Carbon tax will increase small business power bills, says Business Chamber
14 June, 2012The IPART final determination for electricity prices confirmed that the carbon tax will increase electricity bills for small business, according to the NSW Business Chamber.
We will closely monitor the FWBC, says NECA
13 June, 2012The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) said it intends to closely monitor the new Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC) agency’s effectiveness, expressing concern that the Australian Building and Construction Commission’s (ABCC’s) replacement will have reduced powers and may not be as effective in regulating the industry.
New workplace regulator for the construction industry
01 June, 2012Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC), the new regulator of workplace laws in the building and construction industry, begins operations today. FWBC was created by the Fair Work (Building) Act 2012 (FW Building Act). The agency is headed by the Acting Chief Executive, Leigh Johns, who was appointed by Bill Shorten MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, on 30 May 2012.
ETU urges FWA to reverse standdown of Watters Electrical workers
29 May, 2012The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) Victorian Branch has urged Fair Work Australia to reverse the standdown of electrical workers by Watters Electrical, part of the Hastie Group that recently entered into voluntary administration.
Preparing for the carbon tax
23 May, 2012 by Greg Mills*, CEO, Cincom Systems of AustraliaWe have all been told that the carbon tax has been designed to help restructure the economy with the aim of using less energy and lowering the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated. However, as the July 2012 deadline looms, recent surveys show that less than 50% of Australian companies are actually prepared for its introduction and this percentage is even lower if we only look at small to medium enterprises.
Call to stop Building Service Authorities fining qualified contractors
17 May, 2012Master Electricians Australia was recently called on to intervene in a case of ‘government bureaucracy gone mad’ in Queensland, where licensed electrical contractors were being fined by a state agency for performing work they are qualified to do.
Meeting Australian electrical safety standards
14 May, 2012 by Justin Barrett*Within the electrical industry there is increasing concern regarding the number of electrical products being sold that don’t comply with Australian Standards. These products, whilst appearing genuine, are often made from inferior materials with little regard for meeting stated ratings or safety requirements. Compliance with Australian Electrical Safety Standards is important to ensure product quality, reliability and, most critically, the safety of the electrical contractor during installation and their customer throughout the operational life of the product.
Solar system seller fined and prosecuted by Fair Trading
09 May, 2012The director and general manager of Solar and Bamboo Direct and Solar Installations, Jan Pieter McHeyzer, has been prosecuted and fined for selling unmarked and potentially unsafe hot water storage tanks and making false and misleading claims about the tanks.
Narda EFA-300 and ELT-400 electromagnetic field measuring devices
19 April, 2012Narda Safety Test Solutions has available two low-frequency electromagnetic field measuring devices with evaluation conforming to ICNIRP 2010, the EFA-300 and the ELT-400.
WorkCover NSW Safety Alert for working on electrical circuits in conduits
12 April, 2012WorkCover NSW has issued a Safety Alert for working on electrical circuits in conduits, reminding electrical workers of the dangers of cutting electrical conduits that are in service as the conduits may contain multiple circuits.
USU: Endeavour's outsourcing puts scores of jobs at risk
26 March, 2012Endeavour Energy plans to outsource electricity connection and disconnection field officer positions, according to the United Services Union (USU). The Union group claims this will put scores of jobs at risk and affect supply reliability for NSW residents.
Businesses should review energy contracts before carbon tax hits, says Energy Action
23 March, 2012Independent energy management company, Energy Action, said that energy retailers are likely to process a carbon adjustment to clients’ bills by either increasing contract energy rates or introducing a new line item to bills. Most existing retail electricity contracts do not charge for carbon, but do contain clauses allowing for adjusted prices in response to the carbon tax.
Jemena: smart meters sabotaged
22 March, 2012Jemena has announced that the failure of 21 smart meters was the result of sabotage “by an unknown person or persons”. The company said that the sabotage was confirmed by independent chemical testing and that each meter failed safely.
Legislation passed to abolish the ABCC
21 March, 2012The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is to be abolished after the Building and Construction Industry (Transition to Fair Work) Bill was passed in the Senate on 20 March. The Office of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate will replace the ABCC.
Industry bodies disagree with IPART’s ‘fair and reasonable’ solar price
16 March, 2012The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART’s) recommendations for solar power pricing have caused quite the industry stir.
