InkWELS - April 2010
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
WELS review has commenced
The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme has been in operation for five years and is now due for mandatory review under the terms of its legislation: the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005.
The review’s terms of reference and a discussion paper are available at www.environment.gov.au/welsreview. Submissions can be lodged at this website or emailed to welsreview@environment.gov.au.
Alternatively submissions can be mailed to: WELS Review Secretariat, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601.
Submissions will be accepted over a four week period from 8 April to 7 May 2010.
Further information is also available by calling 1800 218 478.
Inspectorate and compliance visits
Ensuring compliance with the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 is an important aspect of the WELS scheme. WELS officers check compliance through visits by field inspectors to premises that supply WELS products. Supplying products covered by the WELS scheme that are unregistered, unlabelled or incorrectly labelled constitute a breach of the Act and as a consequence may result in enforcement action such as fines, or prosecution.
Latest WELS market research findings
In 2009 the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts commissioned Solutions Marketing and Research to conduct a tracking survey. Repeating research conducted in 2007, the tracking survey was aimed at investigating consumer and industry awareness of the WELS scheme.
The research was conducted in all states and territories and in metropolitan and regional areas.
This latest research showed unprompted awareness of the scheme among household consumers has remained steady at 61 per cent and dropped for non-household consumers from 66 per cent to 56 per cent . However, once prompted both groups showed an increased awareness of the WELS label over those surveyed in 2007.
Both the household and non-household consumers associated a high level of credibility with the WELS scheme, with:
- 92 per cent of both groups indicating the water star ratings assist in purchase decisions;
- 91 per cent of household consumers and 93 per cent of non-household consumers indicating the water efficiency labels were influential in decision making on purchases of water-using appliances, and
- 78 per cent of household consumers and 68 per cent of non-household consumers indicating that water efficiency labels are credible.
The findings of this and future consumer research will assist the WELS team in developing and targeting WELS scheme communications and other activities.
Update on Whitegoods Regulation Impact Statement
This Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) considers minimum water efficiency standards for clothes washers and dishwashers and water efficiency labelling for combined washer-dryers. It is now at the decision RIS stage and is with the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR). The OBPR should be releasing this shortly.
