As 2021 comes to a close, I’d like to thank our members, contributors, stakeholders and staff for their ongoing commitment during another challenging year.

We approached this year with the goal to make standards more affordable and accessible to the end user.

I am very pleased to be able to report that this goal was realised and achieved many times throughout the year:

In April, we successfully launched the Standards Store. The store is a big step in transforming service delivery. Increasing ways customers engage with Standards Australia while supporting our licensing and distribution framework will allow content to be used more broadly across the economy.

November saw us partner with the Housing Industry Association, Master Builders Association NSW and launch our innovative Small Business Sets.

In addition to providing greater accessibility to standards, we also focused our efforts on developing and implementing collaborative tools to support customers. 2021 saw us launch the Voice of Customer program, which utilises targeted surveys to understand what we’re delivering well and where we can progress. This program will help us better work with our many contributors and customers, enabling our organisation to meet their needs.

We have also made much progress in 2021 on our international engagement work. Standards Australia was elected to new international governance groups, including the ISO Council, the IEC Council Board (CB), the IEC Conformity Assessment Board (CAB) and the Chairman’s Advisory Group of the ISO committee on developing country matters (DEVCO). We are also a member of the ISO.

These significant appointments add to our existing position on the IEC Standardization Management Board (SMB) and ISO Technical Management Board (TMB) and give Australia a voice on the organisations’ policy, operational and strategic direction.

Next year, we look forward to continuing to support our stakeholders through the development of standards that enable our communities and increase our contribution and influence at the international level. We will continue to drive initiatives that generate more value and become even more accessible to Australian industries.

On behalf of Standards Australia, I thank you again and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

— Adrian O'Connell, Chief Executive

For almost 100 years, Standards Australia has been developing standards to support safer communities, boost economic growth and influence global standardisation.  One of our goals is to promote better access to standards at an affordable cost.  

This year, we launched our online Store along with a subscription service called Small Business Sets. The NCC Primary References Set bundles together 214 standards referenced in the National Construction Code. A three-year subscription costs approx. $2.50 per day.  

Learn more here.

Australia is positioning itself to take part in the international standards committee ISO TC 20/SC 16 Unmanned Air Systems.

The official scope of this committee is “Standardization in the field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) including, but not limited to, classification, design, manufacture, operation (including maintenance) and safety management of UAS operations”.  

The group has published five standards and has 25 projects under development. Standards Australia facilitated a workshop to brief Australian stakeholders on current works and how they can get involved to ensure the Australian industry positions itself well in the international market. The first committee meeting of the Australian experts will be early 2022.

Read more here.

Seatbelts are a vital safety feature in any car. However, not everyone can rely on seatbelts alone; people living with disabilities, people who require modified seatbelts, pregnant women and pets all require additional accessories on seatbelts to better suit their safety needs.

Standards Australia Committee CS-075, Seat Belts for Use in Motor Vehicles, has launched a project to develop the world’s first standard on accessories for seatbelts used in motor vehicles.

Learn more about the project here.

2022 marks Standard Australia’s 100th birthday. Our centenary year provides us with the opportunity to recognise the beneficial work we have delivered alongside our dedicated members, contributors, stakeholders and staff.

We will celebrate the people that have contributed their expertise and have helped shape our organisation throughout its history; our ‘Standards Heroes’.

Throughout 2022, we’ll be profiling a selection of our ‘Standards Heroes’ on our website and social media platforms, highlighting their accomplishments and how they’ve impacted the world of standards. We’d like to invite you to put forward a nomination for consideration for a hero to profile.  These nominations can include people with established careers, up and comers and anyone positively impacting their industry and the associated standards. We’re looking for interesting and engaging individuals whose stories will inspire people to get involved.

If you have a nomination, please let our team know by emailing Marketing@standards.org.au with their name and why you think they’re a Standards Hero.

Please note, a nomination is not a guarantee of inclusion.

Standards Australia has admitted its first new Members under a new Company Constitution adopted in March 2021. Standards Australia congratulates the Caravan Industry Association of Australia; Safety Institute of Australia trading as Australian Institute of Health and Safety; and the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) on their recent admittance as Members.

Organisations interested in Membership of Standards Australia should review the new criteria, which is intended to broaden the company's membership, with the aim of ensuring that membership continues to grow Standards Australia's relevance and reach, and better reflect the communities we serve.

Information regarding our Members and the criteria for Membership is available here.

‍Enquiries regarding how to apply to become a Member and requests for a Membership Application form are welcomed by Standards Australia and should be directed to our Company Secretary.  

To keep our catalogue contemporary and relevant, we are seeking feedback on a number of Aged Standards (documents over ten years old), belonging to inactive Technical Committees. Let us know if these standards are still used by your industry or community by Friday 17 December 2021.

Learn more on our Aged Standards Review page.

The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions. With the launch of our new public comment platform, draft standards currently open for comment are now available via Connect.

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.

Click here to view our highlights from December (PDF).

• Promoting cultural and geographical diversity
• Recapping ISO and IEC governance and leadership in 2021
• Invitation to an international workshop on live streaming marketing services

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The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions. With the launch of our new public comment platform, draft standards currently open for comment are now available via Sectors page.