Still the voice

Five years ago, Master Electricians Australia (MEA) was established to be the voice the national electrical industry required. There was a pressing need for an organisation to advocate for the needs and concerns of electrical contractors and their workers. Five years on, MEA continues to lend strong support to its growing members and those within the electrical industry and wider sectors.

MEA has made a number of representations to the government that have proven successful and resulted in several major wins for the industry. During the last five years, MEA has gained significant publicity for pressing national issues that in the past were underrepresented and ignored.

To gain a full grasp of the national issues plaguing electrical contractors, MEA has established state managers in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. These state managers, with knowledge and experience in their respective states, have been key in identifying restrictive trade practices that are plaguing our industry, and in representing members in local and national issues.

Over the years, MEA has also run several successful campaigns on behalf of its members across the country to aid in educating consumers as well as electrical contractors on electrical safety.

Campaigns such as Project Safety Switch by MEA can drastically help to educate and easily prevent electrical accidents by taking necessary safety precautions such as having safety switches installed in all Australian homes by 2016. Likewise, MEA provided crucial advice on the federal government’s Home Insulation Program (HIP). Although not the fault of the HIP, results of an inspection program showed 8% of installations had created electrical danger and an electrical fault rate of more than 20% was found. MEA reported that one in every five homes contained an electrical fault and this was often due to do-it-yourself electrical work on homes. MEA supported the federal government’s move to suspend the HIP and fund the installation of safety switches in homes.

MEA is also currently working in conjunction with Blacktown City Council on another major campaign underway in the western suburbs of Sydney, to promote the installation and testing of safety switches in residential properties.

Feedback from members has been that proper representation and support is essential to operate successfully in today’s electrical industry. With five years of experience under our belt, MEA is now more equipped in helping its members achieve the highest levels of safety and reliability, and will continue to lobby and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of those within the electrical industry in the years to come.