Representing our members, the WADIC committee, and our industry as a whole makes my role worthwhile.

For those who are not members, and don’t know the point of being a WADIC member, it is easily explained by the following statement which encapsulates why we exist.

WADIC works tirelessly on minimising the financial costs for WADIC members (who are small to medium timber window and door manufacturing businesses) due to inappropriate legislations, standards, and other business restrictions and financial imposts.

WADIC assists members by supplying them with the tools to assist them to be compliant, and at the same time, remain commercially competitive. WADIC is a loud voice for the small to medium joineries and the important role they play in industry matters.

As per this statement, one such tool for our members is now complete:

FABRICATOR TRAINING

As of 1 September 2015, 43 licensed fabricators were trained on new products from the Western Red Cedar proprietary product range of windows and doors, which were tested to the Australian Standard 1530 – Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures 2007. This testing was specific to Part 8.1 – Tests on elements of construction for buildings exposed to simulated bushfire attack – Radiant heat and small flaming sources (AS 1530 8.1) of the standard, which was appropriate for these products in areas prone to bushfires.

The course was an all-day session, with 60 members attending on behalf of the fabricators WADIC represents. The additional products fabricators are now trained on include sliding door and window systems and two variations of double hung windows. One double hung window system incorporates a counter balance system and the other a spiral balance system.

It is now possible to supply a complete household of tested products with a bushfire rating of up to Bushfire Attack Level 29 (BAL 29), including all of the levels below. Currently the 43 licensed fabricators listed on the WADIC website have representation in New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Victoria, and Tasmania. All fabricators have Australian Standard 2047 – Windows and buildings – Selection and installation (AS 2047) compliant products, which have also been thermally rated.

The website is continually updated, so in order to confirm the current status of a license it is necessary to check online. You can contact the WADIC head office directly on 02 9700 8798, or alternatively email bronwyn.foord@wadic.org.au.

All fabricators have a license number which is displayed on their individual certification on the website. When choosing a fabricator for these products it is critical that they are listed on the website in order to avoid any unauthorised companies duplicating or using the WADIC system if their license has expired.

AS 3959 CONSTRUCTION IN BUSHFIRE PRONE AREAS

WADIC now sits, in its own right, on the committee for the ‘deemed to satisfy’ Australian Standard 3959: Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas (AS 3959).

As the WADIC general manager I am the representative who is, and will always be, attending these sessions as well as the collaborative working groups that feed into this standard development.

This is a very exciting prospect, and now the Timber Development Association (TDA) can enjoy the support of another timber focused association like WADIC.

I believe this is a direct result of the extensive bushfire testing WADIC has undergone over the last three years. We will now be less reliant on other associations representing us on this standards committee, and we will have an opportunity to express the benefits of timber in this type of forum. WADIC is, I believe, the only association which has done extensive testing and can share scientific and tested results with the other standard committee members.

This has not been possible in the past, with testing responsibilities falling on individual companies, and results becoming part of intellectual property that cannot be shared publically.

This has not been possible in the past, with testing responsibilities falling on individual companies, and results becoming part of intellectual property that cannot be shared publicly.

It should also be noted that others involved with the testing process, such as engineers and technicians, are restricted from sharing information for that same reason.

With this in mind, WADIC is in a position to give this standards committee exclusive insights, which were never previously afforded to it.

WADIC’S MEMBERS SHOWCASED

Bushfire Building Expo’15 Conference, Blue Mountains
This conference was the first of its kind and was hosted by the Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise (MBEE). The MBEE have positioned themselves as a leader in the area of building in a bushfire prone area.

I was invited along as a speaker with a very prestigious group of individuals including Rob Rogers, director of operational services at NSW Rural Fire Service, Keith Nicholls, manager of Australian Product Testing at Exova Warringtonfire Australia, Professor Ross Bradstock, director at the Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at the University of Wollongong, Dr Ian Weir, research architect at the Queensland University of Technology, and more. The conference’s master of ceremonies was Jenny Brockie, host of the Australian television program SBS Insight.

The conference was highly successful, with many delegates travelling from all over the nation to attend and participate.

The Timber Design Awards 2015
WADIC, for the third year in a row, was a bronze sponsor of the Timber Design Awards for the category ‘EXCELLENCE IN THE USE OF TIMBER PRODUCTS: Timber Windows and Doors’.

The 2015 award was bestowed to Schulberg Demkiw Architects, for their project titled ‘Beach Avenue’.

The manufacturer of the windows and doors was Victoria’s LBA Joinery. This was the judges’ choice, and I am proud to say that LBA Joinery are a long-standing member of WADIC, and again demonstrate the quality of our WADIC members and the standard they produce.

To remaining finalists in this category were Invermay House by Moloney Architects and Little Reef House by Richard Cole Architecture.

The view the full list of entrants go to www.timberawards.com.au/winners, and enjoy some amazing works showcasing the very best in timber design practices.