House Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage
Managing the Flow - Regulating plumbing product control
September 2007
Canberra
© Commonwealth of Australia 2007
ISBN 978-0-642-79021-7 (printed version)
ISBN 978-0-642-79022-4 (HTML version)
Contents
Foreword
Membership of the Committee
Terms of reference
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations
Chapter 1 Background
Chapter 2 Regulating plumbing product quality
Appendix A – List of submissions
Appendix B – List of exhibits & Roundtable discussion
Appendix C – Stakeholder and standards relationship diagram
Appendix D – Summary of plumbing egulatios, by State/Territory
Appendix E – National summary of state water efficiency regulations for plumbing products
Foreword
While we might be tempted to consign the issue of plumbing product quality, and the regulation thereof, to the realm of technical professionals and legislative drafters, the Committee would argue that a failure to adequately control the manufacture, importation, sale and installation of plumbing products could have serious public health and environmental implications for Australia.
The environmental significance of the effective regulation of plumbing product quality is crucial, both in safeguarding Australia’s scarce water resources from avoidable contamination and providing the foundation for water savings. Ultimately, we would hope, it could also contribute to longer-term sustainability goals.
The Committee was alarmed to hear evidence about the role that plumbing products of sub-standard quality can play in the spread of dangerous diseases. For example, during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in 2000, the failure of plumbing products at Amoy Gardens permitted the further spread of the disease. Cases like these highlight how vital it is to control the quality of plumbing products throughout Australia.
It was, therefore, disappointing and troubling that evidence to the Committee revealed deficiencies in the current regulatory arrangements for plumbing product quality. The Committee felt that the lack of coordination between State/Territory jurisdictions and, indeed, even between the national mandatory schemes (Water Efficiency Labelling Standards and WaterMark Certification), is a problem for industry, consumers and the Australian community.
There is a pressing need for improvements to be made to the cohesion, consistency, understanding and enforcement of the current regulatory arrangements for controlling plumbing product quality.
Dr Mal Washer
Chair
Membership of the Committee
Chair |
Dr Mal Washer MP |
|
Deputy Chair |
Ms Jennie George MP |
|
Members |
Mr Russell Broadbent MP |
The Hon Duncan Kerr MP |
|
The Hon Warren Entsch MP |
Mr Stewart McArthur MP |
|
Ms Kelly Hoare MP |
Mr Ken Ticehurst MP |
|
Mr Harry Jenkins MP |
Mr Jason Wood MP |
Committee Secretariat
Secretary |
Ms Janet Holmes |
Inquiry Secretary |
Ms Samantha Mannette |
Administrative Officers |
Ms Jazmine De Roza |
|
Ms Fiona McCann |
Terms of Reference
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage will inquire into the regulation of plumbing product quality in Australia, examining in particular:
- the appropriateness and effectiveness of the current plumbing product quality regulatory arrangements
- scale of environmental benefits from controlling plumbing product quality
- trade implications of controlling plumbing product quality
- potential improvements to the plumbing quality regulatory system
- the appropriate level of government to administer plumbing product quality regulation, that is, the states (as is now) or the Commonwealth.
List of abbreviations
AEEMA |
Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association |
APCB |
Australian Plumbing Codes Board |
AS/NZS |
Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard |
ATS |
Australian Technical Standards |
CAB |
Conformity Assessment Body |
COAG |
Council of Australian Governments |
DFAT |
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |
HIA |
Housing Industry Association |
MPMSAA |
Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia |
NPAA |
National Plumbing Associations Alliance |
NPRF |
National Plumbing Regulators Forum |
PCA |
Plumbing Code of Australia |
PIAC |
Plumbing Industry Advisory Council |
PIPA |
Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia Ltd |
PPI |
Plumbing Products Industry |
SA |
Standards Australia |
WSAA |
Water Services Association of Australia |
WELS |
Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards |
WMCS |
WaterMark Certification Scheme |
List of recommendations
2 Regulating plumbing product quality
Recommendation 1
The Committee recommends that the Department of the Environment and Water Resources, in consultation with industry and the community, take immediate action to progress their investigation and to implement appropriate minimum water efficiency standards for all plumbing products under the WELS Scheme.
Recommendation 2
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government act to make the necessary legislative changes to establish WaterMark Certification as a prerequisite for compliance with the Water Efficiency Labelling Standards Scheme.
Recommendation 3
The Committee recommends that the Department of the Environment and Water Resources examine its current enforcement practices for the WELS Scheme.
Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that the National Plumbing Regulators Forum, take a lead role in exploring, in consultation with government and industry stakeholders, options to improve the audit and enforcement profile for ensuring plumbing product quality in Australia.
Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that COAG explore options for constituting a national coordinating body that can take responsibility for improving the coordination and cohesion of regulatory arrangements for controlling plumbing product quality in Australia, including the mandatory schemes, relevant standards and their application across jurisdictions.
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