Registering products?
How to register
To register a product, you need to submit the following material for assessment:
- a completed application - preferably online (WELS online registration system )
- test report(s) showing compliance with the WELS Standard
- a sample label
- the registration fee and
- written advice from the manufacturer acknowledging that you may apply for registration if you are not the manufacturer of the product(s) to be registered.
The time taken for registration depends on the complexity and completeness of each application. The average product registration approval time is currently four to six weeks. The registration is effective and the product legal to supply from the date of publication of a notice in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.
Testing and certifying your products
As part of the registration process you must demonstrate your manufactured or imported products meet the WELS Standard. You do this by providing WELS with laboratory test reports and other relevant product certifications showing that the water consumption of your products has been tested in accordance with relevant standards.
The National Association of Testing Authorities has listed accredited testing laboratories and these are available set out in the contact list mentioned below. More information on testing is in the WELS Suppliers Guide - Laboratory testing and maintaining quality of water efficiency performance in WELS products.
If you have a Standards Australia WaterMark certification which is out of date you need to update it and provide certification and water efficiency test reports to meet the current registration requirements for AS/NZS 6400:2005.
The contact list for registering products for the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme contains contact details of accredited bodies for WELS certification, and NATA accredited laboratories that undertake testing of WELS products. These contact details may be useful for those wanting to register WELS products.
Zero star rating
Even if your product does not meet the WELS Standard, it still needs to be labelled. To be able to label your product with a zero star rating you still need to provide test reports from an independent testing laboratory or product certifying agency showing it does not meet the WELS Standard.
'Family of models' and 'sets of minor products'
Two or more WELS products can be considered in the same 'family' if each product has the same:
- manufacturer
- brand name
- water efficiency rating
- performance and
- relevant water efficiency or performance characteristics.
The WELS Regulator may declare two or more WELS products to be 'a set' of minor products if the manufacturer's application shows:
- each product has the same manufacturer and brand name and
- less than 100 units of each product is expected to be sold each year.
Online registration
WELS products are registered through the online registration system. This saves your time by:
- providing 24-hour access to your current, past and pending registrations
- allowing you to copy the details in an existing registration as the basis for a new application
- alerting you to omissions or inconsistencies as you complete your registration and
- speeding up processing.
Use the WELS online registration system to register all WELS products. If you have questions regarding registering online, please contact WELS at wels@environment.gov.au or call 1800 803 772.
Passwords and instructions
To protect your records from unauthorised viewing you need a username and password to access the online registration system. You can apply for these through the WELS online registration system .
You will be contacted by email within five working days and given your log-on details and instructions. More detailed instructions for registering online are in the users' manual.
If you already have a username and password, you can go straight to the WELS online registration system to start the process of registering your product.
For further information about product registrations contact WELS at wels@environment.gov.au or call 1800 803 772
Fees
It costs AUD$1,500 to register a product, a family of models, or set of minor products. The registration fee is determined in the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Determination 2005 .
The preferred and quickest method of payment is by electronic funds transfer or EFT. Alternatively, the registration fee can be paid by cheque or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only).
When paying, you must provide the WELS Record ID number so that the payment can be linked to your application. This means you need to submit your application before you pay.
Once paid, a tax invoice/receipt will be posted to you.
If you request a tax invoice prior to payment, please allow a week for this to be provided to you.
If you are making a payment from outside Australia, the intermediary bank might charge a fee. It is your responsibility to ensure that the full AUD$1,500 is transferred as payment of the WELS registration application fee. Any bank fees will need to be paid by you in addition to the $1,500.
If you would like any further information, please contact WELS at WELS@environment.gov.au or on 1800 803 772.
Electronic payments
Transmit payments to:
Account Name: DEWHA
Bank: Reserve Bank of Australia
Bank Address: 20-22 London Circuit Canberra ACT 2600
BSB: 092 009
A/c No: 115859
Currency: Australian Dollars
Sort/Swift Code: RSBKAU2S
Credit card payments
Please phone 1800 803 772 to make a credit card payment.
N.B. Only Visa or MasterCard are accepted.
You will need to provide:
- the relevant WELS Record ID number/s (5 digits)
- your business name and postal address
- the name and telephone number of the person authorising payment
- type of credit card: Visa or MasterCard
- card number
- 3 digit security code (last 3 numbers on reverse side of card)
- card expiry date and
- name of card holder.
Cheques
Cheques should be made out to the Collector of Public Monies and posted to:
Collector of Public Monies
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
PO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Make sure you include the WELS Record ID number with your payment.
Registration approvals
Once your application has been approved or otherwise you will be notified by email. If you are successful, formal recognition of your product registration will also appear in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette Government Notices and the details of your registered product will appear on the WELS product search database.
Registration of a WELS product normally lasts for five years.
If the Minister makes a change to the WELS Standard that affects the registration of your product, it may need to be re-registered.
Registered products database
Find the water consumption and star ratings details for a range of products that carry a water rating label. Search the registered products database
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