now and towards 2050
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH), led by its Refrigeration Special Technical Group, has released a position statement on HVAC&R licensing in Australia, and is seeking input from industry stakeholders. Although there are well-established and successful licensing regimes in place – most notably the national ARCtick licence scheme – AIRAH CEO […]
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ARC adjusts services for COVID-19
In response to the coronavirus situation, the ARC has put in place measures to keep the RAC industry permit scheme operating on a “business as usual” basis, with only minimal changes. Face-to-face permit condition checks (audits) will be replaced by electronic checks via email. For lodging and assessing online renewals, however, it will be business […]
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New certifier regulation finalised
The NSW government has finalised the Building and Development Certifiers Regulation 2020. Published on the NSW legislation website, the regulation brings the Building and Development Certifiers Act 2018 into force. As part of the overhaul of the building and construction industry, both the act and regulation are intended to simplify the certification system in NSW, […]
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$1.3bn coronavirus aid package for apprentices
The government has committed $1.3bn in wage subsidies to help small businesses retain apprentices displaced by the coronavirus downturn. As part of Australia’s COVID-19 response, the subsidies will support small businesses with funding of up to $21,000 ($7,000 per quarter) for every apprentice. The intention is to help small businesses get back on track after […]
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Study on spread of COVID-19 in air conditioned bus
The coronavirus could be transmitted over a longer distance than previously thought, especially within an enclosed air conditioned environment, according to a study by a team of Chinese government epidemiologists. The research by the Hunan-based team throws into question the official guidelines from China’s health authorities on COVID-19 prevention to keep “a safe distance” of […]
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Plants and IAQ: an ongoing debate
Late last year, doubts were cast over whether plants actually improve indoor air quality (IAQ) after new research was published in Nature’s Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. Ronald Wood PhD, BSc, from Innovative Plant Technology, has taken issue with the study in an article published in Ecolibrium. He says that a “literature review with […]
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LGBTQI+ inclusion in engineering
Aurecon, Pride in Diversity and Engineers Australia have jointly launched a new community in Sydney to promote LGBTQI+ inclusion in engineering. Interengineer will be an independent industry group designed to promote LGBTQI+ inclusion through networking and advocacy activities, says the media release. The group’s formation would allow for additional support and resources towards the engineering […]