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• Newsletter Jun 08

Andrew O’Connor will hold the position for the next two years. Mark Lowe from Triple M Air Conditioning based in Sydney was elected to the position of National Vice President.

When addressing conference delegates Andrew O’Connor said that he was honoured to follow in the footsteps of many industry leaders. He commented he was the second person to occupy the position after it was held by his father. Greagh O’Connor held the position in 1997-1979.

Andrew praised the achievements of Bob Galvin in his two years in the position.

Andrew said that the achievements in further developing the national education agenda, improving the corporate image of the association, and our international relationships were all significant.

AMCA’s annual conference was held at the Sea Temple Resort Palm Cove, Queensland where 130 delegates and partners attended. International guests from the United States and New Zealand were also in attendance. The focus of the conference was on sustainability and the contribution that the mechanical contracting industry can make.

Keynote presentations were made by the environmentalist Rob Gell, consulting engineers Shane Esmore from Umow Lai in Victoria and Steve Wiggins from the United States. presentation was made to AMCA New South Wales, Executive Director, Norm Argent, who will retire at the end of October. Andrew O’Connor said that Norm has made a significant contribution to the association over the past 13 years. Andrew wished Norm and Narelle a long and healthy retirement.

This 155 page handbook has been revised by John Pilley and Vin Eddy of Pilley McKellar Solicitors with input from Hank Laan and Steven Zorbas, and is an essential tool for all those involved in the subcontracting industry.

Steve Wiggins was in Australia to deliver a series of seminars in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on design phase commissioning and to address the AMCA Australia National Council Meeting in Palm Cove, providing details of the LEED scheme in the USA and how it is impacting on the mechanical contracting industry.

Steve Wiggins said, “Commissioning is not an activity to be left to the end of the project as too often happens.” “In the USA”, he said, “enlightened clients understand to have an energy efficient operating building requires that commissioning be built into the process from the start.”

Steve Wiggins said that membership of the U.S. Green Building Council is growing at a rapid rate now after a slow beginning. By the end of 2007, there will be in excess of 11,000 members.

Also by the end of 2007, there will be in excess of 1 billion square feet of building under certification.
When looking for business opportunities in the future, Steve Wiggins said that retrofit commissioning is where the growth will occur.

ASHRAE approached NEBB to work with them in a proactive manner on the LEED certification system. NEBB, in particular, want to ensure that appropriate technically skilled people are involved in the certification process.
Steve Wiggins is one of the co-authors of the NEBB publication ”Design Phase Commissioning”.