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“We have written to Minister Gentleman urging him to immediately halt the new laws, on the basis that they are impossible to comply with, inconsistent with national safety rules, and are not the rules the government’s own policy set out in April this year,” said HIA Executive Director, Greg Weller.
“The new regulations require that any cutting, drilling or grinding products that contain silica must use ‘wet-cutting’ to manage the risk of harmful dust, for all products in all situations. This includes working in indoor areas with electrical tools.
“The industry whole-heartedly supports the intention of preventing harm from this dangerous dust, however, the physical tools to comply with this strategy and use water simply don’t exist.
“The use of water in close proximity to electrical equipment will introduce unacceptable safety risks to workers.
“While the government might say this is best practice and driven by safety concerns, it is inconsistent with the approach to managing this risk in the rest of Australia, and the world.
“WorkSafe ACT made the very sensible decision in June to give industry a three-month exemption from the rules while further discussions take place. However, there has been no indication as to what (if any) changes the Minister will make before next Monday. It is not reasonable to leave the industry in the dark with only days to go before the exemption ends.
“HIA has requested the Minister change the regulations to align with the government’s policy to permit controlled dry cutting for specific products where water will create a risk.
“These tools can be made safe using other approved methods and should be allowed in the ACT as they are across the rest of Australia.”
HIA provided a response to the Discussion Paper on Inspection Policies for Proposed Practice Direction Updates.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) today welcomed the City of Launceston’s decision to take its proposal to reduce ordinary working hours to 30.4 hours per week off the table at this time, recognising the importance of maintaining council capacity to support local business, housing delivery, and the broader community.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has today released its 2026 Planning Blueprint Scorecard, revealing a growing divide between states embracing bold reforms and those stuck in a ‘business-as-usual’ approach.
“Over the last 25 years, the price of the typical new residential lot of land in Victoria has risen more than four times faster than construction costs,” stated HIA Executive Director Keith Ryan.