Fair and affordable access to electrical Safety standards is the number one wish from Australian electricians this Christmas, in the wake of a “cash-for-access” push by the monopoly supplier Standards Australia.

Master Electricians Australia CEO Malcolm Richards said the industry had worked very hard in recent months to engage with Standards Australia to find a funding formula that would ensure ongoing access to vital safety Standards for everyone in the industry.

Mr Richards said Standards Australia planned to charge the electrical contracting industry an extra $30 million per year for access to Standards that the industry helps and pays to develop.

“There is no place for this cash-for-access approach to pricing a document that is so vital to the quality of electrical work and the safety of all Australians,” Mr Richards said.

“The number one thing Australian electrical contractors need this Christmas is fair and affordable access to electrical industry safety Standards.

NOT UP TO STANDARD: Read the full Statement of Agreement from 15 trade associations and training organisations

“That’s why Master Electricians has led this campaign for fair and reasonable access fees from Standards Australia, which already boasts $361 million in net assets and $60 million in annual revenue.

“Over recent months we’ve had a range of industry forums and meetings with various levels of Government to sound alarm bells about the likely impact of such a sharp and sudden increase in feed.

“At best these additional costs will be passed on to consumers, and at worst will just be too much for some businesses to pay.  This could result in increased use of out-of-date or illegal copies of the Electrical Standards, meaning electricians may not always be working in line with the latest technical and safety best practices.

“These are serious concerns, and the Standards are vitally important documents for our industry.  They shouldn’t be available only to those with the biggest bank accounts.”

Master Electricians Australia has proposed a reasonable and manageable subscription model that could be collected from electrical licence holders as part of their annual licence fee, which currently happens in New Zealand.

“Standards Australia is a not-for-profit organisation, which supposedly exists to develop Standards.  However, considering industry invests a significant amount of money, expertise and intellectual property into that process, it’s time that Standards Australia stopped treating us as a cash cow.”

Malcolm Richards is available for media interviews.
Please contact the SAS Group on 07 3221 9222 or 0467 792 013

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