Last week we spent time involved in two very important conversations about the future of standards in Australia.

On Tuesday, we launched our NEXTgen program: an expanded, more comprehensive Young Leaders initiative. It is truly inspiring to be part of such an initiative investing in some of Australia’s brightest next generation of leaders. It’s even more exciting to be introducing them to the world of standards.

I had the opportunity to meet this year’s cohort at their kick-off in Sydney and I was impressed by the enthusiasm of all 20 NEXTgen participants.

Then on Wednesday, together with our Chairman Richard Brooks, we hosted a meeting of stakeholders in Adelaide. We discussed the work we are doing to make engaging with us better, everything from Incubator projects to our Technical Governance Review.

More importantly, we were able to hear directly from colleagues in South Australia about the importance of standards to their work, professional and personal lives.  

Thank you to everyone that attended in Adelaide, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us to continue the conversation.

—Dr Bronwyn Evans, CEO

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Last week Standards Australia launched the rebranded NEXTgen program and welcomed the next generation of technical experts and industry representatives.

The NEXTgen program’s ambition is to future proof the development of Australian Standards by creating a robust succession plan for committee contributors.

Learn more about the program on our website or watch this video.

The global effort to increase water efficiency has been given a clear plan ahead following a recent meeting of international experts in Sydney.

‍Read more on our website.

Carol Grossman has been Director of Australia’s Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) program in the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources since July 2016. WELS is a consumer labelling scheme that reduces water demand by requiring domestic water-using products to be labelled with water consumption information. Carol has worked on sustainable use of water and other natural resources in the Australian Public Service since 2007. She has also conducted research at CSIRO and lectured at the Canberra Institute of Technology.

‍Standards Australia: The international committee for water efficient products recently met in Sydney. What were the outcomes of the meeting?

‍Dr Carol Grossman: The committee agreed on the scope of an ISO standard on rating of water efficient products, and resolved to establish a working group to draft the standard over the next 18 months. We also agreed on a model that would let countries maintain their national product standards but provide consistency on how products are tested and rated for water efficiency. The standard, ISO 31600, Water Efficient Products – Rating, will include water efficiency ratings and key test requirements for water-using fittings and appliances such as showers, taps, toilets and washing machines. These products are currently included in Australia’s Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme.

‍SA: Tell us about WELS, Australia’s water labelling program, and how it has inspired this international work.

‍CG: Australia’s WELS scheme saves water by informing consumers about water efficiency at the point of sale. Consumers use this information to choose fittings and appliances that will save water and reduce their utility bills. Water savings from WELS are expected to reach over 200 billion litres per year by 2030 - enough to fill 80,000 Olympic swimming pools every year. And in our region, Singapore, China, Malaysia and New Zealand are also saving water through labelling programs similar to ours. An international standard for water efficiency labelling will increase consistency across labelling programs and make it easier for more countries to realise the water-saving benefits. It was great to have representatives from seven countries at the recent meeting, all committed to improving water efficiency in their own countries and globally.

‍SA: How can Standards Australia better collaborate with stakeholders?

‍CG: The recent collaboration between WELS and Standards Australia on an international standard is the latest step in a long partnership. We have been working effectively together for over a decade on the standard underpinning WELS and related product standards. In our experience, staff at Standards Australia have been knowledgeable and responsive to our ideas, and the work to obtain ISO approval and start developing the new standard has been a true collaborative effort.

‍SA: What do you think is in the future of standardisation?

‍CG: I’d like to see greater public understanding of the value and benefits of standardisation. In Australia we have an expectation that products and systems will work as intended, but many people are unaware of the standards that underpin regulations. As standards move to address modern issues like blockchain and smart cities, their relevance may become more apparent to the general public. This will be made easier if the standards themselves can become more accessible, both in terms of costs and in the way they are presented.

We are accepting proposals for new or revised standards until 5pm Friday 31 August 2018.

Detailed information on how to submit a proposal can be found on our website.

As the three year amendment cycle for the National Construction Code (NCC) is now in full effect, there is a greater need than ever to plan ahead for documents intended to be referenced as a “Deemed to Satisfy” solution.

Standards Australia is encouraging proposals for NCC 2022 to be submitted as soon as possible. Speak early with the Stakeholder Engagement team to learn about how you can work out the best proposal strategy.

For those interested in plumbing, Standards Australia has extended the deadline for the AS/NZS 3500 series to be referenced in NCC 2022. We will be accepting proposals until the end of October 2018, with a view to commence the consolidated revisions in early 2019.

For advice, or to discuss any proposals, contact Senior Stakeholder Engagement Manager Alison Scotland on 02 9237 6088 or Alison.Scotland@standards.org.au.

World-leading practices feature in the latest guidance for life saving gas detection equipment in coal mines across Australia and New Zealand.

‍Read more on our website.

These popular, complementary workshops will be held in Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This is your last chance to book as sessions are filling up quickly.

The workshop covers the principles of writing clear, performance-based standards, with exercises in-class to delve further into some of the finer points of drafting. How to Write an Australian Standard is a fun, interesting and challenging interactive learning session which will give you the knowledge and tools to be more confident in contributing to your committee’s projects and have a greater understanding of the standards development process.

**Please note that we are experiencing a technical issue with the Events page on the Academy. If you wish to enrol, please contact Academy@standards.org.au at your earliest convenience.

Upcoming workshops — remaining seats
11 Sep, Adelaide — 3 spots left
13 Sep, Perth — 4 spots left
19 Sep, Canberra — 5 spots left
20 Sep, Sydney — FULL
21 Sep, Sydney — FULL
25 Sep, Melbourne — FULL
26 Sep, Melbourne — 5 spots left
28 Sep, Brisbane — 2 spots left
7 Nov, Brisbane — 5 spots left
13 Nov, Melbourne — 4 spots left
15 Nov, Sydney — 5 spots left

For and queries or further information in relation to these workshops, please contact Joan Beal on 02 9237 6052.

Standards Australia represents Australia on the two major international standards development bodies, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Our activities are reported on our International Updates page.

Highlights from August (PDF):

• Circular economy: would a regenerative system create a more sustainable world?
• Improving customer satisfaction with updated ISO series of standards
• Protecting data with quantum cryptography

Access the latest standards development news in your industry sector via our Sectors page.

The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions. View draft standards currently open for comment.