National licensing could be the next pink batts debacle, says NECA

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has spoken out against the government’s proposed national licence for the electrical industry, claiming it could cause another disaster similar to the pink batts scheme.

NECA, along with other industry parties, claims the current proposal lowers basic standards and “forces all electrical contractors into a one-size-fits-all model”. NECA says it will lobby the federal government to have the proposed national licensing model modified.

“Last week’s announcement is yet another example of where the federal government is not listening to industry, especially considering the recent debacle with the pink batts insulation program, where four young people died unnecessarily, simply because the government did not heed the advice it received from industry prior to launching the initiative,” said NECA CEO James Tinslay.

“It is very worrying to see the same thing potentially happening again. Understanding how to manage projects involving electricity is a highly skilled profession and any attempt to undermine that skill is putting people’s lives at risk. We don’t believe the government should be allowed to make this mistake again.”

Tinslay suggested that a Royal Commission or similar public inquiry should be conducted to determine why the pink batts scheme was approved, despite warnings from NECA about the scheme’s flaws.

If concerns affecting safety are not addressed, NECA says it will call to have the national licensing initiative abandoned.