The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released the first stage of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 preview to familiarise stakeholders with the major changes. The first stage of the release contains most of the amendments finalised for NCC 2022, including: New livable housing features to assist people with disability and through more stages […]
Industry stakeholders have applauded a revised International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) safety standard that will allow larger charges of flammable refrigerants in household appliances such as air conditioners, heat pumps and dehumidifiers. In particular, it could open the way for greater use of hydrocarbons in residential air conditioning. Standard IEC 60335-2-40 deals with the safety of […]
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has issued a corrigendum for NCC 2019 that delays the changeover to new testing requirements for passive fire protection systems. Previously, as of May 1, 2022, these systems were to be tested to the latest version of AS 1530.4; this has now been pushed back to September 1, 2022, […]
A small note to the schedule of referenced documents in the National Construction Code that is set to activate on May 1 could cause big non-compliance risks with fire dampers, according to some industry sources. The issue relates to the testing standard AS 1530.4 for fire dampers called up in the National Construction Code (NCC). […]
The Victorian Business Licensing Authority has approved the AIRAH Professional Engineer Register (APER) program under the Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019. This follows the approval for the APER in Queensland in 2021, and represents the next step of AIRAH’s plan to provide a professional registration scheme for HVAC&R building services engineers across the country. AIRAH […]
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has confirmed the preview and adoption dates for NCC 2022, and has scheduled a series of seminars around the country to present the key changes. As previously reported, the adoption of NCC 2022 has been delayed until later this year due to the disruptions to industry caused by the […]
Standards Australia has revised the standard AS/NZS 5033:2021 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays to support the growing solar panel industry. According to Standards Australia, almost four million solar photo-voltaic (PV) panel systems have been installed across Australia in the past 20 years, which has seen a dramatic reduction in overall costs. Solar […]
As professional registration schemes commence across Australia, practitioners in the refrigeration sector are looking for a clear statement from government on which parts of their work will fall under the new regulations – and calling for alternative qualification pathways. On July 1, 2021, the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 came into effect in New […]
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is urging workers to submit their applications for occupational and site supervisor licences ahead of the January 1, 2022 deadline – and to take advantage of the alternative pathway arrangements that finish this week, on September 30. According to the QBCC, assessment officers have seen an increase in […]
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is contacting organisations within the HVAC&R sector to discuss responsibilities regarding packaging waste in Australia. As industry, government and consumers strive to improve waste avoidance and the recovery of waste through recycling, there is significant focus on implementing a circular economy for packaging to benefit businesses, society and the […]