The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has called out Queensland for putting consumers at risk with a “sub-standard RAC licence”. The licence is part of the new mechanical services regulations that came into effect on January 1 this year. “The major issue is that one of the qualifications required for the Queensland licence does not specify […]
A new licensing framework has been introduced in Queensland. Workers now require a Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licence for mechanical services work. According to the QBCC, “improperly installed and maintained heating and cooling systems can lead to dangerous bacteria growing and spreading through systems in facilities such as aged care, hospitals and shopping […]
Rules are changing for fire safety practitioners in NSW. From April 2020, only accredited persons under the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) will be authorised to endorse plans and specifications of some fire safety systems. While this will initially apply to the design of wet and dry fire safety systems, HVAC design is expected to […]
In March and April, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) will be presenting seminars on the National Construction Code (NCC) in capital cities around the country. The 2020 NCC seminars will focus on answering common technical enquiries concerning the application of the NCC Volumes One and Two, and information relating to the changes contained in […]
Last year the government ran information training sessions on the new energy labels that will soon start appearing on air conditioners. It has now placed a suite of information related to the content of the information sessions on the Energy Rating website. This includes a series of videos based on the information sessions. The videos […]
Chemours has suspended the supply of refrigerants with a high global warming potential (GWP) in the European Union, including R404A (GWP 3,922) and R507A (GWP 3,985). The move supports the European Union F-Gas Regulation to lower-GWP alternatives and prepare for the next quota phase-down in 2021. On January 1, 2020, a prohibition came into effect in […]
From August 15, 2020, the replacement Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Refrigerated Cabinets) 2019 will come into force in Australia. The changes in the 2019 Determination include: The addition of refrigerated storage cabinets, ice-cream freezers and scooping cabinets to the product classes of refrigerated cabinets that are regulated for energy efficiency The assessment of refrigerated cabinet performance […]
The Department Of Mines, Industry Regulation And Safety – Building And Energy is holding a free information session on the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (CRIS) titled Reforms to the approvals process for commercial buildings in Western Australia. The CRIS will be published on Wednesday, December 11 and will be available from the Building and Energy website. The […]
The Victorian government is moving ahead with its plan for compulsory professional registration of engineers, and has released more information about when and how the scheme will come into effect. Consumer Affairs Victoria held a forum on Monday, December 2 with engineers who have previously expressed an interest in the engineers registration scheme. The forum […]
The Queensland government has confirmed details of its new mechanical services licence framework, including the need for Certificate III qualifications to perform nearly all refrigeration and air conditioning work. The regulation incorporates feedback from the consultation period earlier this year, and confirms the goal of raising industry standards and accountability. “The licensing framework recognises that […]