Page 18 - Climate Control News Magazine

In Focus
Lights out for manufacturing jobs hit by NCC proposal
A NEW GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL WILL TURN OFF THE LIGHTS ON ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S FEW REMAINING VIABLE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, ACCORDING TO THE LIGHTING COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA (LCA).
THE PEAK INDUSTRY body has joined forces with other industry groups to oppose proposed changes to the National Construction Code (NCC).
LCA membership is made up of companies that provide nearly 5,000 manufacturing jobs across the country, with thousands of downstream jobs reliant on the survival of the industry.
LCA acting CEO, David Crossley, said its members manufacture high-quality, bespoke lighting fixtures for lighting installations across Australia.
“We’ve seen too many manufacturing compa- nies driven to the wall and we’ve seen that once we lose manufacturing jobs, they are gone for good. Government needs to step in and halt this proposal before it is too late,” he said. The NCC regulates the design and construction of new buildings and redevelopments across the country.
Under the proposal, which is slated to take ef- fect in July 2019, existing allowances for decora- tive lighting will be significantly reduced. The
“THIS IS A SUCKER PUNCH TO AN INDUSTRY THAT SHOULD BE THE DARLING OF GOVERNMENT,” LCA ACTING CEO, DAVID CROSSLEY SAID.
specific change refers to Section J6 of the Na- tional Construction Code.
LCA national marketing and environment manager, Roman Gowor, said the 2019 draft substantially changes the treatment of lighting compared to the 2016 Code.
He said that under the 2016 Code, there was a single general allowance that was sufficient for general and decorative lighting.
“The 2019 draft increases the complexity of the NCC by now separating general and decora- tive lighting,” Gowor said.
The proposed general lighting allowance will be reduced by 50- 80% (compared with the 2016 NCC) and also includes a separate sliding scale allowance of 0.4% – 15% (based on the 2016 NCC fig- ures) for decorative lighting de- pending on the type and size of the building. “I’d also highlight that decorative lighting is the language used in the Code but it is some- what of a misnomer.”
“Decorative lighting” refers to es- sentially all non-general/non-task lighting, and is probably better thought of as architectural lighting.
“The restrictions under the new Code would affect indirect, accent and cove lighting, as well as wall brackets, pendants, uplights and floor or table lamps,” he added.
Gower said the reductions in overall allowances will impact on the decora- tive lighting market, increase the complexity of design work and result in bland buildings
and spaces.
“Bureaucrats in the Commonwealth Govern-
ment have put forward a revised NCC that dra- matically cuts the scope for architectural and decorative lighting in commercial buildings. Get ready for a return to bland, Soviet-style buildings,” he said.
“The Code will affect all new builds and rede- velopments across Australia. In addition to costing jobs, this proposal will dramatically re- duce the ability of designers to make buildings anything but drab and sterile.”
The concerns of lighting manufacturers and suppliers are echoed by lighting designers and engineers. The manufacture, design and engi- neering of decorative lighting supports a fur- ther 2,500 jobs across Australia and $400 mil- lion worth of economic activity annually. I
lluminating Engineering Society (ANZ)
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
18