co m p l i a n c e
A REVIEW OF BUILDING
PRODUCTS COMPLIANCE
FOR 2016
TRACEY GRAMLICK
Executive Director & CEO
Australian Window Association
T
he work addressing non-conforming
and non-compliant products in the
building and construction sector
continues unabated. With a federal
government election earlier this year, there
was a distinct possibility that this important
industry matter would lose momentum or
disappear completely. Thankfully, this is not
the case as industry product associations
work together in an unprecedented and
cooperative manner.
In June 2015, the Senate referred an inquiry
into non-conforming building products to the
Senate Economics References Committee
for inquiry and report. After a number of
extensions, time ran out when the election
was called and a report was not made.
On 11 October, 2016, the Senate agreed to
the Committee’s recommendation that this
inquiry be re-adopted in the 45th Parliament.
The Committee is now set to report by 25
May, 2017. All correspondence and evidence
previously received for this inquiry has been
made available to the new Committee. This
means that submissions already provided to
the Committee about this issue do not need
to be re-submitted.
This report will be made with particular
reference to the economic impact of
non-conforming building products on
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Australian Window Association
the Australian building and construction
industry; the impact of non-conforming
building products on industry supply
chains, including importers, manufacturers
and fabricators, workplace safety and
any associated risks, costs passed on to
customers, including any insurance and
compliance costs and the overall quality
of Australian buildings. It will also examine
and identify possible improvements to the
current regulatory frameworks for ensuring
that building products conform to Australian
standards, with particular reference to the
effectiveness of policing and enforcement of
existing regulations, independent verification
and assessment systems, surveillance and
screening of imported building products and
restrictions and penalties imposed on nonconforming building products.
The AWA recently met with Senator
Xenophon and his team to reinforce our
commitment and support in driving this to
an outcome that our industry and members
can embrace as the playing field really starts
to level.
Other concurrent work is also underway
with the Australian Building Codes Board
(ABCB) reviewing the Evidence of Suitability
(A2) provisions in the National Construction
Code (NCC). The Building Products
Innovation Council (BPIC), of which the
AWA is a member, has prepared an Industry
Position Paper on behalf of its members and
the wider building industry to help inform
this review.
Current provisions in the NCC relating to
building product Evidence of Suitability (A2
provisions) have not essentially changed
since the first edition of the Building Code
of Australia in 1988. However, the market has
evolved considerably and a review of the
provisions is now urgently overdue. Building
product fraud usually takes the form of NonConforming Building Products (NCBPs).
NCBPs are products and materials that claim
to be something they are not; do not meet
required standards for their intended use;
or are marketed or supplied with the intent
to deceive those who use them. Rectifying
building work that has used non-conforming
building products, whether knowingly or not,
is time consuming, costly and unproductive.
It is essential to minimise the risk of
nonconforming building products entering
the supply chain.
The AWA is always conscious that its
manufacturer members who do the right
thing and meet the code of conduct,
including active participation in the AWA
third party accreditation and audit program
through its NATA accredited inspection
agency, are being disadvantaged against
those that fail to test and confirm that
products meet Australia’s compliance
standards.
The AWA accreditation scheme is held in
high esteem with regulators and industry
alike and conforms to all of the international
standards necessary to meet the potential
emerging requirements under discussion.
The scheme now includes not only window
and door manufacturing but energy ratings,
bushfire products, security screens,
safety glass, restricted openings and the
international Qualicoat surface finishing
audits.
Regular readers will know that the AWA
continues to work relentlessly, representing
the industry in as many forums and on as
many work groups and committees as they
practically can in order to drive change on
this issue. Please contact the AWA office for
any further information or access to any of
the papers referenced here.
For more information, contact the AWA National
Office on 02 9498 2768 or [email protected]