As we come to the end of another year I would like to thank all of the members and sponsors of the NSSA for your support and commitment to our Association this year. 2017 has been a very big year and a lot has been achieved. It has been a year of building the foundations and developing the structure for the association to operate effectively and efficiently. Unfortunately, this is not very glamorous work, and it isn’ t the type of work that provides a lot of short term benefits to the members. But nonetheless, it is critical work that must be done to ensure that the NSSA can deliver real value to its members into the future.

Achievements for 2017:

• Re-incorporated the Association.

• Ensured that the legal structure was sound.

• Developed a new constitution.

• Elected a new Board, with representatives from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

• Set up a new Technical Committee.

• Redeveloped the members’ AS 5039 auditing process and trained a number of new auditors.

• Commenced membership audits, to help both support and educate fabricators to understand their requirements as a business and the requirements of the Australian Standards

• Redeveloped the website.

• Created a new section within Windows magazine for both the promotion and the engagement of the security screen industry called Screens.

• Grew our membership from a low, but very loyal base of 35 members to over 100 + nation-wide.

• Developed a number of other key messages and certificates to support the quality work that these members produce.

• Attended Fenestration Australia 2017 in Fiji alongside the AWA.

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our Association this year. Whether you have joined one of our forums, worked on a project, joined the board or a committee, completed a survey or just expressed your thoughts or ideas to me about what you think we are doing well, or what we could do better. Any contribution and feedback to the Association has been enormously appreciated and I would like to thank you for your effort and contribution this year.

WORDS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

TRACEY GRAMLICK

Executive Director & CEO, Australian Window Association

Welcome to this final edition of the magazine for 2017. I would like to start by personally congratulating all of the Fenestration Australia Design Award winners. I would also like to thank all of those who sponsored and attended our first international conference in fabulous Fiji and made it such a memorable event.

If I look back and pick a highlight off the list of the many industry achievements, projects and initiatives for the year, I would have to say that the increasing awareness of and focus on product conformity and compliance stands out for me. The significant amount of work by so many parties( over a number of years) that we have been privileged to contribute to and support is formidable. From presenting at the Building Ministers’ Forum, responding to government and regulatory papers, joining committees with the Australian Industry Group’ s Conforming Product Alliance and the Master Builders Association Queensland; the list goes on.

We finish the year with the amendments to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 and the Queensland Building and Construction Regulation 2003 in relation to non-conforming building products.

These amendments were effected through the passage and proclamation of the Building and Construction legislation( Non-conforming Building Products – Chain of Responsibility and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2017 and will, no doubt, be used as a litmus test for the drafting of similar legislation in other states and territories. They have also published a Code of Practice designed to provide additional, technical advice on how to achieve compliance with the recent amendments. They include the obligations of the suppliers / manufacturers to pass on information to the owner( but is silent on the installers’ obligation) and the fact that suppliers / manufacturers must communicate the suitability of the product, how to install it and how it must be used. Suppliers will also not be able to limit their responsibility through exclusions clauses in their sales paperwork.

It’ s a great start to tackling this dilemma but there is a long way to go. Rest assured we will be front and centre representing your interests along the way.

Finally, thank you for your support of the Association. I would like to wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and happy and prosperous new year.

WINDOWS MAGAZINE 3

WINDOWS Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 5