Document Ref : N0903
Committee Number: BD-074
Committee Name: Termites
Meeting Number: 12
Meeting date(s): 10 and 11 February 2009
Start time(s): 9.30 am on 1st day and 9.00 am on 2nd day
Duration: 2 Days
Location: Standards Sydney office 20 Bridge St Sydney L10 Meeting Room 2
Chair: Dr Don Ewart
Secretary: Mr Adrian La Manna
1 Attendance / Apologies / Constitution
Organisation
Australian Building Codes Board
Australian Consumers Association
Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association Limited (AEPMA)
Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association Limited (AEPMA)
CSIRO Entomology
Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia-Cement
Clay brick and Paver Institute
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland
Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation
Forests New South Wales
Housing Industry Association
Chairperson representing Total Environment Centre Inc.
Institute of Building Consultants
Local Government and shires Associations of New South Wales
Master Builders Association
Standards Australia
Timber Preservers Association of Australia
Information member
Invited Guest
Termite Action Group, Mr Andrew Campbell
2 Opening of the meeting
The meeting was opened at 9.30 am by Dr Don Ewart, (acting as interim Chair) on the 1st day and he thanked all the members for attending. The Secretary advised that that a Permanent Chair would be nominated during the meeting and they would open the meeting on the 2nd day.
As a nomination process was completed on the first day, it was confirmed by the committee and Standards Australia that on the 10 February 2009 Dr Don Ewart was made the Chairperson of BD-074.
2.1 Apologies
As the meeting started it was noted that the committee constitution had somewhat changed and The Chairperson ask for all to give a brief description of who they were, their Nominating organisation. All members complied and there were no vested interests noted that would stall or tarnish the development of the Standard.
The Secretary advised the committee that the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) representative made an apology and would not be able to attend. This announcement was received with great disappointment, dismay and frustration as the committee was convened as requested by the ABCB’s letter dated 22 April 2008.
2.2 Confirmation of the agenda
The Chairperson confirmed the agenda on behalf of the committee.
2.3 Evacuation Procedures
Evacuation procedures were explained and forwarded to committee by the Secretary.
3 Confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes from the previous meeting were confirmed by the committee.
4 Current Work Items
4.1 General
The meeting was held in Sydney over two days and all outstanding issues regarding the Termite standards were to be discussed. From the last meeting it was resolved that three working group parties will carry out the review of AS 3660.1 and AS 3660.3. However in this meeting it was decided that no external party be involved in the working groups and only the current members of BD-074 be placed in the working groups.
Two of the working groups will be involved with the redrafting of AS 3660.1 regarding the sections of Physical and Chemical Barriers and the third working group will be directly involved with AS 3660.3 and the redrafting of a testing Protocol for the types of Termite management systems that are to be used in practice.
4.2 Termite Action Group (TAG) Presentation, Presented by Mr Andrew Campbell
Mr Andrew Campbell of the Termite Action Group, (TAG), was invited by Standards Australia to give a presentation to Australian Standards BD-074 Termite Management, on 11 February 2009 between 10 am and 11 am. During this presentation the following was noted
The secretary made it clear from the start of the presentation that Standards or the BD-074 Committee did not endorse the presentation content or the opinions TAG.
Concerns regarding the existing Standard and the use of Barrier status for physical management systems were expressed throughout the presentation. There were also comments on the different building practices such as waffle pods and badly constructed concrete slabs.
The committee stated that they and Standards were not the watchdog for bad building practices. BD-074 only are writing a Standard on the MINIMUM requirements for Termite risk management
Comments on the reticulation systems used in construction were also passed on regarding the Christmas tree effect.
The committee stated that there was no data to suggest that this phenomenon was occurring in real life and what factors were causing this to happen. They asked for evidence from TAG regarding the Christmas tree effect to be sent to the committee for their perusal and comment.
TAG also commented on the Standards being a performance based Standard and Deem to comply.
Mr Andrew Campbell then notified BD-074 that he was personally asked to run an emergency meeting of the Termite subcommittee of the BCC by Mr Ivan Donaldson at the ACCC offices on the 3rd of October 2008.
Mr Andrew Campbell expressed concerns that The ACCC had over the use of the word “barrier” in describing physical systems for the risk management of termites. TAG stated that there was difficulty in pursuing builders and manufacturers that were constructing and placing substandard termite risk management systems in dwellings. TAG had suggested that the ACCC would like the use of word “barrier” removed.
The committee asked for a letter from the ACCC stating there dissatisfaction of the word “barrier” and their reasoning for it. This letter was to be sent to Standards not TAG for action.
The next full committee meeting will be called once Project numbers have been allocated to the new revisions of AS 3660.1 and AS 3660.3. Once this has been completed and the appropriate Standards development pathway and strategy is allocated work of the three working groups will commence. The main committee will review the proposed new sections and incorporate it for a proposed new document and get it ready for a public comment draft.
It was also noted that No Committee member finds the current Australian Standard on Termite Management, namely AS 3660.1, AS 3660.2 and AS 3660.3 technically incorrect. However the committee do believe that the Standards should be reviewed to incorporate new developments and to reflect acceptable industry practices used in the field of termite risk management.
It has been noted that if the revision of the AS 3660.1 and AS 3660.3 Standards do not go the Standards driven pathway, it will be unlikely that the Standards will be revised, as no nominating organisation will fund a revision of what the committee see as Termite Standards that are serving the wider community as best as possible.
5 Meeting close
Meeting was closed at 3.00 pm on the second day by the Chair.
6 Action list
1. Secretary and Chair to complete the Project selection tool documentation for the new Project Numbers for AS 3660.1 and AS 3660.3.
2. Secretary to provide a word copy of the documents AS 3660.1 and AS 3660.3
3. Secretary to write a letter to Mr Ivan Donaldson of the ABCB about their absence at the meeting held on 10 and 11 February 2009 at Standards Australia’s office in Sydney.
4. TAG to provide letter from ACCC regarding the use of the word Barrier in describing Physical Systems to Standards Australia and BD-074.
5. TAG to provide Standards Australia and BD-074 a copy of the Slideshow presentation that was shown on the second day of the two day meeting at Standards Australia’s head office.
CONFIRMED AS A TRUE AND CORRECT RECORD
