AMCA

Industry Info

ACMA has detected as part of its compliance operations a non-compliant type of cable. The product, known as copper clad aluminium (CCA) cable, is not compliant with Australian telecommunications cabling standards and cannot be used as telecommunications customer cable in Australia.

Nature of non-compliance

Due to the nature of its construction, CCA cable cannot comply with section 5.6.6 of the ACMA’s mandated telecommunications standards (AS/ACIF S008:2006 or AS/CAS008:2010 “Requirements for customer cabling products”). As CCA cabling cannot comply with the mandated standards, it cannot be legitimately labelled with the mandatory Australian compliance mark.

Safety Issues

Using CCA cable as customer cabling can have consequences ranging from relatively minor to catastrophic. Due to its higher resistance, compared to copper cable (as mandated by the standards), CCA installations may suffer degraded data throughput for similar length cable runs. With the proliferation of devices powered via Ethernet, the use of CCA cable will result in increased power dissipation in the cable which could result in the cable properties degrading and overheating.

Penalties

Under the Telecommunications Act 1997 (the Act), there are several offences that apply to the supply or installation of CCA cable for customer cabling. These include the following:

• Section 411 of the Act provides it is an offence to connect incorrectly labelled customer equipment or customer cabling. The maximum penalty that a court could impose upon conviction is $13,200

• Section 413 of the Act provides that it is an offence to supply unlabelled and/or non-compliant customer cabling. The maximum penalty that a court could impose upon conviction is $11,000

• Section 414 of the Act provides that it is an offence to apply a compliance label to telecommunications customer cabling that does not meet the requirements of the ACMA mandated standards. Any CCA cable that carries an A-tick compliance mark would be the subject of an offence. The maximum penalty that a court could impose upon conviction is $11,000.

Under section 453A of the Act, authorised ACMA officers can also issue a telecommunications infringement notice with an associated monetary penalty to an individual or body corporate that has committed an offence, in lieu of having the matter heard in a court.

Contact the ACMA

Should you have any information about the supply, use or installation of CCA cable as customer cabling within Australia, I would encourage you to contact the ACMA. In the first instance, complaints or reports of non-compliant cabling can be made through the ACMA’s Cabling Complaint Form, found at the following address: http://www.acma.gov.au/interforms/Cabling_Complaint_Form.asp

Electricity meter changes

The National Measurement Institute is heading towards lifting the exemption for electricity meters. It is subject to final Ministerial approval, but is expected to proceed as proposed on 1 January 2013. With the exemption lifted, all electricity meters with an annual throughput of less than 750 MWh per annum and used for trade would be required to be of an approved pattern and verified. Meters installed prior to 1 January 2013 would remain exempt.

The proposal to lift the exemption has followed public consultation (http://www.measurement.gov.au/Pages/consultationelectricitymeters.aspx) in 2010, and over 10 years of voluntary pattern approvals.

In practical terms this means that after that date all meters will have to meet National Measurement Institute (NMI) approved pattern standards and you will need to verify this when buying meters for your customers. The cost difference is around $400 extra for these meters over some older non approved models so this will be important in quoting on these jobs.

For further enquiries please contact Oliver Judd on 02 9744 1099 to discuss the changes.

Lamp Recycling Program Opens Up New Opportunities for Contractors

The FluoroCycle program was launched in 2010 by the Australian Government, after many months of consultation with NECA and industry.

The program has gradually gained momentum throughout 2010 and 2011, and is set to offer real opportunities for contractors in 2012, with some of Australia’s largest retail operators, financial intuitions and government departments all signing up to the scheme.

The program was established to create a voluntary “best practice” scheme to be supported by businesses and organizations that commit to recycling their waste lamps. This scheme is specifically aimed at reducing the amount of mercury which ends up in land fill.

Research shows that upwards of 95 percent of mercury containing lamps are not disposed of safely, leading to increasingly high levels of mercury having the potential to enter the food cycle.

Recycling the lamps captures mercury, aluminum, phosphor powder and glass, all of which are then reused in various products ranging from dental fillings (mercury) to home insulation (glass).

A vast majority of European countries have a compulsory fluorescent tube recycling scheme in place, and NECA commends this attempt by the Australian Government to start taking a responsible approach towards land fill and mercury contamination.

What is in it for me?

Aside from the knowledge that you are doing the right thing for the environment, and reducing the levels of mercury entering our landfill, there are commercial opportunities for signatories.

The FluoroCycle website has a list of all commercial signatories, who have undertaken to recycle their lamps. Signatories such as WestPac, NAB, K-Mart and various government departments will all now be using contractors who can demonstrate that they recycle lamps - and the easiest way to do this is to become a signatory to FluoroCycle!

Signatories are able to use the branding material developed by FluoroCycle in their business to promote their commitment to protecting the environment, which could be a point of difference for contracting businesses.

How do I recycle the lamps?

There are several major recycling companies who have facilities around the country, in every state and territory. The simplest way for most contractors to recycle their fluorescent tubes is to collect them in a cardboard recycling collection box and arrange collection, or even mail the smaller boxes back through Australia Post once they are full.

How do I sign up?

To sign up as a signatory you need to complete an application form and a brief action plan. The action plan could include such simple items as:

providing information about FluoroCycle to potential customers and including the costs for recycling mercury-containing lamps when quotes are given
having recycling of waste mercury-containing lamps as a standard clause in any contracts, where possible, or encouraging customers to include such a clause in relevant contracts.

Some FluoroCycle Signatories are listed below:

John Holland, Sydney Opera House, The Westpac Group, Ausgrid and further more.

What compliance obligations are there?

The FluoroCycle program has been designed specifically so that it is not onerous for contractors who sign up as signatories.

The requirements of a contractor include:

· Following the annual Action Plan

· Submitting required information for an annual audit

NECA would encourage members to consider the possible benefits that their business could see from signing up to this important initiative.

Further information and examples of action plans and branding collateral can be obtained from www.fluorocycle.org.au

Attention all Registered Cablers - Imminent Changes to Registration Requirements

1 August 2012

As members will be aware, NECA recently worked closely with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) during the review of the Cabling Provider Rules (CPRs) which govern all customer cabling undertaken by registered cablers.

With an increase in customer cabling work resulting from the roll out of the NBN, the need for appropriately qualified and competent cablers is clear, and it is hoped that these CPR amendments, including higher level training requirements and more promotion regarding the need to be appropriately qualified to undertake the NBN work, will result in less non-compliant “cowboys” negatively impacting the industry.

Arising out of the review there have been a number of changes, the most important for NECA members who undertake cabling work, is the change in the training and requirements for cablers wishing to work on Broadband networks.

If you currently hold an Open Registration, the existing voluntary endorsements of Structured Cabling, Co-axial and Fibre, will become mandatory for those wishing to work on those specific types of cabling. If you wish to undertake broadband cabling you will need all three endorsements. If you already have these endorsements, you are covered and do not need to undertake any further training.

If you currently hold a Restricted Registration you will need to undertake further training before you are able to renew your registration and work on broadband cabling. The module is currently being developed, but we have been assured the training will not be onerous.

The requirements for cablers undertaking Lift cabling remain unchanged.

The ACMA have provided a two year phase in for the new required competencies, commencing from 1 July 2012.

NECA urges members with a Cabler Registration to contact ACMA or their cabling registrar to establish exactly what the requirements will be. Members registered with ACRS will receive a letter in the coming weeks explaining in detail their own personal situation – please ensure your address details are up to date.

Electricians Defend Private RTOs

Media Release - 10 August 2012

Australia’s electrical industry has hit back at recent reports in the media criticising poor vocational education and training outcomes at a small number of private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) providing training for the building and construction industry.

The peak industry body the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA), which trains over 2000 electrical and communications apprentices – many through private RTOs, says that the nature of the reporting implies that privately run training is inferior to public which is both untrue and unfair.

NECA Chief Executive Officer James Tinslay said, “After seeing the reports in the media some people may have incorrectly concluded that privately run RTOs are in some way inferior and produce poorly skilled workers. This is untrue and unfair.

“RTOs providing off-the-job training to Australia’s future electricians - both private and public - deliver high quality training that meet employer expectations.

“The issue is not public vs. private, but rather that there is an open and contestable market for training that meets employers’ needs.
“All RTOs should meet outcome based auditing which ensures that the needs of industry are met.

“Private RTOs play a crucial role in an open and competitive market and employers seek a provider that is focussed on working with them to produce graduates who meet employer skills needs.

“NECA operates or works closely with a range of private RTOs and believes that they provide high quality training and a valuable resource to industry.”

For further information go to www.neca.asn.au

Media Enquiries and interviews:
Peter Scott – NECA Media and Communications Manager
02 9439 8523 / 0457 767 328

NECA's Response to the Fair Work Act Review

Media Release - 3 August 2012

The Fair Work Act Review is an opportunity lost and does very little to help the electrical industry says the peak Australian industry body the National Electrical and Communications Association
(NECA).

NECA Chief Executive Officer James Tinslay said, “We are extremely disappointed with the Fair Work Act Review and believe it’s a lost opportunity.

“It does little to help the Australian electrical industry which is primarily made up of small to medium sized businesses.

“To succeed in today’s challenging economic climate these companies need to be highly flexible and mobile and they require a high skills base.
“The Productivity Commission should have carried out the review rather than using a panel. The panel’s ability to review the Fair Work Act was fairly constricted whereas if the review had been carried out by the Productivity Commission it would have led to greater opportunities to review core elements of the Act.

“There is nothing in the review which helps smaller businesses grow and tackle the problem of higher labour costs.

“We urgently need better workplace regulation to improve productivity and competitiveness and to tackle union problems experienced by employers.

“We disagree with the claim that productivity has not been badly affected by the Fair Work Act.

Our members are telling us that higher labour costs and speculative union activity have taken their toll especially given the general down-turn in the construction industry.

“The Government needs to act now to tackle these problems. Doing nothing is not an option and will lead to a further downturn in productivity and more business failures in this tough economic
climate.”