Australia considers implementing NZ lighting label
27 July, 2012 by Mansi GandhiAustralia is currently examining the option to implement the New Zealand Energy Star program for LED and CFL lighting, said Melanie Slade, Director, Lighting and Equipment Energy Efficiency, Australian Government in her recent keynote address at SPARC Design 2012.
Austest Laboratories awarded contract with the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
25 July, 2012Austest Laboratories has been awarded the contract for check testing swimming pool pumps by the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.
Consultation opens on electrical licensing reform
18 July, 2012Consultation on the proposed reform of electrical occupations licensing has commenced and is set to close on 26 August, but may be extended.
RET should stay, says AuSES
11 July, 2012The Renewable Energy Target (RET) should not be dismantled, according to the Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES).
IPART releases solar feed-in tariff recommendation for NSW
28 June, 2012IPART has determined that a “fair and reasonable” solar feed-in tariff for New South Wales consumers is in the range of 7.7 to 12.9 cents per kWh.
Master Electricians comments on changes to Qld solar scheme
27 June, 2012Master Electricians Australia has cautiously welcomed aspects of the changes to Queensland’s Solar Bonus Scheme but said a phase-out period would have benefited the solar industry.
Carbon tax countdown begins - are you ready?
25 June, 2012 by Elisa de Wit, Partner, Norton Rose LLPThe final countdown to the carbon tax has begun. This article details the key elements of the carbon price mechanism (CPM) and provides some last-minute prepation tips to help you get ready for 1 July 2012.
Carbon price gouging could lead to a new wave of class action litigations
22 June, 2012Businesses that try to price gouge - or improperly inflate prices - following the introduction of the carbon price in July could be opening the door to a new wave of consumer class actions, warns Australian law firm Maddocks.
Electrical trader fined for safety breaches
20 June, 2012Clare Maree Alexander, director of C.M. Analysis trading as G Warehouse, has been ordered to pay fines and costs of $4662 by the Port Macquarie District Court for selling unapproved and unmarked LED electrical products.
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.
