10 minute read
Branch Update
WA WA BRANCH BRANCH
BRANCH UPDATE BRANCH UPDATE
Carl Copeland Carl Copeland
NECA WA Branch Secretary NECA WA Branch Secretary
Members in this sector expect a considerable increase in work in the near future. The strong prices for gold and iron ore in particular have ensured that members working in the resource sector are also enjoying strong demand for electrical work. NECA Technical is taking as many, if not more, calls than it was before COVID, which indicates there are still lots of members performing work. There is obviously still a long way to go in terms of a full recovery but it does seem that Western Australia is better placed than other states at present.
Industrial Manslaughter Legislation
Sometimes there are critical pieces of legislation that industry has to fight tooth and nail to prevent; the Western Australian Government’s proposed industrial manslaughter legislation is such a law. It is vital that all contractors familiarise themselves with this legislation because it will criminalise workplace accidents. The Government’s proposed industrial manslaughter law exposes business owners to up to 10 years in jail and a $2.5million fine if an accident occurs on your worksite – even if you haven’t been reckless or negligent. It is vital that members understand the risks they could face under the worst parts (e.g. Section 30B) of the Western Australian Government’s proposed Workplace Health & Safety Bill. Section 30B is unique to WA. It is not found in any other state or territory.
ALTHOUGH MARKET CONDITIONS REMAIN DIFFICULT, IT IS PLEASING TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR THAT THE Excellence and Apprentice Awards VARIOUS GOVERNMENT STIMULUS PACKAGES AIMED AT INCREASING More than 400 people attended the NECA WA Excellence and Apprentice Awards THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES IS HAVING A POSITIVE EFFECT. at The Westin Perth on Friday, 25 June 2021. The evening is one of our highlight events for the year, showcasing our industry’s most exceptional projects and best performing apprentices. Thank you to everyone for the time and effort they put into preparing their nominations, and for attending the event. It was wonderful to celebrate our industry in person, after being unable to hold the event in 2020 due to COVID-19. NECA has met with the Minister for Industrial Relations, Bill Johnston, and personally expressed our concerns to him. We were particularly adamant that the legislation must contain defences that protect contractors whose safety practices meet the legislative requirements. Special guests included Yaz Mubarakai MLA, Member for Jandakot, Saj Khan, Building and Energy’s Executive Director, and Tiffany Allen, CEO of the Construction Training Fund. It is ridiculous to have a situation where a business owner has implemented safety practices that ensure compliance with all of their WHS obligations and yet can still be subjected to prosecution. A huge thank you to the event sponsor Clipsal and Schneider Electric for their ongoing support of this event and our industry. Go to page 16 to find out more about WA’s winning apprentices and projects. Good luck to NECA has lobbied the McGowan government, as well as the Liberal Opposition and cross-bench members of Parliament, as part of a coalition of more than twenty other industry associations who also oppose this legislation. those of you who will be representing I encourage every Western Australian our state at the National Awards. business owner and director to read the Regional Industry Nights joint submission to government that NECA WA has made along with the other The General Manager of Member Services, Aidan O’Grady, and I have been visiting many regional locations over the past few months to host NECA Industry Nights and meet with members. We have appreciated the opportunity industry associations. The submission, which is on NECA WA’s website, is more than 20 pages long but it is critical that you understand the potential implications for you, your business, your co-workers and your family. to learn more about what is impacting Members can be assured that NECA WA members and how we can help in areas will continue to fiercely oppose this such as Port Hedland, Karratha, Broome, legislation in its current form. Kununurra, Kalgoorlie and Busselton. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy Security of Payments Legislation these events. Regional members from The State Government has also recently across our state are very engaged during released its long-awaited draft Security the presentations and eager to hear of Payments legislation. This is vital about what is happening in the industry. legislation for NECA members and for NECA’s Industry Nights are also a great subcontractors in general. opportunity to hear directly from the Western Power and Building and Energy Inspectors who now attend the events. This direct access to inspectors is something that members have requested for a number of years and it is proving to be very beneficial for both members and the inspectors. Between now and the end of the year, we will be holding NECA Industry Nights in Narrogin, Bunbury and Geraldton –I look forward to speaking with many more of you at those events. To register, visit https://memberarea.necawa. asn.au/Home/EventCalendar.
Skills Shortage in the Electrical Industry
Without a doubt, a serious lack of labour is a critical issue that members are experiencing in the regions. It’s not uncommon to hear comments like, “If I could, I would hire five new guys tomorrow,” or “I don’t even answer calls from new clients. I just don’t have enough staff to do any more work.” This is a common issue in the Perth metro area as well. I recently attended the Government Skills Shortage Summit, where NECA and several other industry associations strongly urged the government to urgently assess means by which more labour can be safely brought into our state. The current skills shortage is having a detrimental effect on members and their businesses, and it needs to be urgently addressed. We need to develop ways that satisfy industry’s desperate need for more labour while responding to community concern about the spread of COVID-19.
NECA WA Board of Directors
I would like to congratulate Chris Sweeting from Westwide Electrical Services who was recently elected as President of NECA WA. Chris takes over from Peter Beveridge of Williams Electrical. My sincere thanks to Peter for his commitment and dedication to the role over the past two years.
I would also like to welcome three new NECA WA Board members - Oliver Forster from ODF Electrical, Andrew Lucas from ADL Electrics, and Dan Bailey from HTR Electrical. Dan also runs the recently opened Tradie HQ in Osborne Park, a unique co-working space for tradespeople. If you haven’t visited Tradie HQ, I urge you to take a look - it’s a fantastic concept with extensive benefits for many businesses. Visit www.tradiehqwa.com.au to find out more.
Western Power recently released the new Western Australian Service and Installation Requirements (WASIR). It is important to note that this document supersedes the Western Australian Distribution Connections Manual (WADCM).
It’s a large document with more than 300 pages, but the bulk of the most relevant changes are in Sections 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
The clauses in these sections cover the greatest number of changes which directly affect new, altered and/or upgraded connections. As is the norm, you have six months to apply the requirements, but the sooner you start using the new rules the better. The new rules come into effect on 1 February 2022. Clause 2.4 ‘Application’ provides additional specific detail on exemption criteria options. The WASIR is available on the Western Power website at www.bit.ly/wasirneca or on our Technical Knowledge Base (TKB) at www.necawa.zendesk.com.
Vale Owen Pallier
It’s with great sadness that we acknowledge the sudden passing of Owen Pallier from Gallows Electrical in Cowaramup in a tragic car accident. Owen was a very active member of our industry in the South West and had been a member of NECA for a number of years. Our deepest sympathies go out to Owen’s family, friends and colleagues.
The Clean Energy Council
I regularly receive feedback from members about the Clean Energy Council (CEC) - the vast majority of which is negative. It seems that there is room for improvement in regard to how the CEC is interacting with members. In response, I have organised a meeting with key senior managers of the CEC to discuss its role within the industry. If you have an issue regarding the CEC that you would like addressed during this meeting, I encourage you to contact myself on (08) 6241 6100 or carl.copeland@necawa.asn.au. I would be more than happy to add your concerns to the agenda. The CEC has an enormous amount of influence in the renewable energy sector and they must be held accountable to industry for their actions.
Electrical Group Training (EGT)
EGT has continued to recruit aggressively in June and July despite the COVID-19 lockdown at the start of July, taking on thirteen new apprentices in June and twenty-seven new apprentices in July. We still have unmet demand from our loyal host employers and thus will continue starting new apprentices, aiming to recruit fourteen new starters every three weeks to meet industry’s requirements. July also saw an increase in apprentice wages after the Fair Work Commission increased the minimum wage by 2.5%. This increase flowed down to the Modern Award for most of our apprentices from 1 July, but EGT did not pass this increase on to host employers until 2 August and we have done everything we can to keep the impact on host employers to a minimum. There has also been some movement in the adult apprentice space, with EGT continuing to recruit for sixteen Indigenous and/or female adult apprentices, to take part in the Construction Training Fund (CTF) pilot program. We now have nine of sixteen places on this pilot remaining. We also have an approved budget to fullyfund up to nine more adults who don’t fit the CTF program criteria and are recruiting for funded positions on the State Government’s new $5.2 million Jobs and Skills WA Adult Apprenticeship Employer Incentive program. These programs mean we can employ adult apprentices and hire them out at the same charge-out rate (normal hours) as our junior apprentices. Funding in this space is welcome and long overdue and EGT will continue to take advantage of these opportunities for the benefit of our host employers. At the recent NECA WA Excellence and Apprentice Awards, EGT host employers and apprentices represented in most categories and took out multiple awards. Congratulations to all apprentice and host employer nominees and winners and thank you for your ongoing support.
College of Electrical Training (CET)
In possibly one of the steepest ‘V’ curve recoveries seen in recent years, apprentice numbers have returned to levels that haven’t been seen since the mining boom. Whilst this is encouraging, it has been challenging to get apprentices into training as quickly as we would like. This has also coincided with the transition from the UEE11 training package to the UEE20 version. ‘Perfect storm’ is an understatement, but one we are well prepared to weather. CET has been working with our development team, the Department of Training and Workforce Development and other stakeholders (including TAFE), to ensure that the needs of industry are met. Additionally, maintaining strong relationships with the local members of parliament has ensured that we are tapping into future electricians, as they navigate their final years of schooling while undertaking the Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start) pre-apprenticeship.
After some lean commencement years, it certainly is appreciated that employers are investing again in training of apprentices; they truly are the future of our industry.
NECA WA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NECA Industry Night, Geraldton
Master Builders Association, Geraldton Thursday, 14 October 2021 4.30pm – 6.30pm
NECA Industry Night, Bunbury
Quality Hotel Lighthouse, Bunbury Thursday, 28 October 2021 4.30pm – 6.30pm
NECA Industry Night, Narrogin
Duke of York Hotel, Narrogin Thursday, 4 November 2021 4.30pm – 6.30pm
