Branch update

WA BRANCH

WA BRANCH

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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 WA’s new WHS laws VARIOUS GOVERNMENT STIMULUS PACKAGES AIMED AT INCREASING WA’s new Work Health and Safety THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES IS HAVING A POSITIVE EFFECT. (WHS) laws took effect on 31 March. This is the first major revision in 30 years, bringing together all safety regulations for general industry, mining and petroleum under the NECA has met with the Minister for Industrial one act. It also broadly harmonises Relations, Bill Johnston, and personally the WA regulations with national expressed our concerns to him. We were requirements (excluding Victoria). particularly adamant that the legislation must contain defences that protect We encourage members to familiarise contractors whose safety practices themselves with the new legislation meet the legislative requirements. and requirements. It is essential that It is ridiculous to have a situation where you have safe processes in place that a business owner has implemented demonstrate you are doing all that is safety practices that ensure compliance reasonably practicable to fulfil your with all of their WHS obligations and yet duty of care in regard to the new WHS can still be subjected to prosecution. laws. Transitional periods apply. NECA has lobbied the McGowan government, as well as the Liberal Circuit breaker as the Opposition and cross-bench members of main switch - requirement Parliament, as part of a coalition of more from 1 February 2022 than twenty other industry associations who also oppose this legislation. One of the most common queries currently being responded to by neCA Technical relates to the requirement for I encourage every Western Australian business owner and director to read the joint submission to government that a circuit breaker as the main switch for NECA WA has made along with the other all new or altered connections supplied industry associations. The submission, by the Western Power network. 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. Members can be assured that NECA WA will continue to fiercely oppose this legislation in its current form.

Security of Payments Legislation

The State Government has also recently released its long-awaited draft Security of Payments legislation. This is vital legislation for NECA members and for subcontractors in general.

The Western Australian Service and Installation Requirements (WASIR), released on 1 August 2021, details this requirement (refer to Clause 11.6.4.3) which became mandatory as of 1 February 2022. This requirement effectively sets the maximum demand by limitation and the circuit breaker should be rated to the network service capacity for the property. Most residential properties have the standard supply as the network service capacity, which is 63 amps for singlephase and 32 amps for three-phase in the metropolitan area and major regional centres. In all other areas, 32 amps applies for both single and three-phase. The requirement only applies to the main switch at the site main switchboard. An altered connection would include installation of solar, battery energy storage systems and electric vehicle chargers.

Changes to the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations allow apprentices to start supervised electrical work immediately

Recent changes to the electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (“the Regulations”) mean that new apprentices can now perform supervised electrical work while waiting for their electrician’s training licence to arrive. In essence, an apprentice will be deemed to have an electrical training licence for a period of 60 days from when they sign their training contract. This will allow employees two months from the date of the training contract to have an application for a training licence to be approved. More information about this change is available on page 40.

College of Electrical Training (CET) Update

CeT has continued to see an increase in apprentice numbers in the first quarter of 2022, with over 2,100 apprentices in training. When combined with the transition to the uee30820 electrotechnology Training Package, this situation presents a unique challenge, but one we are confident in meeting. Over the past six months we have welcomed some great new instructors and industry stalwarts to help meet demand. As part of CeT’s ongoing service expansion, we are offering more opportunities than ever in our preapprenticeship in school programs, as well as expanding into the high-risk training space. Being able to provide a one-stop-shop for apprentices, making them work ready from day one, will undoubtedly result in greater levels of safety and productivity.

We are pleased to confirm that equipSafe, one of WA’s best equipment and safety training businesses is now officially a part of eCA WA. This new venture means that we can now offer training in elevated Work Platforms, Scissor Lift, Working at Heights, Forklift Training, Confined Space and much more at a new location in Welshpool. In the future, some of equip-Safe’s courses will also be offered from our campuses in Joondalup and Jandakot.

Electrical Group Training (EGT) Update

As at the end of April, eGT had started 140 new apprentices. This number is slightly behind the budget of 168, reflective of the fierce competition for suitable applicants, which continues to rise. Total apprentice numbers peaked at 496 in April with demand (especially for the higher year apprentices) remaining strong. For the foreseeable future, eGT will continue with aggressive recruitment to meet host employer demands, aiming at recruiting 14 new starters every three weeks.

To source suitable applicants, eGT is looking outside of the box in terms of advertising and marketing, including commencing a partnership with the Perth Motorplex that saw eGT as naming rights sponsor to the eGT Drag Racing Grand Finals on 8 and 9 of April. It was wonderful to share this successful event with some of our most supportive hosts. The partnership resulted in increased activity on our website, which we are hoping translates into more suitable applicants. This is one of a number of affiliations we are looking at to get the eGT name out there, so don’t be surprised to see the eGT logo appearing more often in the public arena.

SWAN ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB

CREATING A SUCCESSFUL WOMEN’S SQUAD

THe COLLeGe OF eLeCTRICAL TRAInInG (CeT) AnD eLeCTRICAL GROuP TRAInInG (eGT) ARe PROuD SPOnSORS OF THe SWAn ATHLeTIC FOOTBALL CLuB’S WOMen’S SIDe.

Since their inception in 2020, the women’s side has enjoyed both on and off the field success, including a grand final win, a doubling in player numbers and importantly, successful integration into a club that has been fielding men’s teams since 1930.

We were pleased to speak to Sam Cavicchio, Coach of the Women’s Team, and Rebecca Bol, the Senior Women’s Captain, about the factors that have led to their many accomplishments.

Planning for success

Sam noted that a big part of the club’s success has been the planning that went into establishing the women’s side and the focus on integration. “A number of clubs have women’s sides, but not many have successfully integrated them,” said Sam. “That integration was important to us. We wanted a women’s team that was part of the club rather than being separate and stand-alone.” “To achieve this, we did a lot of planning. We didn’t create the women’s side on a whim. It was a strategic decision that relied on whole-of-club approval and a long-term commitment by everyone from the management through to all the players. In our discussions, we were clear about what we were doing. For us, introducing a women’s side was an enhancement for the club, to help it continue to grow. It wasn’t a side step.” “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved,” said Sam. “everyone was a bit tentative that first year, wondering how everything would work and how things would change. But overall, bringing in the women’s side has been almost seamless. After the first few games and social events, people saw that things were not going to change as far as what the club was about and what they’d created.”

Clear goals

The women’s side started out with 30 players, who went on to win the 2020 grand final. In their second year the side expanded to field two teams, with both enjoying finals success and both moving up through the grades. “Our main goal is to be an A-grade women’s club,” said Sam. “The club set that goal early on. We aren’t happy to stroll through the game - we want to be there and have a presence. But we also want to balance that by being a place where women of all talents and interest levels can play.” “We have a clear purpose,” said Bec. “To be positive and have fun, but to understand that fun and enjoyment comes from dedication and hard work, no matter what level you’re playing. It’s the effort put into training and games and our commitment to playing for each other, to the best of our ability. When they join, we make sure all players understand that.” Swan Athletic Football Club is a community club that brings together a broad mix of players. Skill levels vary, with some players having considerable experience while others are just starting out. Some members have joined via the Auskick pathway, while others started playing before those opportunities were available. The side includes ambitious players with their eye on professional sport, while others want to play for enjoyment and being part of something. All the women are at different ages and life points and have different reasons for being there. “The two teams allow us to cater to everyone,” said Sam. “The senior team caters for those who are more competitive or want to work their way up the ranks, potentially into professional sport. Our second team works for those who are still developing their skills, need flexibility in attending games or players who play for social reasons. Regardless of where people are at, having two teams enables us to provide a place for everyone.”

A culture of honesty, communication and participation

In addition to planning and engaging with everyone in the club, Bec and Sam attribute much of their on and off the field success to the culture they’ve created, particularly their focus on honesty and communication. “On the leadership side, the two team captains and coaches are all very open with each other,” said Sam. If there is a problem, we expect people to speak up and have the confidence to talk about it. Most things can be easily solved as long as there is honesty and understanding.” “It all comes down to our coaching,” said Bec. “We have two dedicated coaches who are focused on giving people confidence and helping them be the best they can be. They are both providing everyone with an opportunity to give footy a go, learn and see what they are capable of.” “We’ve been fortunate in our success on the score board, but we are also growing a culture that is not just about winning. We need something more than that,” said Bec. “We’ve worked to create other definitions of success whether it’s about skills development, or meeting a personal goal or someone playing their first ever game.” The coaches and captains have a strong focus on participation, showing that there’s more to being part of the team than just playing. It’s also about the community aspect and making a contribution.