WOBO is pleased to provide current news items from Australia.

CPD – new energy efficiency micromodules now available

We’ve released new NCC continuing professional development (CPD) micromodules on energy efficiency compliance options for commercial buildings and houses.

Our free NCC CPD micromodules have been developed for CPD providers to deliver as part of their own CPD activities.

Seven micromodules are now available on topics including building and plumbing regulation, condensation management, livable housing design and energy efficiency.

If you’re a CPD provider and would like access to our NCC CPD micromodules, find out more and apply now on the ABCB website.

WaterMark Technical Specifications – open for public comment

The ABCB has released 2 revised WaterMark Technical Specifications (WMTS) for public comment. Once published, these Specifications are intended to be adopted within the WaterMark Certification Scheme.

• WMTS:055-2023 sets out requirements for plastics bodied fittings with intermediate flexible joints for sewer or drain applications.
• WMTS:519-2023 sets out requirements for plastic bodied couplings with included elastomeric element that provides limited flexibility and are utilised in non-pressure rigid pipeline systems.

Comments on the proposed draft changes to these existing documents can be made until 10 November 2023.

Find out more and submit your comments in our Consultation Hub.

Building Practitioner Misconduct – What is the Legal Test for Finding of Practitioner Misconduct in Victoria and NSW? 

All professional misconduct determinations are based on the decision makers “reasonable satisfaction” that misconduct has been proven against the practitioner. However, not all errors are tantamount to unsatisfactory professional conduct. Read Article

Have engineers lost sight of purpose?

The construction and engineering sectors have lost sight of their purpose, and their pursuit of profits often comes at the expense of local communities.

That’s the view of Ben Schnitzerling, Co-founder and director of Red Fox Advisory, an infrastructure design consultancy quickly making a name for itself as an industry maverick that finds ingenious solutions to projects others have simply missed.

“I’m a proud engineer, but our profession needs to change the vernacular and be more courageous in our craft,” he told create. “There’s been a real shift in the last 15 years towards making more and more money from each project rather than thinking about solving the problem and doing the right thing.”

That’s not fair: Engineering better contract terms

An engineer-turned-construction lawyer breaks down what engineers need to know about upcoming changes to laws governing contract terms.

Engineering firms operate at the cutting edge of technology, working on projects of ever-increasing complexity. But when a venture doesn’t go as planned, your firm might find itself disadvantaged by unfavourable contract terms.

To avoid a cash flow crunch, engineering firms, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), frequently enter contracts where the risk is not always balanced with appropriate opportunity.