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E L E CT R I C AL CONNE CT I ON
S P R I NG 2 01 6
A word from the CEO
By the time you read this issue of
Electrical
Connection
the Federal election will be behind
us, the UK has voted to leave the European
Union and the race for the White House will
be well under way. So change is certainly in
the air as I write this update.
Key to us at NECA is that our policy issues
remain top of mind when our politicians return
to Canberra in July, post-election. We have
used this opportunity to remind all major
parties that we have updated our policies to
reflect the current issues our industry is facing.
(Please see the story on the following page
which lists both the existing policies and the
additional policies we have added to the 2016
summary – which you can also find on our
website under Advocacy.)
As we move into the new financial year
there is another landmark we are celebrating.
It’s 100 years now since the first NECA entity
opened its doors to members, in Victoria. The
following year, 1917, our first President was
appointed. As a result we are celebrating our
centenary over the financial year 2016/17.
We kick-off the party at our Excellence
Awards in Melbourne – which is always the
first of the state- and territory-based events,
and plan to conclude things with a President’s
dinner at our industry conference in 2017 – in
Australia this time, given this landmark event
in our history.
On the topic of industry conferences, the
2016 conference in Stellenbosch, South
Africa, in April of this year was a huge
success. We had 260 delegates and a very full
agenda. Our two keynote speakers – Glenn
Platt from CSIRO and Martin van Rensburg
from CISCO both gave thought-provoking
presentations on the challenges the industry is
facing. Particularly with respect to innovation.
And the closing presentation from local TV
personality, and medical doctor, Michael Mol
left everyone feeling totally committed to
achieving a better work/life balance.
The selection of photos in this update will
give you a taste of the fun had by all!
In September we will be kicking-off the next
Market Monitor industry research. Given the
success of the 2015 study, this will once again
be available to everyone in the industry and
conducted exclusively online.
And so, as we head into the final quarter of
what has definitely been an interesting year for
us at NECA, I wish you well.
Best regards,
Suresh Manickam
A new industry information
portal
CSIRO recently announced its
acquisition of the Centre for Liveability
Real Estate and the intellectual property
for its sustainability framework from
the Hooker Corporation. The Banksia
Award-winning platform was developed
in collaboration with sustainable
design and construction industries and
provides training, research, strategy
and communication services to the
residential real estate industry.
NECA is one of the founding content
partners.
The site helps real estate agents to
promote properties with the potential for
reduced running costs and increased
comfort in a way that is more easily
recognised at point of sale or rent. While
buyers, or tenants, can easily see if a
residence has enough bedrooms and/or
a well-designed kitchen, it’s not as easy
to determine if it will be warm in winter,
cheap to run, or if it has a large impact
on the environment. Liveability aims to
bring these features to the forefront of
any real estate transaction and potentially
influence property values.
“It’s all about delivering a better
experience for buyers, sellers, tenants
and investors by empowering them to
find or create their ‘best home’: healthy,
efficient, comfortable and connected
to their community,” adds NECA CEO
Suresh Manickam.
Liveability adds to CSIRO’s existing
research in residential energy efficiency
and aligns with its wider climate change
mitigation work. Their work in this area is
enhancing sustainability awareness within
the 9.6 million Australian residences that
are responsible for approximately 11% of
the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“CSIRO is at the forefront of research
into our impact on the planet and what
we can do to live more sustainably –
through Liveability, it’s possible to identify
the best ways to be eco-friendly and
be comfortable in our homes,” CSIRO
research director Dr Stephen White says.
For more information check out the
NECA website Consumer section.