splash dec jan 01 40

The voice of the Wet Industrywww.splashmagazine.com.au

December 2007/January 2008

WATER DIVERTERSWhat are the options?

What will Labor mean for small employers?

Piscina BarcelonaIdeas from Europe

DBP Forum update

WA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

contents

28

48

42ContentsINDUSTRY NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

What’s happening in the pool and spa industry

BOOK SHELF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Reviews and freebies

INDUSTRY CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Key dates to keep in mind

INDUSTRY MOVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Pool industry comings, goings and opportunities

WA POOL AND SPA AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Winners from the west

ENVIRONMENT ON THE AGENDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Latest developments in water and ecology

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SPANISH SPOTLIGHT . . . .28

Ideas from Barcelona

LABOR’S EMPLOYMENT PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

What does it mean for SMBs?

WATER DIVERTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

More choice in rain-saving ideas

SPLASH! GOLD COAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

What’s happening with the next big Aussie expo

DON’T DROWN IN BAD DEBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Nine steps to getting invoices paid on time

SMART TREND TOWARD SWIM SPAS . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Why the US is falling in love with them?

SPLASH! COMMERCIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

News and features from the commercial sector

RESEARCH RAISES MORE QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . .60

Report on the SPLASH! DBP Forum

A VIEW TO SWIM FOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Skyscraper pools with a harbour view

A WORLD OF WATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

A family trip to a spa-laden fun park

NEW PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

The latest equipment, materials and technology

SUBSCRIPTION FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

24

www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 3

editorial

Swimming Pool Lifestyle And Spa Hi-tech

The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the above supporters, nor should any product advertised in SPLASH! magazine be seen to be endorsed by the above.

As this issue arrives on your desk, we will be start-

ing to get used to Australia’s new government.

There are certain to be changes – perhaps even to

some fundamentals of the way Australia operates, such

as the balance between State and federal powers.

Undoubtedly, the industrial relations environment will be different, and inside

this issue we have a report from an employment relations adviser on what changes

small and medium businesses can expect.

There are other potential changes that could impact on our industry, and one

with the greatest long-term effects may well be to do with climate change. For

a start, we can expect more dialogue with other countries involved in the global

warming debate, starting with participation in Bali as a signed-up member of the

Kyoto club. This could in turn lead to greater regulation mandating energy conser-

vation and ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To some degree, we’ve had a head start in the Australian pool and spa industry,

as the issues of energy – and in particular, water – have been front of mind recent-

ly. While we’re on this topic, don’t forget to start on your entries for the SPLASH!

Environmental Awards (deadline March 31, 2008).

The Australian industry also gained some environmental kudos on the internation-

al stage recently with Waterco winning the Sustainability Award at the International

Pool and Spa Show in Barcelona. There is more on the show and their win, starting

on page 28.

We also have a report on the SPLASH! Disinfection By Products Forum on page

60. This was a very interesting afternoon, which more than anything, showed us just

how much we still don’t know about disinfection by-products in public swimming

pools. One thing was clear though – washing thoroughly before going into public

pools will make the situation considerably better. That made me think about the

onsen culture in Japan – and there is some more about that on page 64.

All of us here at SPLASH! wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas, and hope

the New Year brings plenty of new business with it.

Chris Maher

Editor

[email protected]

Welcome to SPLASH!

Average Net Distribution Per Issue, 4,419CAB Publisher’s StatementPeriod ended September 30th, 2007

Published by

The Intermedia Group Pty LtdABN 940 025 83 682Suit 39, Level 1, 100 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 AustraliaPh: (02) 9660 2113 Fax: (02) 9660 4419

Managing Director: Simon Grover

Managing Director Interpoint Events: Simon Cooper

Editor: Chris MaherPhone: 0412 048 639Email: [email protected]

Advertising Manager: David McLeodPhone: (02) 8586 6135Email: [email protected]

Production Manager: Jill Lehmann

Graphic Designer: Nathan Ford

Contributing Writer: Christina DiMartino

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Printed by: Bluestar Print

CopyrightAll material in this publication is copyright to the publisher and/or its contributors. No material may be reproduced with-out the express permission of the publishers.

DisclaimerThis publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the "Publisher"). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information.All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.Copyright © 2007 - The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd.

Proudly supported by:

Designed by Kann Finch Group and built by Custom

Leisure, this lap pool is sited about as close to the heart

of Sydney as you can get. The result is a brilliant view for

the Kent St residents to enjoy while they take in their

aquatic exercise. There is more on this and the other

pools in this project on page 62. The inset shot shows

an Exclusive Pools’ glass lap pool which won the In-

novation gold medal at the recent WA awards, which

are listed on page 24.

This issue’s cover


industry news

THE Master Builders Association (MBA) hosted a joint meeting with SPASA NSW at their headquarters in Forest Lodge during November.

The evening was presented by Paul Lawrence, MBA’s training manager, to explain joint SPASA/MBA initiatives to members and interested parties.

One was the creation of a Certifi cate Level IV Concrete Pool Building Train-ing Guide; the second was the new joint MBA/SPASA concrete pool build-ing contract.

The Certifi cate Level IV has been reg-istered in NSW and has been reviewed

by the Offi ce of Fair Trading (OFT), the Construction Industry Training Advisory Board of NSW (CITAB), and the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB).

SPASA and the MBA are waiting for it to be registered nationally so it can then be taught by any Registered Training Organisation (RTO) or TAFE.

Paul Lawrence said it is being fi nal-ised to be delivered nationally by the Construction Property Services Industry Skills Council within the new BCG07 national training scheme. The plan is that it will roll out early 2008.

According to Brian Hardiman of SPASA, the joint Concrete Pool Building Contract has taken the best aspects of

the existing SPASA and MBA contracts, and created a better contract for NSW builders and consumers. The contract will be badged with both organisation’s logos, and will be available to SPASA and MBA members.

The OFT representative, Joe D’Ermilio, acting director of licensing, commented that it was good to see this type of collaboration between SPASA and the MBA, as well as the constructive dialogue on practical issues between the members of the two organisations.

Numbered copies of the contract and the Certifi cate IV modules were distrib-uted to attendees, with feedback due back late November, after which fi nal decisions would be made on the content of both.

SPASA NSW AND THE MBA ARE FINALISING TWO JOINT INITIATIVES

Better training and contracts on the way

AT the time of writing, the changes to the NSW Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme were still being offi cially ticked off by the Offi ce of Fair Trading (OFT).

However, we can be pretty sure they will take the following form, to be imple-mented from January 1, 2008.

Builders and swimming pool builders will need to accrue 12 points per year.

They can earn one point per hour through an activity which has an identifi -able learning outcome. The training must

be delivered by interactive training such as a CD-ROM, workshop, web-based tool, forum or conference presentation.

They can earn two points per hour if the structured learning has an assessed learning outcome linked to either a rel-evant Australian University qualifi cation or a relevant national training package outcome, delivered by a registered train-ing organisation (RTO).

Additionally, a total of four points can be claimed in a single year compris-ing any or all of the following: one

point per year can be claimed by the builder or pool builder for each person employed under a formal training arrangement such as an apprentice-ship or traineeship. Where a partner or associate of the builder or pool builder undertakes CPD learning on behalf of the business, points can be earned as if undertaken by the licensee. Any surplus points may be carried forward for 12 months.

For further information contact the OFT or SPASA NSW.

CPD changes

The NSW Offi ce of Fair Trading (OFT) is targeting unlicensed building work on owner-builder sites.

In October, investigators from the OFT’s Home Building Service visited 234 owner-builder sites across Sydney to check compliance with home build-ing laws. This resulted in 47 penalty on-the-spot fi nes for offences relating to unlicensed or uninsured work and improper contracts.

The OFT has highlighted the issue of insurance. It is important that licensed contractors (builders, tradespeople and project managers) who directly contract with an owner-builder for work over

$12,000 (including materials supplied by the contractor) must provide Home Owner Warranty Insurance to the owner-builder. The minimum cover is now $300,000.

Some contractors have not been aware of this and are now facing fi nes from the OFT: seven contractors have been recently penalised $1500 each for failing to provide home warranty insurance.

Additionally, NSW Fair Trading Min-ister, Linda Burney, says that some of the 12,000 homeowners who obtained an owner-builder permit in the last year, did so in the misguided belief they could avoid laws requiring them to use appro-priately licensed builders.

“Regardless of whether you engage a builder to oversee your work, or become

an owner-builder, you must still use licensed contractors,” she says.

“Six homeowners were penalised $750 each for contracting with an unlicensed builder or tradesperson. This certainly eats into the money they believe they would be saving by be-coming an owner-builder and by using cheaper unlicensed traders.”

Other penalties included 18 contrac-tors being penalised between $500 and $750 in relation to unlicensed work; and 16 contractors penalised $250 for failing to provide a written contract or the contract having insuf-fi cient information.

For more information go to www.splashmagazine.com.au, where there is a link to an OFT fact sheet.

OFT lines up owner-builders……AND CONTRACTORS GET CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE


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industry news

FOCUS Products, platinum sponsors of the 2008 SPLASH! Expo, has organised the invitation-only Business Success Seminars to coincide with the big show on the Gold Coast.

The seminars commence on Saturday July 26, 2008 and conclude on Thursday July 31. To ensure their dealers can take

advantage of everything the SPLASH! Expo has to offer, Focus will be running courtesy transfers to and from the hotel for the duration of the show.

The Success Seminars are targeted at the owners of stores within the Focus dealer network, and will encompass guest speakers on everything from

dynamic ideas for retail store layout; marketing and advertising for profi t; and ideas for business growth.

The seminars have been designed to include enjoyable opportunities to network and liaise with industry col-leagues, while providing positive and practical benefi ts.

Focus seminars timed to make a big splash

THE Royal Life Saving Keep Watch program has attracted PoolWerx as a major sponsor for the next three years.

One of the key benefi ts of the spon-sorship is the ability of the 250 PoolW-erx franchises to get the Keep Watch message and literature directly into the hands of residential pool owners through the retail outlets and while they are on-site providing maintenance and enhancement services.

“What could be more local than help-ing ensure your family’s water safety in your own backyard?” says PoolWerx CEO John O’Brien. “In targeting Aus-tralian backyard pools as safe, healthy swimming environments, it means we can contribute not only dollars, but also experience and expertise.”

The Keep Watch program has ex-panded its focus in recent times and now incorporates a national media campaign;

a broad range of information for parents; in-service training of Community Health and Child Health Workers and custom-ised programs targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

This year’s campaign will remind parents to Keep Watch @ Public Pools, Keep Watch @ the Farm and Keep Watch @ Bathtime as well as using Pool-Werx’s expertise to maintain vigilance around the home swimming pool.

Partnership to save lives

LAURIE Lawrence, legendary swim-ming coach and child swimming activist, has set up free online swim classes to help parents give their children basic swimming skills.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children under fi ve in Australia. As part of the drive to reduce preschool drowning deaths to zero, Lawrence is offering fi ve free water safety lessons to parents across Australia this summer.

The water safety lessons are designed specifi cally for parents, carers and teach-ers of children under the age of fi ve. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers are featured in the program.

The lessons are communicated via an online interactive learning program, featuring video footage of Lawrence demonstrating swimming techniques, as well as quizzes and text documents that parents can download.

Over the fi ve lessons, parents will be educated on important elements of the learn-to-swim process such as independ-ence, conditioning children for submer-sion and free fl oating.

Parents will also learn more about his Do the Five message – fence the pool;

shut the gate; teach your kids to swim; it’s great, supervise; and watch ya mate and learn how to resuscitate.

The Kids Alive water safety lessons are available from www.kidsalive.com.au. To access the free lessons, you must fi rst become a member, which is free.

Using the net to save toddlers


industry news

THE fi ve year average for pool drownings is 33 per year; by comparison 2006/2007 was a bad year, with 39 drownings.

However, the biggest increase in drownings by loca-tion was at the beach, where 39% more people drowned than the fi ve-year average.

This year there was a decrease in the number of deaths on the fi ve-year aver-age for fi shing (52%), attempt-ing a rescue (38%), falling into water (18%), and diving (11%).

However, there was an increase in the number of people who drowned while swimming/undertaking leisure activities in water (22%), while on a watercraft (boat, board, jet ski, etc) (69%), and bathing (29%).

During the 2006/2007 year, 202 (73%) males and 75 (27%) females drowned, making males almost three times more likely to drown than females.

Drowning deaths in total are up by 5% on the fi ve year average.

Royal Life Saving (RLS) says this is partially due to the climatic conditions around Australia causing storms, fl oods, large surf and other conditions that place people at greater risk of drowning (there were 14 deaths of people who drowned while driving across or into fl ooded roads or were swept away).

There was an increase in number of drowning deaths against the fi ve-year average in all age groups except for the 0-4, 25-34 and 55-64 years. The largest increases were in the 5-14 years age group (54%) and 35-44 years age group (51%).

The report showed that 35 infants and toddlers lost their lives through drown-ing. This is a small improvement of 5.5% on the fi ve-year average but in targeting zero child drowning Royal Life Saving is reminding parents and carers of some simple strategies or actions that may save their child’s life. Put simply, Keep Watch and prevent your child from drowning.

“Whilst there was a small improve-ment in the 0-4 age group, 35 infants and toddlers lost their lives tragically through drowning,” says RLS CEO Rob

Bradley. “These prevent-able drowning deaths have a devastating impact on the families and friends of the children lost. We need to continue to remind parents and carers of the importance of Keep Watch.”

The swimming pool re-mains the number one lo-cation of drowning deaths for children under fi ve

with nearly half or 15 of the 35 drowning deaths occurring in a backyard pool.

“The Keep Watch campaign reminds backyard pool owners of the importance of restricting a child’s access to the pool area with appropriate pool fencing, self closing and self latching gates, and con-stantly supervising children when they are in, on or around the pool,” says Bradley.

Of further concern to Royal Life Saving is the slight increase in bath-tub related drowning with 6 drowning deaths in the 0-4 year age group in the past year. “Parents mistakenly believe they can listen out and will hear their child drowning. Drowning is swift and silent, it is not generally accompanied by children crying out or splashing,” said Mr Bradley.

Royal Life Saving reminds parents to never leave children alone in the bath, take everything you may need with you and always empty the bath before leav-ing the bathroom.

Drowning deaths of infants and tod-dlers are not limited to city areas, and regional Australia is reminded to be vigilant. Water bodies such as dams, rivers, water troughs and irrigation channels have been common locations for drowning tragedies. People on rural properties should ensure that there is a fenced safe play area to protect chil-dren from water bodies; ensure wells and tanks are covered, and designate someone to Keep Watch over children, particularly during the busy work peri-ods of mustering or harvesting.

For more information go to www.splashmagazine.com.au where there is a link to the full report.

Pool drownings increase

DROWNINGS BY AGE GROUP0-4 YEARS• 35 young children 0-4 years

drowned last year (13% of all drowning deaths)

• 19 (54%) were males• 16 (46%) drowned in swimming pools

of which 15 were home pools.• 6 (17%) drowned in bathtubs• 23 (66%) fell or wandered into

water prior to drowning

5-14 YEARS• 21 children 5-14 years drowned last

year (8% of all drowning deaths)• 14 (67%) were males• 5 (24%) drowned at the beach• 5 (24%) drowned in a river

15-34 YEARS• 66 people 15-34 years drowned last

year (24% of all drowning deaths)• 55 (83%) were males• 20 (30%) drowned at the beach• 20 (30%) drowned in a river• 28 (42%) were swimming or

undertaking leisure activities prior to drowning

35-54 YEARS• 92 people 35-54 years drowned last

year (33% of all drowning deaths)• 70 (76%) were males• 54 (59%) drowned in a river/ocean/

harbour of which 25 drowned in rivers and 25 drowned in oceans.

• 27 (29%) were swimming or undertaking leisure activities prior to drowning

• 24 (26%) were using watercraft prior to drowning

55+ YEARS• 62 people aged 55 years

drowned last year (22% of all drowning deaths)

• 43 (69%) were males• 31 (50%) drowned in a river/ocean/

harbour of which 15 were in the ocean and 12 were in rivers

• 11 (18%) drowned at the beach• 19 (31%) were swimming or

undertaking leisure activities prior to drowning

• 14 (23%) were walking or playing near water prior to drowning

ROYAL LIFE SAVING HAS RELEASED ITS ANNUAL REPORT INTO DROWNING, HIGHLIGHTING AN INCREASE IN POOL DROWNINGS COMPARED TO THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE


industry news

FIRST OFF THE RANKNSPI has passed its fi rst group of graduates from the Certifi cate III in Swimming Pool and Spa Water Maintenance Technology. Andrew Hanegraaf and Graham Jackley of Allan’s Pool Shop chain of stores, John Hills of Poolrite Equipment, Bernie Skelton from Lo-Chlor Chemicals and Grant Rangi from NSPI are the first graduates of the new Trade Certificate III in Swimming Pool and Spa Water Mainte-nance Technology. Andrew, Graham, John and Bernie are all long-term advocates for profes-sional development in the industry, and have supported the initiative to enhance the indus-try’s professional profile with the Trade Certifi-cate III from the very beginning. All graduates are also qualified assessors for the course, having undertaken the Certificate IV in Train-ing and Assessment. Additionally, Grant Rangi has been a skills assessor and training course developer for 15 years.

Andrew Hanegraaf and Graham Jackley of Allan’s Pool Shop

IN late 2006, the National Swimming Pool Institute (NSPI) consulted with the wider swimming pool and spa industry about the need for formal trade qualifi -cations in swimming pool and spa water maintenance technology. The organisa-tion received resounding support and in mid-2007, 30663QLD: Certifi cate III in Swimming Pool and Spa Water Mainte-nance Technology was approved under the Australian Qualifi cation Framework, the fi rst of its kind in Australia.

The committee also identifi ed several key areas of concern to the industry that could be rectifi ed by the uptake of the Certifi cate III.

“The industry needs to attract more young people into the water technology area,” says Grant Rangi, Training Liaison Co-ordinator at NSPI. “To do this we need to create career pathways so that young people can see a way to further their ca-reer prospects by staying in the industry.

“There is a skills shortage in the swim-ming pool and spa industry. One way to overcome this is to make ours an at-tractive industry; one that pays well and offers fl exibility and opportunities for growth,” he says.

He also says that for this to happen, the highly skilled and experienced baby boomers who now head the industry must have access to effective coaching, mentoring and training pathways, so they can become an active force in transfer-ring knowledge and skills to the younger industry members. This is where NSPI’s training and assessment comes in.

“We can offer recognition of prior learning to those industry professionals who are seeking acknowledgement and recognition of the hard slog they have done to get where they are,” says Rangi. “Then as they think about retiring, sell-ing or expanding their business, they can act as mentors for the younger workers as they move through the NSPI courses.”

The committee also identifi ed that while the vast majority working in the industry are professional, highly skilled and respected individuals, there is still a minority of under-skilled people servic-ing the water maintenance aspect of swimming pools and spas.

If under-trained, under-skilled workers are servicing the domestic market, they can cause harm to property and people, and put themselves at risk through igno-rance and lack of ‘duty of care’. A pool’s internal surface or lining, the materials used in construction, the equipment and surrounds, can all be substantially dam-aged if the required chemical treatments are applied without understanding of water chemistry and chemical safety.

Additionally, the chemicals required to maintain healthy water can be hazard-ous if the contractor does not strictly fol-low the proper use and storage methods for the chemicals.

It is also of concern that an increasing number of public swimming facilities are serviced, repaired and maintained by untrained pool personnel, says Rangi. This situation raises concerns

for consumer health regarding associat-ed risk of contracting cryptosporidium, giardia and legionnaire’s disease. Many local authorities are now insisting on formal training for anyone dealing with public swimming facilities, but there is still reluctance from some service providers to formally train their work-ers, he says.

Another issue identifi ed by the industry is that any training at this level should in-corporate legal and commercial topics. A number of events in the past 18 months have highlighted the need for people engaged in pool water maintenance to be informed about their responsibilities under local, state and federal laws and acts. The Certifi cate III therefore covers issues of legal responsibility, risk man-agement, OH&S and environmental practice, says Rangi.

Head of the class

WITH ITS FIRST GRADUATIONS, NSPI’S CERTIFICATE III IS PICKING UP SPEED

John Hills of Poolrite Equipment

Bernie Skelton from Lo-Chlor Chemicals

12 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au

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BL1640-style

SWIMMERS: Courage and Triumph is a moving collection of 19 stories of swimmers – some are well known, some relatively unknown – who have distinguished themselves in swimming. It is not simply a book about winning medals – some of these swimmers have had to overcome amazing obstacles and ex-treme physical disabilities. It includes captivating images that bring their stories to life.

It is sponsored by the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) in the USA, and is published by the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF).

“Water is the key to unlocking healthier and happier lives for thousands of people. Partnering with the ISHOF opens the door for others to see how water enriches lives,” says Tom Lachocki, CEO of the NSPF.

Swimmers: Courage and Triumph profi les many Olympic swimmers including Mark Spitz, Jenny Thompson and Natalie Coughlin; open water swimmers Lynne Cox and Marcy Mac-Donald; masters swimmer Rich Abrahams; and disabled swim-mers Jeff Keith and Melanie Benn. Renowned sports writers Phil Whitten, John Lohn, Bill Volckening, Kari Lydersen, and Jeremy Shweder have contributed. The book is photographed and edited by Larry Thompson.

Swimmers: Courage and Triumph is available for $US24.95 plus shipping. Any individual who purchases the book will receive a complimentary one year ISHOF membership. For more information go to: www.nspf.org.

The SPLASH! bookshelf

SWIMMERS: COURAGE AND TRIUMPH

WIN A COPY SPLASH! has a copy of Swimmers: Courage and Triumph to give away. For a chance to win this book, email: [email protected]. In the subject line write the name of the photographer and editor. In the body of the message include your name and address. The fi rst received correct entry will be sent a copy of the book.


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FUTURE INDUSTRY DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

2007Dec 11-13 Canadian Pool & Spa Conference and Expo

2008Jan 9-11 Leisure is the Key, Victoria University, Melbourne Jan 13-15 Middle East Pool and Spa Exhibition, Dubai, UAE Feb 1-3 SPASA Victoria Summer Pool and Spa Con-

sumer ShowFeb 3-5 Spatex 08, Brighton, UKFeb 19-22 China Int. Trade Fair for Sanitation, Heating

and Aircon, ShanghaiFeb 21-22 National Housing Conference, SydneyFeb 22 SPASA NSW AGM, Rydges ParramattaFeb 25-27 Facilities Management Conference,

Crowne Plaza, SydneyMar 5-7 Australian Water Summit, RACV Club, MelbourneMar 8-9 Pool, Spa & Outdoor Living Expo, Claremont

Showgrounds, Perth Mar 20-23 Interbass 2008, Moscow, Russia

Mar 24-26 CIAE 2008 Theme Park Equipment Exhibition, Guangzhou, China

Apr 17-19 Full Frontal Tile and Stone Expo, Sydney Showground

April 19-20 NSW Consumer Pool & Spa Expo, Darling Harbour

April 29-30 Australian Water Summit, SydneyJune 11-13 Interbath, ChinaJune 26-27 SPASA NSW Trade Show, Rosehill GardensJune 28 SPASA NSW Awards Dinner, Rosehill GardensJuly 11 SPASA Qld Trade DayJuly 12 SPASA Qld Awards NightJuly 16-18 IAAPA Asian Expo, Macau, ChinaJuly 18-Aug 2 Rescue 2008, International Life Saving

championships, Berlin (pool events) and Warnemünde (open water events)

July 26 WA Awards NightJuly 30-31 SPLASH! Expo, Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast

The biggest pool and spa industry expo in Australasia

July 31 SPLASH! Environmental Awards Gala DinnerAug 08-24 2008 Summer Olympics, BeijingSept 10 SPASA Qld Golf DaySept 12 SPASA Vic Trade DaySept 13 SPASA Vic Gala Dinner and Awards NightSept 25 Bob Stanley Memorial Golf Day, Camden ValleyOct 15-17 World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC),

Colorado SpringsOct 15-18 Interbad 2008, Stuttgart, Germany Nov 18-21 Piscine 2008, Lyon, France Nov 18-20 International Pool and Spa Expo (IPSE), Las Vegas

More details available at www.splashmagazine.com.au

These dates are subject to change and should be checked with the relevant organisation. Please send calendar submissions to [email protected]

Industry calendar


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industry news

DAVEY NZ MERGES WITH CCFOLLOWING the acquisition of New Zealand company Contamination Control (CC) along with its well known product range including Microlene, FilterPure and SteriFlo, the New Zea-land arm of Davey has merged with CC to form a new business now known as Davey Water Products Ltd.

As part of the merger, Davey has relocated to new and larger premises at 7 Rockridge Avenue in Penrose, Auckland.

URBAN PUSH AS AUSSIE SUBURBS LOSE NUMBERSThe great Aussie dream of owning a big house in the suburbs is looking shaky as Generations X and Y as well as empty-nest baby boomers take to city living in increasing numbers, according to KP-MG’s Population Growth Report 2007.

For the fi rst time in the report’s 18-year history the number of people moving downtown is rivalling the number shifting to leading growth corridors in the suburbs.

“There is no greater measure of how Australian values have shifted in a single generation than in the numbers that track the rise of downtown living,” says the report’s author, Bernard Salt, a part-ner in KPMG’s Advisory practice.

The central core of our largest cities is emerging as a growth area that now competes with the outer suburbs and with parts of the beach as the preferred destination for Australians on the move.

“In the funkiest, hippest and most central parts of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the number of new residents moving in each year now tops 7000, 6800 and 6300 respectively and exceeds the numbers added to each city’s fastest growing suburbs,” says Salt.

“And while Sydney might now be losing people on its edge (in Campbell-town) and growing slowly overall (0.9 percent p.a.), there’s no lack of people scrambling to get as close as possible to the CBD action in our largest city. Population density in inner Sydney is three times the density of inner Perth,” says Salt.

The City of the Gold Coast reasserted itself as Australia’s fastest growing place with a net population increase of 17,374 over 12 months to reach a new base of 507,439 permanent residents at 30 June 2006. The Gold Coast attracted

more than double the number moving to the next fastest growing municipality in Australia, Perth’s city of Wanneroo, which had 8,112 new residents over the same period.

The cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are growing at close to record rates fuelled by high levels of overseas migra-tion, strong interstate migration and a high birth rate – and yet overall Sydney is languishing with an annual growth rate of less than one percent.

The report also found that Melbourne is closing the population gap on Austral-ia’s biggest city, Sydney. Melbourne is attracting nearly double the population growth attracted in Sydney with 62,306 added in the 12 months to June 2006 as compared with 36,823 added to Sydney over the same time. Sydney has 4.284 million residents which is 540,000 more than Melbourne. If current growth rates continue, Melbourne would overtake Sydney as Australia’s largest city in 2028.

The report also shows that the Austral-ian seachange shift is replicated to some extent in New Zealand with movement towards a warm climate lifestyle.

Population Growth Report 2007 is published by KPMG in Australia and costs $595. For more information go to www.kpmg.com.au.

SMALL BUSINESS MEANS VERY SMALL Statistics New Zealand has released data showing that most small and medium businesses (SMBs) are one-person shows, with no additional paid employees. The data shows that of the 361,000 small and medium businesses in New Zealand, just over one-third (38 per cent) have more than one employee.

AUSSIES WOW THEM WITH FLOWERSAustralian landscape designers and artists took on the best from around the world at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in London and won handsomely. Timothea Jewell and Christo Vassallo, from Lump Sculpture Studio, won the Silver-Gilt Floral Medal as part of the Fleming’s Trailfi nders Australian Garden.

Chelsea attracts more than 150,000 visitors, as well as millions of television viewers worldwide as the BBC continues its extensive association with the show. Lump Sculpture Studio was twice fea-tured on the BBC.

SA DOING WELLThe South Australian pool industry is reportedly steaming ahead, defying the potential negative implications from the water restrictions. There is currently a ban in Adelaide on topping up, but not on fi lling. The state government has an-nounced moves towards investigating a second desalination plant.

Part of the growth is smaller pools, fol-lowing the trend towards lap and splash pools that require less water.

HANSEN LEAVES POOLAustralian Olympic swimmer Brooke Hanson has retired from competitive swimming after suffering a terrible year in which she was shocked by an electrical fault while promoting a spa at the Melbourne consumer spa and pool expo, suffered a shoulder injury and helped her coach face – and beat – sexual abuse charges. Her year wasn’t all bad however, as she married long-time partner Jared Clarke. The 29-year old may pursue a career in TV.

REMEMBER THE SALVOS THIS CHRISSIEThe Salvation Army is running their annual Christmas Appeal to help families who have fallen on hard times. To donate and help make someone’s Christmas special, call 13 SALVOS (13 72 58) or go to www.salvationarmy.org.au.

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industry news

A new company has set up a way to make sure small and medium businesses (SMBs) meet their commitments under increasingly complex and changing employment law.

Workforce Guardian has launched a comprehensive online employment rela-tions platform that provides a full suite of legally compliant tools and services to assist employers in correctly manag-ing all aspects of employment relations; including hiring, managing and exiting.

The right contract for any employee can be created with the click of a button, including six variations of employment contract to suit all SMB situations as well as a variety of templates, policies, forms and letters. Step-by-step guides walk employers through processes such as per-formance counselling, disciplinary action and dismissal. Customers can also access Workforce Guardian’s employment rela-

tions experts if required. The system can also integrate with payroll solutions.

The software resides online – it doesn’t have to be installed on the SMB’s premises. The business pays an annual subscription to access the service. If the business decides to stop subscribing, it can readily download all the data, which it will still own.

Another benefi t is that the contracts are in plain English, so everyone can easily understand their rights and responsibili-ties. To select the correct contract, you answer a few simple questions in an online Q&A.

“Even if a small business only requires one type of contract, this is still eco-nomical, as a lawyer is likely to charge more than the cost of a subscription for a single contract, and that’s without the benefi ts of the service add-ons and online advice,” says Adrienne Unkovich, Managing Director.

The subscription cost for an SMB is $950 p.a.

“The program is like a guardian angel sitting on your shoulder, saying this is what you should do to be properly cov-ered,” she says. The program is particu-larly helpful in covering SMBs against making an error that could see them in trouble with unfair dismissal.

For subbies, independent contractor contracts can be built in fi ve minutes. It also covers contracts for small family businesses. Workforce Guardian has union collective agreements as well as independent and AWA contracts.

All material housed within the platform has been ratifi ed by Clayton Utz and the documents and templates also update as changes occur in legislation, making it easy for SMBs to fully manage risk and consistency across their business.

The fully compliant employment contracts are produced to suit individual businesses and are personalised with the SMB’s company logo.

For more information go to www.workforceguardian.com.au.

A new way to deal with HR commitments

ONLINE PLATFORM HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES MANAGE STAFF

INTERPOINT Events, the organiser of the SPLASH! Pool and Spa Trade Ex-pos, has been appointed as the Australa-sian agent for the Piscine international pool and spa show, held every two years in Lyon.

Piscine 2008, to be held from Novem-ber 18 to 21, has been restructured to enable commercial pools and outdoor products to sit alongside the residential pool and spa displays.

There will be three simultaneous and linked exhibitions in adjacent halls:

Piscine – for pool products, accessories and spas;

Aqualie – for commercial pools and wellness facilities; and

Wellgreen – for outdoor equipment and furniture, pool surrounds and exte-rior lighting.

SPLASH! has designed an Australasian Pavilion with space available for eight exhibitors. The pavilion is in the Piscine section of the exhibition.

Simon Cooper, Managing Director of Interpoint, says the new pavilion presents Australian and New Zealand companies with a unique opportunity to target the European market.

“Piscine is the European event for the pool and spa market,” he says. “It attracts buyers from across the continent and if companies are looking for distributors or manufacturers, it’s the best place to showcase their products.

“Australian or New Zealand companies who want to exhibit in Lyon can choose

to either be part of the Australasian Pavilion, or select a stand of their choice in any of the three halls.”

Piscine will attract more than 700 exhibitors from 30 countries. For more information contact Simon Cooper on (02) 9660 2113 or [email protected].

Australasian pavilion a fi rst for Lyon

Lyon, in the heart of Europe


industry news

CHEMTURA FINALISES MOVEChemtura ANZ has completed their move from Melbourne to Adelaide. This is a coup for the South Australian capi-tal, as Chemtura is one of the world’s largest specialty chemical companies with a turnover of $US3 billion.

Adelaide will now be the headquarters for the three key business units of Crop Protection, Urethanes (Performance Specialty Units) and Consumer Prod-ucts, which focuses on the BioGuard range of pool and spa water mainte-nance products.

Tim Burrow, Chemtura ANZ MD, says consolidating in Adelaide makes sense. “Geographically it is convenient to oper-ate our business from South Australia. Our Farm Services Division, Hannaford, which is the premier processor of seed in Australia, has an 85 year history of op-erating from Adelaide. Additionally, we believe our operating costs will be less and we can offer employees the opportu-nity of a better standard of living.”

He also says that the expansion of the Adelaide offi ce has led to a number of appointments at all levels – and they are still actively recruiting.

For further information contact Ina Claro on (08) 8112 0900.

LO-CHLOR IN VICTORIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIALo-Chlor Chemi-cals have ap-pointed Claude “Claudio” Avila as

their new Victorian and South Austral-ian Customer Care Co-ordinator.

Avila will take the place of Jeff Feld-man, who had previously been Custom-er Care Co-ordinator in those two states. Feldman is now going to remain in the Sydney offi ce – together with his two well known canine companions, Tony and Wiseguy – as part of the changes made to the company over the past two years, and to assist with their new plans for the future.

Avila has had a wealth of experience in the pool industry, having been involved in retail, building and manufacturing, and has extensive knowledge from the ground upwards. Moreover, his past experience owning and running his

own pool shops for many years will give him insight into what is expected on the other side of the counter. He will be working in close conjunction with Feld-man, who will remain in touch with the Victorian and South Australian business.

Avila will be visiting members of the pool industry to introduce himself, and can be contacted on his 0416 221 600 or at Lo-Chlor Melbourne on (03) 9776 4955 or by email at [email protected].

Avila will continue to work in unison with the Lo-Chlor distributors in Victo-ria and South Australia, listed here:Victorian Distributors • Excel Pool Products, Paul Sproule,

(03) 9870 2058 • Pool Systems, Gary Watt, 0403 580 502 • Premium Quality Pool Products,

David Beitzel, (03) 9706 5066 South Australian Distributors • Pool Resources, Rod Wilson,

(08) 8359 4448 • Pool Systems, Anthony Ramsay,

1300 366 020

FRENCH POOL JOURNALIST DIES

Swimming pool industry journalist Louis Sanchez has passed away. He was a gregarious fi gure, renowned for enjoying life and his love of a joke. He spent his early adult life in the army, followed by 20 years adventuring on the high seas, ex-ploring the oceans of the world as a deep sea diver. For the past eight years he had worked as a journalist and photographer for Technique Piscines and L’Activite Piscine. Earlier this year, he lost his battle with cancer. He is seen here temporarily changing his support from France to Aus-tralia at the 2003 FINA championships.

FOCUSSING ON RETAIL BUSINESSFocus has announced the appointment of Teresa (Tess) Schembri to the position of retail business manager. Schembri is a chemical specialist with more than 16 years industry experience. She is a highly experienced problem solver for diffi cult

pools and has extensive knowledge of the retail side of the industry. Focus says these attributes will help their network of dealers drive business growth, as a retail support specialist is unique to Focus Products, giving their dealers more sup-port and profi tability.

Schembri will be available to design advertising campaigns and customer fl y-ers, advise on the most profi table retail set-up, conduct customer nights and more. She can be contacted on 0404 036 185 or 1300 1 FOCUS.

CAROLE MOVES ONSPASA NSW stalwart Carole Hawke has moved on, looking forward to a long holiday. CEO Brian Hardiman thanked her for her personal attention to mem-bers and consumers, and the care and consideration she gave their enquiries.

Hardiman is looking for a replace-ment; a personable, mature person with computer skills, good phone manner and a sense of humour. The position is permanent part-time with negotiable hours but preferred from 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday. Ideally, the person will have industry knowledge. Please contact Brian Hardiman initially by email: [email protected].

TONY WRIGHT PASSES AWAYTony Wright died from a brain tumour in October. He was most recently with Prime Sunbather and prior to that, with Carlisle Solar.

He emigrated to Australia from England about 35 years ago. About ten years ago he started working with Carlisle Solar in Sydney. He changed to Sunbather about 18months ago when Carlisle was sold. He was a very fi t and strong man who enjoyed adventurous sport such as motorbike riding, scuba diving, abseiling, adventure skiing and bungy jumping. He was described by next door neighbour, friend and colleague John Dixon as a man with a 100 per cent attitude to everything, including work and sport. “He wasn’t the type of guy to die wondering,” he says.

He was the perennial life of the party who loved a beer, and was also a devoted family man. More than 200 people packed the chapel at his funeral in Macquarie Park. He left behind his wife, Heather, two adult children Kylie and Andi and two grandchil-dren, who were the passion of his life.

Industry moves


industry news

NEW VICTORIAN GLOW & FLOW DEALER Glow & Flow Lights has appointed Caro-lyn Doyle as Victo-rian dealer/repre-

sentative. All enquiries for Glow & Flow products in Victoria should be directed to Doyle who can show you the range of LED swimming pool light products and service all requirements.

Though new to the pool industry, Doyle has had years of experience in the building and airline industry with her husband, Mick, and together they make a great team. She can be contacted at MPD Building Solutions on 0402 637 288 or by email on [email protected].

TOYESI ON THE MOVEToyesi says their success in developing reliable pool heat pumps in Australia has meant that they need to move to bigger premises, thanks to a tremendous increase in sales growth in both local and overseas markets, particularly in the com-mercial segment.

MD Peter Savtchenko says that the recent move means Toyesi now has the ability to support larger volume contract work and conduct in-house product training seminars on their range of com-mercial pool heat pump equipment.

Toyesi staff are reportedly excited about moving to brighter offi ces at larger premises. New contact details are: 2/27 Binney Road, Kings Park, NSW, 2148; phone (02) 9679 9400; fax (02) 9679 9402; website www.toyesi.com.au.

DAVEY STREAMLINES PHONE LINESDavey Water Products has commis-sioned a new 1300 number to facilitate all pool-related business, enquiries and customer support for the Davey and Monarch pool pumps, fi lters, salt water chlorinators and other associated pool products.

All telephone orders and product enquiries can now been made through this service. The new number is 1300 2 DAVEY. The new fax number is 1300 304 850. Davey Pool’s Market Manager,

Paul Rice, says that the new number will improve customer service and make doing business easier, by handling all the day-to-day pool business enquiries.

ZODIAC MOVES TO SMITHFIELDZodiac has moved its head offi ce and warehouse to 219 Woodpark Road, Smithfi eld, NSW 2164. 1800 and 1300 numbers remain the same but the switch is now (02) 8786 6800.

LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHANGESA reminder from SPLASH! to all manu-facturers and wholesalers whose business details change – go online and update your details on the SPLASH! Trade Directory – that way everyone in the industry will be able to fi nd you.

For manufacturers, wholesalers and dis-tributors to update their information, go to: www.splashmagazine.com.au/directory and log on.

For builders, designers, pool shops and facilities looking for suppliers, go to: www.splashmagazine.com.au and click on the Directory link.


Competition Poolsa world leader in the manufacturing

of swimming pool accessories,

is seeking a distributor(s) to

represent our newly acquired

range of pumps, fi lters and heat

pumps. This range carries a

world recognized brand, and is

acknowledged internationally

for its high quality and

durability. This brand is

supported by aggressive

marketing and exhibits at

all high profi le international

pool shows.

Interested parties should contact D'Arcy LeClaire,

Sales Manager Canada/Austral-Asia by email

[email protected]

Wright Pools is a leading Sydney pool builder which has been involved in the swimming pool business for over 40 years. We pride ourselves on delivering a quality project each and every time. Our motto is to do it right the first time. As Wright Pools is currently experiencing significant growth in enquiries, an exceptional opportunity currently exists for an experienced dynamic sales person to join our sales team.

Wright Pools is also entering the peak selling season which presents an opportunity to earn significant money for the right individual.

The ideal candidate will:• Have proved sales skills and motivation to

secure sales• Have excellent communication skills• Good presentation and selling skills• The ability to work in a flexible team environment

If this position appeals to you, email your resume to [email protected]

ABIGAIL’S FAMILY SUESThe family of Abigail Taylor, the six-year-old girl who lost part of her intestine after an entrapment and evisceration incident in the United States, is suing the Minneapolis Golf Club, own-ers of the pool.

The medical expenses faced by the girl are estimated at $AU34 million. The club reportedly has insurance of only $AU7 million.

The lawsuit fi led by the family also names as a defendant Pentair’s Sta-Rite Industries, the maker of the pump.

The family’s lawyer, Robert Bennett, alleges negligence by both Sta-Rite and the golf club, saying the company knew its suction cover was a hazard and failed to come up with a safer product. The suit cites three prior disembowelments due to Sta-Rite equipment. The suit also accuses the golf club of fail-ure to properly install the cover and frame, failure to inspect it and failure to close the pool when the cover came off on the day of the incident.

There is reportedly disagreement between the golf club and Sta-Rite about whether or not a golf ball had become lodged in a pipe, creating a dangerous level of suction.

Sta-Rite released a statement alleging the golf club had misused its pool products, provided inadequate site supervision and not carried out proper maintenance.

ACCIDENT FINDING ANGERS FAMILYA Singapore coroner has handed down a “misadventure” verdict in the case of a death of an expatriate German fi -nance director who drowned in an entrapment incident one year ago. Starke, a trained diver and a regular swimmer, was caught by the stomach on the suction of a condomini-um spa pool.

The family were surprised and disappointed by the verdict. The coroner also found that the grate over the spa pool suction was broken and that this led to Arndt Starke’s stomach becom-ing trapped, and Starke drowning. However, the coroner said there was no evidence of criminal negligence.

There had been another suction entrapment incident at the spa pool four months previously, but the boy who had been caught managed to escape.

Starke’s brother, Henning, said he was disappointed that the public-safety message was not stronger, and said the family planned to fi le a civil suit.

SAVED BY THEIR POOLA California couple survived that state’s recent devastating bushfi res by jumping into their backyard pool.

Trapped in their hilltop home near San Diego by raging fi res, driven by 130kph winds, Dr Roger Bielasz and his wife, Dena, ran through the fl ames to their pool where they stayed up to their necks in the water for three hours as the embers of their house fell around them.

Their next door neighbours perished in the same fi re.

NSPF AWARDS GRANTSThe National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) in the Unit-ed States awarded four grants to explore health benefi ts unique to aquatic exercise and to immersion in hot/warm water.

Around the globe


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Dr Bruce Becker, MD, of Washington State University was awarded a grant of $165,000 to continue the NSPF study on the effects of warm/hot water immersion upon the heart and respiratory system and to what extent relaxation occurs.

Dr Stephen Blair, PED, University of South Carolina, was awarded $90,417 to compare the long-term health data of “swimmers” to other populations by analysing data from more than 75,000 individuals compiled by the Cooper Institute.

Dr John Raglin, PhD, Indiana University, was awarded $59,680 to conduct a study that will contrast the psychological health benefi ts between in-water and on-land exercise.

And Dr William Hornsby, PhD, West Virginia University, was awarded a grant of $49,697 to study the psychological and physiological effects of land versus water-based exercise with patients who have type-2 diabetes.

JAGGER CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT HE WANTSIt seems even the rich and famous have to abide by local council regulations and the power of local residents. Rolling Stone Mick Jagger wanted to remove four magnolia trees on the border of his 330-year-old property so he could build a swimming pool.

Local residents in upmarket Chelsea lobbied council and raised a petition to save the trees, leaving Sir Mick no alterna-tive but to site the pool in the second most favoured location on his rambling property – inside a Georgian conservatory.

ELK SAVED FROM SWEDISH POOLAn elk spent 24 hours in a residential pool in Oskarström, Sweden, in October after getting lost and falling in. The pool had to be emptied for fear the animal would die from the cold. Elks weigh several hundred kilos, so it had to be tranquilised and lifted out by a forklift with a sling. After laying on the grass for an hour, it wandered off to be joined by its calf.

The operation saved the elk, but who knows for how long. Un-fortunately, it is now elk hunting season in that part of Sweden.

NEXUS MERGER FINALISEDNexxus Lighting has closed the previously announced merger with LED and fibreoptic lighting manufacturer, Advanced Lighting Systems. The newly merged com-pany, Advanced Lighting Systems (ALS), will continue to operate out of the ALS manufacturing facility in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. At the same time, Nexxus Light-ing announced that the non-binding letter of intent it entered into with LightWild of Kansas had expired and will not be extended.

ZODIAC MARINE AND POOL FORMEDOn September 27, the Zodiac Group and The Carlyle Group have combined the Marine segment of the Zodiac Group with Jandy Pool Products to create Zodiac Marine & Pool. Carlyle owns 69 per cent of the combined entity, Zodiac 27 per cent and the management team, led by CEO Jean-Marc Daillance, the remaining 4 per cent.


www.splashmagazine.c

om.a

u

Go to www.splashmagazine.com.au

and click on Directory(plus news, events, industry links and much more)

F

You mean I can fi nd every pool product I need just by clicking here?

industry news

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industry feature

The Queensland Water Commission

has introduced Level 6 water restric-

tions. This means that pool owners

must now provide proof the water used for

fi lling new or renovated pools has not come

from the South East Queensland domestic

water supply.

This shouldn’t be a problem for SPASA

members, as SPASA Queensland has

access to 3 million litres per day from a

spring which can be used to fi ll new pools;

and consumers can still top up from the

domestic supply as a last resort.

Because of the savings residential

pool users have made by restricting their

water usage, the new measures have not

included a total ban on outdoor watering,

although the summer ahead will still pose

a challenge. Bucketing water on gardens

will continue to be allowed, as long as the

average consumption across South East

Queensland stays below 140 litres per

person per day target.

There are new changes for businesses,

too. They must now meet a target of 25 per

cent savings or best practice; and install

sub-meters on equipment and processes

using 15 per cent or more of their total

water. They can now face fi nes of up to

$124,875 for repeatedly failing to comply

with the Water Effi ciency Management Plan

(WEMP) process, and must allow inspec-

tions by council offi cers who can impose on

the spot fi nes ranging from $750 to $3750.

There are also new powers of entry to busi-

nesses (during normal operating hours) for

council offi cers to check for compliance.

The self suffi cient pool

SPASA Queensland has introduced an

accreditation program to encourage and

acknowledge pool owners and prospective

pool buyers who want to enjoy (or continue

to enjoy) the domestic lifestyle that goes

with having a swimming pool – while not

using a drop of precious tap water.

By embracing the concepts of the

Queensland Water Commission (harvest,

store and use other water) and then taking

them a step further, SPASA Members in

Queensland have developed and tested

new pool construction methods to ensure

that the water required during construc-

tion for the initial fi ll of the pool and the

subsequent top-ups do not come from the

domestic water supply.

Using post construction techniques, most

older pools can also be retrofi tted with water

saving devices and become self suffi cient.

SPASA members and their customers

will save around 400 million litres of drink-

ing water in South East Queensland per

year in new pool construction alone.

SPASA says that by using these methods,

the home owner can have a “self suffi cient”

swimming pool, and also a surplus of non-

potable water to wash the car, boat or dog,

and water the garden.

A SPASA Accredited EcoPool plaque will

be issued to each new or existing swim-

ming pool owner (new or old) who complies

with the water saving and water consump-

tion factors identifi ed by the SPASA-ap-

pointed assessor – so everyone is aware

that a Self-Suffi cient Swimming Pool is on

the premises.

Victoria launches water recycling schemeSPASA Victoria has set up a Water Recy-

cling Program to allow members a means

of avoiding water wastage.

This is a great idea which should see the

end of sanitised pool water being dumped

when renovations to (or removal of) an old

pool are required. The water will instead be

used to fi ll a new or newly renovated pool.

It is not designed for broad commercial

purposes, but for members to recycle

water that would ordinarily go into storm-

water. All water advertised to the database

must be free.

Participants will send an email to the in-

terested persons database along the lines of:

I will have 25,000 litres of water available

from a pool in Judd Parade, Carlton on the

23rd October. Interested parties please call

Bob from Bob’s Pools on 0417 222 222.

First to make arrangements with Bob

gets the water – and it’s free!

To sign up for the program, email your

address and business name to

[email protected].

Already SPASA has shifted 400,000 litres

of water as part of the scheme.

Water wise products on web

The Smart Approved WaterMark, which has

more than 120 items to help save water in

the outdoor residential environment,

now has an easy way to fi nd products

approved under the system – by going to

www.smartwatermark.org.

The website includes a specifi c section

for swimming pool related products.

“And the Smart WaterMark gives

consumers confi dence that if the product

displays the Mark, it makes a real contribu-

tion to saving water,” says Julian Gray, CEO

of Smart WaterMark.

“The website not only has a full list of

approved products and where to get them,

it also includes useful information about

the many ways to save water and use it

more effi ciently.”

The new consumer website launch

marks the start of a campaign to promote

the Smart WaterMark across Australia, a

program which is supported by federal and

all state governments. The WaterMark is

required for products in some states when

it comes to water rebates.

Several rainwater harvesting, greywater

systems and plumbing controllers also

meet the Mark, while some things as sim-

ple as pool and spa covers do as well.

More products are being added all the

time, once they have been assessed by the

Mark’s independent Technical Expert Panel.

Environment on the agendaWater and energy saving around the country

The Prince of Comics, Gerry Connolly, launches the Smart Approved WaterMark website


industry feature

Man dies in water rowIf anyone doubts how seriously some people view the water crisis,

then a recent incident in Sydney will change their minds.

Ken Proctor, a retired council truck driver, was hosing his Sylva-

nia garden in accordance with the water restrictions, which allowed

home owners to hand water after 4pm on this particular day. But

a passer-by presumably did not know this, and allegedly abused

him about wasting water. Proctor reportedly turned his hose on the

passer-by, who then allegedly punched and kicked Proctor, causing

him to have a heart attack, from which he later died.

The passer-by has been charged with murder. This story has been

fl ashed around the world as the sign of a country under extreme

duress due to the drought and subsequent water restrictions.

Also in New South Wales, long-wall mining has been blamed

for cracking creek and river beds, leading to millions of tonnes of

water disappearing from the State’s waterways.

A NSW government inquiry heard from the Sydney Catchment

Authority that more than 90 per cent of upper Nepean and Worono-

ra catchments have been, or will be, undermined.

The inquiry heard from environmental scientist, Martin Krogh,

who said that the short-term gains in profi t from coal sales may

come at the expense of the long-term sustainability of Sydney’s

metropolitan drinking water supply.

Sydney residents are also preparing for an increase in water

costs by 30 per cent over the next few years, to pay for the contro-

versial desalination plant.

Time to get your award entries inTHE SPLASH! Environmental Awards are the only national awards to recognise efforts in applying energy-saving and water-saving features and ideas to swimming pool and spa design and construction, and through retail outlets. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2008 – so it’s

time for builders to decide which pool or spa they’ll enter, and it’s time for retail outlets to start fi lling out their forms.The Awards will be presented at a gala dinner on the Gold Coast during the SPLASH! Expo.The categories are:

A. RESIDENTIAL POOLFor the most water and energy effi cient residential swim-ming pool. Sponsored by Foundation Sponsor, Sunbather. B. COMMERCIAL POOLFor the most water and energy effi cient commercial or community swimming pool or complex.C. SPA AWARDFor the most water and energy effi cient residential spa installation.D. POOL SHOP AWARDFor the promotion and application of water and energy effi ciency by a pool shop/mobile service.

Download your entry forms now by going to www.splashmagazine.com.au and clicking on Awards.


The Daisy UltraDome™ advantagesA Daisy UltraDome™ Solar Pool Cover carries the national SmartApproved WaterMark – and qualifies for all rebate schemes.

Unique Daisy UltraDome™ technology means our pool covers are made stronger to last longer – with up to 8 years pro-rata warranty.

Swim in a warmer pool, and save water, time and moneyA Daisy UltraDome™ Solar Pool Cover will:

• Warm your pool by up to 8ºC – using free solar energy – for months more swimming time

• Reduce evaporation by up to 97%• Help keep out leaves and dirt• Reduce salt and chemical use by up to 50%• Roll on and off in 30 seconds with a quality

Daisy Roller System

State governments, local councils and water authorities all across Australia are recommending you install a pool cover.

Some are providing up to $200 cash rebates if you do.

Why? Because an uncovered pool can lose from 8,000 to 10,000 litres of water a month in summer due to evaporation – and with much of Australia in severe drought, that’s water we just can’t afford to waste.

Every pool needs a Daisy Pool Cover.But don’t just take our word for it.

Contact your local Pool Shop for professional advice and installation of a Daisy UltraDome™ Solar Pool Cover and Roller System.

For more information and Application Forms for all the available Rebate Schemes, and our Fact Sheets on Evaporation, Heating Capabilities and DaisyUltraDome™ technology – visit www.daisypoolcovers.com.au

Perth ● Sydney ● Brisbane ● Melbourne ● International Australia’s largest supplier of pool covers and rollers

745_Daisy_Poolside(Domest)_HlfPge.indd 1 23/1/07 1:41:46 PM

In October, more than 22,000 visitors

went to Barcelona to experience the big

European show of 2007. They came from

more than 100 countries scattered around

the globe, with one-third of all visitors

coming from outside Spain.

The expo was held for the fourth time in

the new Gran Via exhibition centre, which

recently had the edition of a stunning new

entry. Previously, the Piscina show fi lled two

halls, but this time a third hall was added.

The extra fl oorspace had created a more

spacious feeling, despite the fact that there

was nearly 32,000 square metres of actual

displays. With three halls, wide corridors

and the elevated walkway, no one felt hur-

ried and visitors seemed to take longer look-

ing at displays. This in turn led to a general

perception on the fi rst day that the crowds

were smaller than previous years, but the

fi gures showed that actually there were

more people on the fi rst day than in 2005.

With 525 exhibitors representing 827

companies, it did take visitors a long time

to get through the fi rst two halls to the third

hall – where many Australian companies

were set up. By the second day, however,

the crowds had evened out through the

halls, and everyone was happy with the

turnout. The fi nal numbers proved to be up

15 per cent on 2005.

Exhibitors came from 37 different

countries, including of course, Australia.

Many Aussie and one Kiwi company were

represented, and their presence took three

main forms: companies who were new to

exhibiting in Europe and were testing the

waters; those who had been doing it for a

while and were spreading their wings; and

companies who already had established a

European presence, and were represented

by their local branch or agents.

As well as exhibitors, Australasian build-

ers, retailers and distributors attended the

show as visitors – looking for new ideas

and the chance to do some business.

The theme of this year’s expo was Sus-

tainability – interpreted as the effi cient use

of water, energy and raw materials, and

respect for the environment.

In Australia, thanks to our prolonged

drought, we’ve had a head start in the area

of water conservation. While the

drought and the associated water

restrictions have posed problems

for the Australian pool indus-

try, it has also led us to think

about ways of conserving water

– though changes in attitude,

practice, design and equipment.

This became a real advantage

for one Australian company, Wa-

terco, who developed their Multi

Cyclone as a direct response to

the water crisis. They were re-

warded by winning the Sustainability Award

for the most environment friendly new

product at the show (see box on page 34).

Many of the hundreds of exhibits included

ideas to help the environment, from using

solar power to operate equipment, to vari-

ous water saving devices.

Continuing the theme from the 2005,

Wellness also captured a large slice of

attention. This included thalassotherapy

– the use of seawater in aquatic wellness

activities. In Europe, the number of new

hotels with spa and thalassotherapy grew

Sustainability in the Spanish spotlightThe most recent Piscina Barcelona focussed on the environment,

among the raft of new aquatic ideas

The stylish new entrance to the Gran Via exhibition centre and the Piscina show

industry feature


more than 20 per cent last year. There were 74 exhibitors listed as

wellness companies at the show.

The conference program included a session dedicated to hydro-

thermal centres, amongst the many other topics such as: a round-

table on the European normalisation of standards for swimming

pool equipment and operation; a forum on swimming pool water

consumption; a discussion on the renewal of air in covered pools; a

safety discussion on working without risk in aquatic facilities; and a

look at the health benefi ts of aquatic therapy.

Aussies on showKerry Gosse from AIS is one of the old hands at exporting to Eu-

rope, having been coming to Piscina Barcelona for 12 years. His

chlorinators are branded Natural Chlor for the European market.

“We’ve done very well here,” he says. “The stands have got pro-

gressively bigger and better every time. We also go to Lyon. It’s been

a very good market for us, particularly now we’ve got commercial

chlorinators. You take places like the Canary Islands and Majorca

and place like that, there’s a lot of commercial pools. Over time, I’d

image we’ve sold more than 300 commercial chlorinators into the

Canary Islands alone.” (See image A1 on page 31)

Bob Biernat, GM of fi breglass pool manufacturer Freedom Pools,

was exhibiting for his third time. He’s now set up a factory at Ali-

cante, making 800 pools per year to export all over Europe and the

UK, and even to the Bahamas.

“We’ve been fl at out,” he says. “First day was quiet, but today

we’ve been fl at out. Can’t believe it. Australia is perceived as the

superior fi breglass product by far. We lead the way in design technol-

ogy, shapes, surfaces, textures. That’s due to strong competition in

our marketplace. We’ve had to make better products to survive.” (A2)

Waterco has been in the European market for many years through

their local branch headquartered in Kent. Tony Fischer, MD of

Waterco Europe, says they’ve been exhibiting in Europe for seven or

eight years, and it’s the perfect platform to introduce all their new

products for 2008, including the now famous Multi Cyclone. “We have

distributors in every country in Europe,” he says. “We’re here really

to support those guys.” (A3)

Michael Mansfi eld from Ascon (seen here with sister Ruth) has

come back to Barcelona after his fi rst venture in 2005 as part of the

SPASA Queensland-led Aussie delegation. “We believe it’s a good

opportunity to market Australian-made pool products into Europe,

because they appreciate the quality and the commitment to our

equipment,” he says.

Visitors came from more than 100 countries

industry feature


One product to receive much interest was

their environmental heating controller. It

decides whether you need solar heating,

alternative heating such as a heat pump, or

a combination of both. For example, if there

is six degrees difference between the roof

and the pool, it will use both; if it’s above 15

degrees it will use only solar. Additionally,

the pre-heated solar water is directed to the

alternative heater, further reducing energy

consumption. (A4)

Ben Bremauer, product development

director for Clevaquip (branded Clevatech

at the show) was in Barcelona with partner

Tony Sharpe to promote the new Puresilk

system. “Our new Puresilk range is only

just being launched,” Bremauer says. “We

won’t actually have the Puresilk controller

until February next year by the time it goes

through approvals and everything, but this is

a show you can’t miss. We’re hoping this will

be a bit of a springboard, because we’ve got

some fairly unique, patented products.” (A5)

Ross Palmer, MD of Poolrite, was very

encouraged by the interest in their prod-

ucts, considering it was their fi rst time in

Barcelona – thought they had previously

been to Lyon, the European event that al-

ternates every second year with Barcelona.

The Magna Pool System achieved some

considerable interest and – together with

Waterco’s Multi Cyclone – made it to the

show’s prestigious New Products Guide.

There were rumours circulating that Euro-

pean authorities were seriously interested

in one of the concepts behind the Magna

Pool System – the use of glass fi lter media.

Palmer is seen here with Stephen Hogan,

Colin Redman and Adam Purnell. (A6)

Glen Rose of Jaymac is another gradu-

ate of the 2005 group to come over with

David Close. This time he displayed his own

products with exhibitor Pontoon, the French

company who manufactures Pool Angel,

which Jaymac distributes in Australia.

“They’ve been really good,” he says of

Pontoon. “And they may be marketing

our products into Europe next season, so

it’ll be a two way street.” He says they’ve

had interest from all corners of the globe

– from Mexico to Scandinavia. Rose says

they’re slowly educating the European

market about the fact that salt chlorinators

only handle the chlorine side of the pool

chemistry, while explaining how controllers

like Maxichem can fi t into the equation. (A7)

Hot Water Heat Pumps (HWHP) were the

only Kiwi presence in Barcelona, as far as

they knew. “This is the fi rst time we’ve come

here,” says Brahman Al Nadaf, International

Business Development Manager for HWHP.

“We’re looking to fi nd serious partners in

Europe. I’m sure that we’ll be closer to at

least having some better ideas by the end of

the show. It’s a huge market.”

Language was a bit of a problem. After

translating their brochure into Spanish, they

then found many locals actually speak Cata-

lonian, and in fact HWHP ran out of English

brochures before anything else. “I think

we’ve learned a lot already,” he says. (A8)

Bob Prince of Daisy Pool Covers, who

was also exhibiting for the fi rst time,

found enquiries coming from all over the

world including Russia, Azerbaijan, Israel,

France and Germany. “Our product is of a

higher quality than is generally available in

Europe,” he says. “So we’re going for the

higher end of the market, but there seems

to be a lot of interest.” (A9)

“We’ve been coming to Europe now for

many years,” says Craig Nimmo, who set

up the international arm of Pool Systems.

“We did Lyon and Barcelona. Europe’s a

big market for us – France, Italy, Spain,

the UK, Holland – even Sweden. There’s

a lot of pools in Sweden – it’s surprising.

This is a really international show, the

Mediterranean, North Africa, the Mid-

dle East – they seem to come to this one

rather than the US. I think what they like

is, here you’ve got all the languages cov-

ered, whereas in the US, if you can’t speak

English, forget it.” (A10)

Sean Bloodworth from Compu Pool

Products was exhibiting for the fi rst time

in Barcelona, after exhibiting previously at

Lyon. “It’s good, we’ve got a lot of people

interested, we also get a lot of people from

America who come over, so it’s a good point

Exhibitors put a great deal of effort into their stands

The symposium looked at environmental, regulatory and health issues

Even tile samples were displayed innovatively

industry feature


A1 A2

A3 A4

A5 A6

A7

A8

A9 A10

A11

A12

A13

A14

industry feature


to meet.” They already sell into Europe

through a major distributor in France. “We

were in Lyon last year, and now we sell into

Israel, Cypress, Dubai, Holland and a few

other places that have popped up. Salt is

defi nitely more accepted now – everyone’s

trying to get salt water chlorinators.” (A11)

“We’ve been manufacturing in China for

many years,” says John Skepper of Solar

Magic and JS Pool Products, who make

their products in both Ulladulla on the NSW

South Coast and in China. “We were there

before it became fashionable.

“And now, instead of just selling to

Australia and New Zealand, we sell

all over the world. And the business in

France would be ten times the business in

Australia. The solar equipment and solar

panels from Autumn Solar are big. We’ve

gone into six fi gures on those, and the

solar showers.” (A12)

Lo Chlor have been in Spain for ap-

proximately 16 years, and exhibited as

part of the AQA stand, one of their biggest

European distributors. Bernie Skelton of

Lo Chlor says: “Spain is a big market for

us, I supposed we’d sell about a tenth the

volume of Australia. There’s been lots of in-

ternational visitors today – Cypress, Egypt,

Finland, Holland – quite a surprise.” (A13)

Frederic Vanhuysse of Inn-Tec, who has

distributed Beadcrete for one year in Europe,

was excited by the response. “People like it,

but our main problem is that people don’t

know pebble here. Europe is very traditional,

mainly it’s tiles and liners. It’s something

completely news, they like it, but they don’t

know how to apply it. So fi rst we had some

Australians come over to train the trades-

people, and step by step it’s getting known.”

Vanhuysse says he thinks Barcelona is

a good location for reaching the southern

Mediterranean regions, which are more

suited to the look of pebble. They will soon

have installations in Spain, and already

have some in Portugal and even the UK,

where they found a builder experienced

in pebble who was very excited about the

product, as it avoids mixing onsite. (A14)

Monarch Pool Systems has been sell-

ing into Europe for many years, and are a

represented by their local branch, Monarch

Europe, which carries their full range into

the market.

As well as Aussie and Kiwi exhibitors

there were plenty of Antipodean builders

looking around – such as Placid Pools’ Joe

Spelta – and also a number of distributors

and manufacturers such as Jules Harwood

and David Webber from Spa Electrics who

were looking for European distributors; and

Scott Rawlinson from Solar Wise, recon-

noitring prior to exhibiting in Europe in the

near future.

Innovation on displayOne of the main reasons visitors come to

the big European shows is to see what’s

new: from technological advances to cute

ideas that may spin a few extra dollars.

Here is a sample of some of the innovative

ideas at the show, in addition to the exam-

ples of Aussie innovation mentioned above.

Albatica had a number of new products

on display, including the portable pool light,

shown here by Madigi (N1) and the Spa

Concept modular spa in which panels of

different colours and patterns can be mixed

and matched (N2).

Spanish company AstralPool had a

number of changes, including changing

the parent group’s name from Aquaria to

Fluidra, and launching the new high-end

AP Signature range. Some of their new

products were the Water Saver pre-fi lter

which incorporates a micro-mesh bag to

remove large particles; the solar powered

pool cover (N3); and the award winning Wa-

terlift. The Waterlift is designed specifi cally

for people who have a temporary disability,

industry feature

N1 N2 N3

N4 N5 N6

N7 N8 N9


the aged, overweight people and injured athletes. It can be used in

community pools or high-end residential pools. It won the Innova-

tion Award at the show.

The ClimaWorld Cover (N4) is an interesting new idea from

Belgium, which secures the pool, insulates it and even makes the

space usable for other things such as alfresco dining. It includes

safety mechanisms to ensure no-one can get trapped underneath

it. At about 35,000 euros for a 6m x 3m unit, it’s not cheap, but it

could avoid the quandary of whether to choose an entertainment

space or a swimming pool for your backyard.

Aqua Couleur (N5) is a temporary colorant for swimming pools.

First the pool has to be neutralised to 0.5ppm of chlorine, then a

bottle of colorant is added for a 60,000 litre pool. The colour will

last for 48 hours or until the pool is shocked with 2ppm chlorine.

It is being distributed in Australia through Freedom Pools.

Many styles of outdoor shower were on display. They are a health

product as well as a lifestyle item – showering before swimming

can help reduce health risks, chemical use and fi lter wear. These

serpentine, colourful examples are from Different Concept (N6).

Mike Duo from US company Ecosmarte (N7) is looking for an

Australian agent for their copper ionisation and natural oxygen

system, and says they have an APVMA number. For more info go to

www.ecosmarte.com.

Patricia from Swimways displays the Spring Float (N8) which pops

up like a little sunshelter. You then blow up the outside section, and

the water seeps through holes to keep the bather cool. They sell

about three million of these in the US, and are available in Australia

through Dorsey Irwin Pacifi c.

Kripsol released their Series Thor sand fi lters (N9), with an extra

fi ltering bed height of 1.2m, and diameters of up to 2m.

There were a number of different versions of modular pool con-

struction (N10) such as the Speck Espanola system which utilises

resin and polypropylene panels to put the pool together within 5

days, including liner installation and waterproofi ng.

Oxineo (N11), manufactured by Adamant Technologies (Switzer-

land) was given a special mention in the Sustainability Award as the

device reduces the amount of chemicals needed while achieving

effective disinfection.

Wellness was also a major theme

of the show

industry feature


Blue-I was another innovative product on

show: a modular amperimetric chlorine an-

alyser-controller that can provide measure-

ments of 6 parameters: free chlorine, pH,

temperature, turbidity, inductive conductiv-

ity and fl ow rate.

Pool Igloo (N12) is a lightweight tex-

tile cover for swimming pools. It’s made

from high-tenacity polyamide fabric and

fi breglass arches, and the whole thing can

be assembled or pulled down and stored

within 30 minutes. It’s waterproof and

resistant to wind, snow and hail. They’re

looking for an Australian distributor. For

more information, email Alvaro Rebull at

[email protected].

A number of pump houses were featured

including one from Dome (N13) which

hides the equipment in a faux rock, and

Tekbox from Espa (N14), which buries the

equipment safely and quietly underground.

Smaller spas were a trend, including this

two person spa by AquaE (N15) designed

to fi t in apartments or

on balconies.

Keeping with

the sustainabil-

ity theme, there

were many solar

powered prod-

ucts and related

solar panels,

including a solar

panel from Aurin-

cio used to power

pool LEDs.

AUSSIE CYCLONE CAUSES STORM IN EUROPEWaterco takes the prize in BarcelonaThis year there were two awards up for grabs at the Barce-lona International Pool Show: Innovation and Sustainability.The Innovation Award went to the AstralPool-distributed Waterlift mechanical stair sys-tem produced by Span-ish company Metalast.But the big news for the Australian indus-try was that Waterco’s Multi Cyclone won the Sustainability Award for its new filtration system. The Multi Cyclone is a new Australian-designed and patented swimming pool fi ltra-tion device. It has worldwide patent pending.Using the principle of centrifugal force, the Multi Cyclone pre-fi lter reduces water consumption and extends the life of existing fi lters. It works together with sand, diatomaceous earth or cartridge fi lters, fi tting between the pump and the exist-ing fi lter. It removes up to 80 per cent of the incoming sediment before the water reaches the existing fi lter. The end result is that the fi lter requires less cleaning, saving water and time. The Multi Cyclone is cleaned by simply opening a purge valve. The entire cleaning process only uses about 15 litres of water. When used in conjunction with a sand fi lter, the water savings can be up to 5000 litres per year. Cartridge fi lters may only need to be cleaned once every one or two years, depending on their size. Other products to receive a mention include the Watersaver pre-fi lter produced by Auricpool and distributed by AstralPool; and the Oxineo disinfection system by Swiss company Adamant Technologies. A total of 63 products from 50 international companies were judged by an expert panel assembled by the Institute of Construction Technology of Catalonia (IteC), which included technical experts, architects, directors of Spanish aquatic associa-tions and government sporting bodies.

industry feature

N10 N11 N12

N13 N14 N15

AstralPool’s award winning Waterlift.


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Pressure side model also available.

industry advice

Labor’s employment plan – what does it mean for SMBs?

The Labor Government intends intro-

ducing a new system of industrial

relations and is committed to ensur-

ing a smooth transition to this new system.

Based on stated policy to date, most of

the changes won’t take effect until Janu-

ary 1, 2010 to provide a two-year period to

complete an award simplifi cation process

which underpins the new system. A Transi-

tion Bill which will set out the process is

expected in early 2008.

The key points are:• A new award system will apply to em-

ployees earning less than $100,000 but

genuine non-union collective agreements

could apply to these employees.

• Only employees earning over $100,000

will be able to have individual agreements

(more fl exible common law agreements).

• Awards will be modernised and simplifi ed

and limited to 10 matters.

• There will be a safety net of ten National

Employment Standards.

• All awards and collective agreements will

be required to contain a fl exibility clause

to permit individual variations between

the employer and employees.

• Businesses with fewer than 15 employees

will be protected from unfair dismissal

claims during the fi rst 12 months of

employment.

• Individual Transitional Employment

Agreements (ITEAs) may be made during

the transition period subject to certain

conditions and transitional arrangements

will apply for existing AWAs.

AWAs and ITEAsAustralian Workplace Agreements AWAs made

prior to the implementation date of Labor’s

Transition Bill (due early in 2008) will remain

in force until either their stated expiry date or

December 31, 2012, whichever is earlier.

During the two year transitional period

an employer who has any employee en-

gaged on an AWA as at December 1, 2007,

will be able to make an Individual Transi-

tional Employment Agreement (ITEA) with

a new employee or an existing employee

whose terms and conditions are governed

by an AWA. They will have a nominal expiry

date of December 31, 2009. They must not

disadvantage the employee compared to an

applicable collective agreement, applicable

award or the Australian Fair Pay and Condi-

tions Standard (AFPCS).

National StandardsTen National Employment Standards will

apply to all employees, covering:

• Hours of work;

• Parental leave;

• Flexible work for parents;

• Annual leave;

• Personal, carers and compassionate leave;

• Community service leave;

• Public holidays;

• Information in the workplace;

• Notice of termination and redundancy;

• Long service leave.

Award simplifi cationLabor’s system is underpinned by a

streamlined award system for all em-

ployees earning less than $100,000. This

process will be completed over a two year

period which is why the new system will not

come into force until January 1, 2010.

These new awards will be limited to ten

matters as follows:

• Minimum wages (including skill-based

classifi cations and career structures,

incentive based payments and bonuses,

wage rates, and arrangements for ap-

prentices and trainees).

• The type of work performed (eg. permanent,

casual work and fl exible arrangements).

• Arrangements for when work is per-

formed (eg. hours of work, rostering, rest

breaks, meal breaks).

• Overtime rates for employees working

long hours.

• Penalty rates for employees working

unsocial, irregular or unpredictable hours

on weekends or public holidays, and as

shift workers.

• Provisions for minimum annualised wage

or salary arrangements as an alternative

to penalty rates etc.

• Allowances (including reimbursements,

higher duties and disability-based payments).

• Leave, leave loadings and arrangements

for taking leave.

• Superannuation.

• Consultation, representation and dispute

settling procedures.

Collective agreementsCollective enterprise bargaining will be at the

centre of Labor’s industrial relations system.

However, union membership will be vol-

untary and unions will not have an automatic

right to be involved in enterprise collective

bargaining. Genuine non-union collective

agreements can be made, without the need

to notify an eligible union that negotiations for

a non-union agreement have commenced.

Adrienne Unkovich from Workforce Guardian

offers her insights into the new federal

government’s employment legislation


industry advice

Awards and collective agreements must contain a fl exibility clause

enabling an employer and employees to make individual arrange-

ments that suit them. This may include matters such as:

• Rostering and hours of work;

• All-up rates of pay;

• Provisions that certain award conditions do not apply where the

employee is paid above a fi xed percentage as set out in the award;

• An arrangement to allow an employee to start and fi nish work

early to allow them to collect their children from school without

the employer paying additional penalty rates for the early start.

More fl exible common law agreementsThe Government intends to implement more fl exible Common Law

agreements for employees earning more than $100,000 who will

not be covered by the award system. The ten National Employment

Standards will apply to such employees.

The calculation of the $100,000 threshold will be the employee’s

guaranteed ordinary earnings and includes:

• Pay received for ordinary hours of work;

• Guaranteed overtime;

• Other monetary allowances that are a guaranteed part of the

employee’s normal remuneration arrangements.

The threshold will be indexed in line with annual growth in ordi-

nary time earnings for full time adult employees.

Unfair dismissal and industrial actionEmployees who have been employed for less than a year in a busi-

ness that employs fewer than 15 employees will not be able to

bring a claim for unfair dismissal.

The existing arrangements concerning industrial action and second-

ary boycotts will remain. Protected strike action will only be possible

in limited circumstances during bargaining for a collective agreement,

subject to employees approving of the action by secret ballot. Second-

ary boycotts will be regulated by the Trade Practices Act as at present.

Where industrial action occurs or is threatened, Fair Work

Australia will be required to deal with such matters quickly and

effectively. Those affected by unprotected industrial action will be

able to apply directly to the Court for orders.

The existing arrangements for union right of entry will be

retained. A union offi cial will be able to enter premises to hold dis-

cussions not only with members of the union, but also those who

are eligible to be members of the union.

Regarding building and construction industry regulation, Labor will

retain the existing arrangements for the ABCC until January 31, 2010.

What should you do?• First and foremost, there is no need to panic – the key changes

will not be implemented for two years.

• However, given the size of the Government’s mandate, it would

not be surprising if the process is accelerated to some degree.

• The most important thing to do right now if you have any inten-

tion of using AWAs or ITEAs in the future, is to get one or more

of your employees on an AWA – otherwise you won’t be able to

make ITEAs during the transition period. The Workforce Guardian

contract generation system can help you with this.

• Keep an eye on Workforce Guardian www.workforceguardian.com.

au. Regular updates will be posted to keep you informed about

changes as they occur and their potential impact.

Adrienne Unkovich is the Managing Director of Workforce Guardian,

a cost effective online employment relations solution that helps

SMBs comply with Australia’s employment legislation.


residential feature

It actually rains a fair bit in many parts

of Australia, it’s just that it doesn’t

always fall where we’d like it – in the big

dam catchments for example.

This can be particularly frustrating when

we see rain fl ooding suburban streets and

teeming off roofs, but dam levels don’t rise

and water restrictions remain in place.

One solution is to capture the rain as it falls

on the roofs and direct it to a rainwater tank.

This approach is common throughout rural

Australia, but is relatively new to the cities.

That captured water can then be used

for gardening, fl ushing toilets and, if suit-

able, for drinking, washing and cooking.

And of course, it can be use to top up

swimming pools, when the water level has

dropped because of backwashing, splash-

ing and/or evaporation.

But even easier and cheaper than build-

ing a rainwater tank is to use a rainwater

diverter (also known as a downpipe divert-

er). This doesn’t actually store the water,

but is a means to direct more rainwater to

the pool.

For example, the pool may have a sur-

face area of 50 square metres. The roof’s

surface area may be 150 square metres.

So with the use of rainwater diverters, the

pool owner could conceivable quadruple

the amount of water going into a pool every

time it rains.

Over a year, this could potentially add up

to more than 150,000 litres of water being

additionally directed to a pool from a single

150 square metre roof in Sydney. This, of

course, depends of the rain falling at a time

when it is needed.

However, there is also a concept that al-

lows you to store rain in the pool. By having

variable level skimmer boxes, for instance,

up to 2750 litres of water can be “stored”

in a typical backyard pool. Bryan Goh de-

scribes this concept in more detail on p23

of the April/May 2007 edition of SPLASH!,

which is available for download at www.

splashmagazine.com.au. (Click on Archive

and select the relevant PDF.)

The other question with all types of rain-

water harvesting is water quality. Austral-

ians all over the country drink and enjoy

the water from their roofs every day, but we

still have to look at maintaining water qual-

ity coming off the roof.

In general, the levels of contamination

by chemicals and organic matter is quite

low, but it does need to be taken into con-

sideration. For example, areas with heavy

traffic, smelters, commercial incinerators

and heavy industry can have chemical

contaminants, while treed areas may have

leaf mulch, bird and possum droppings on

the roof.

Organic matter is more easily fl ushed off

iron roofs, and while the roofs themselves

may introduce small quantities of zinc, they

are not generally at a level to cause concern.

For water diverters (as well as water

tanks) a “fi rst fl ush” system can overcome

much of these problems. This can be done

manually by simply letting the fi rst part of

any rainfall go to stormwater, or can be

done automatically, using a “fl oating ball”

device. Occasionally washing the roof and

using debris fi lters is also advised. Studies

show that the fi rst litre of water contains

the most contaminants, and after about the

fourth or fi fth litre the water is consider-

ably better.

Additionally, the water can be directed

into the pool’s balance tank, if available, so

it is fi ltered before reaching the pool.

A few years ago, the only freely avail-

able rainwater diverter was the Lenny. But

because of the water crisis and the recom-

mendation by some water authorities to

use water diverters to top up pools – such

as in Queensland – the number of devices

on the market has multiplied.

Here is a rundown of some of them.

Saving rainMaking the rain fall mainly in the pool

The Neta diverter


residential feature

The LennyInventor Leonard Norton started marketing this

Aussie product many years ago – it has now

reached a new level as it’s been taken on

board by Pool Systems. A new “round”

version has recently been released,

as the earlier versions were only for

rectangular downpipes.

Pool Systems says that one of the

advantages of the Lenny is that you

decide when to use the water, by

choosing when to open the gate. They recom-

mend a manual “fi rst fl ush” for fi ve minutes

– letting that water go to the stormwater – before opening the gate

to let the rainwater into the pool.

Pool Systems suggests the pool builder plumbs the diverter into

the fi lter box, so it catches the water invisibly. The Lenny can also

be used to divert rainwater away from a water tank and directly into

the pool. It has been approved under the Smart WaterMark.

For more information on the Lenny contact Pool Systems

on 1300 366 020.

The Frogmouth fi lterThe Frogmouth is a fi rst stage fi lter

that removes leaves and gutter debris.

It is fully enclosed, protect-

ing the rainwater storage

from mosquitoes and

preventing sunlight from

stimulating algae.

It can be used as a rainwater

diverter or used to fi lter water going

into storage tanks.

The Frogmouth can be cut into existing

downpipes and in most installations acts

as an overfl ow back down the downpipe, saving the additional plumb-

ing of a separate overfl ow. It is made from rugged PVC and includes

a durable 0.9mm stainless steel mesh fi lter. The Frogmouth has con-

nections to suit common 90mm PVC stormwater pipe.

The system works in the following way:

• Rainwater from the roof enters the fi lter from the downpipe,

passes through the mosquito proof stainless steel mesh and into

the storage tanks or to the pool;

• Dirt, leaves, moss and other debris from the roof is diverted

by the mesh and unique roller system in the fi lter directly

to the stormwater;

• In the event of storm water being forced back up into the fi lter,

this contaminated water is trapped in the lower chamber of the

fi lter and expelled via the lower Frogmouth fi lter fl ap;

• Once the water pressure drops, the fl ap closes, sealing the fi lter

from birds, pests and vermin.

• No separate tank overfl ow is required in most installations.

• Rainwater exits via a 90mm pipe connection.

• When the storage tanks are full or the outlet is closed, excess

water is prevented from entering the tanks and diverted to the

stormwater drain.

It can be combined with the Lazy Lizard secondary fi lter to pro-

duce even cleaner water.

For more information on the Frogmouth and the Lazy Lizard con-

tact Waterco at www.waterco.com.au or call (02) 9898 8686.

The new round Lenny

Cutaway of the

Frogmouth fi lter


PREMIUM QUALITY POOL PRODUCTS PTY LTDNational Head Offi ce

13-15 Nelson Avenue Padstow NSW 2211 PH: (02) 9790 8777FAX: (02) 9790 8555 TOLL FREE: 1800 776 867

EMAIL: [email protected] www.pq.com.au

South Australia Offi cePool Resources

2/6 Rosberg Road, Wingfi eld SA 5013PH: (08) 8359 4448

Victoria Offi ce4 Swift Way

Dandenong South VIC 3175PH: (03) 9706 5066 FAX: (03) 9706 6806

Queensland Offi ceP.O. Box 2986

Nerang QLD 4211PH: 0411 422 232 FAX: (07) 5534 2258

Western Australian Offi cePremium Quality Western Australia

160 Balcatta Rd, Balcatta WA 6021PH: (08) 9240 5600

PREMIUM QUALITY POOL PRODUCTS

To see some of our new products fl ick to page 73.

New Zealand Offi ceUnit 1, 135 Cryers Road, East Tamaki, Manukau 2141

PH: (64) 9273 4103 FAX: (64) 9273 4104

residential feature

Neta DiverterNeta has developed a range of rainwater

products that are simple to use and install,

including this water diverter and associated

pipes, hoses and taps.

It has been designed with the intention of

diverting stormwater to:

• top up swimming pools;

• water dry gardens or lawns with more

water than would be possible with only

light rain;

• water gardens that are under eaves and

might not be getting the rain;

• manage the fl ow where there are

multiple tanks or when the tanks are at

different heights.

A removable valve gate ensures that you

can easily clear the diverter or downpipe

of leaves, balls or other objects that might

become trapped.

For more information contact Neta on

(07) 3865 2300 or email [email protected].

Australian RainSaverThe Australian RainSaver is a similar con-

cept, but with slightly different design. It is

an easy-to-install automatic system that

can be used on residential and commer-

cial buildings.

By fi tting the RainSaver to one or more

downpipes, water automatically collects in

the lower reservoir and is distributed via fi ve

conventional hoses to the areas you choose.

Any excess water that is not distributed by

the fi ve hoses will fl ow through the downpipe

and off to either a water storage tank or into

the stormwater drain. This would only hap-

pen during very heavy rainfall.

The residential model RainSaver-R has

four 12mm and one 18mm hose connec-

tions. The commercial model RainSaver-C

has fi ve 18mm hose connections to handle

the higher volume of rainwater.

The RainSaver can save and distribute up

to a maximum of 4000 litres of water per

hour with an installation at 2m to 3m height

and using 10m long hoses.

It can be used to top up pools, water gar-

dens including areas that don’t get exposed

to rain, supply water tanks and increase the

water table. It has the Smart WaterMark.

For more information call (02) 8539 7300.

Smart Water DiverterAccording to the people at Smart Water

Diverter, 1mm of rain on the average house

can generate 250L of water.

Their new generation Smart Water Divert-

er can collect rainfall and even heavy dew

and divert it through double outlets to the

garden, lawn, or to top up a pool, spa or tank.

There are two outlets, one for a pool hose

and one for a garden hose.

In extra heavy rain, what the Smart Water

Diverter doesn’t harvest, simply goes down

the back cavity of the diverter. For fi rst fl ush

or to stop water diversion, simply twist the

top joint of the diverter into the off position

and water will fl ow down the back cavity

and away as usual. To start harvesting again

simply twist the top joint into the on position.

It includes twin 32mm outlets, is capable

of 14,000 litres per hour, and can be turned

on and off with the inbuilt tap. It is Austral-

ian-made and can be painted to match the

downpipe. It has the Smart WaterMark.

For more information contact Brushland

on (07) 3200 0494.

The MC DiverterThe MC Diverter is a very simple device that

costs less than $50 and is easily installed

by cutting a small section of the downpipe.

It can be used to feed into a tank or other

storage device or can direct the water to

pool, garden or other location. It can also

help fi ll rainwater tanks that cannot be

positioned close to the downpipe because

of confi ned and limited spaces.

In automatic mode, the device is able to

fi ll the tank to its full capacity. Any excess

will automatically fl ow away via the over-

fl ow mechanism back to the downpipe.

In manual mode the user is able to col-

lect or divert the water straight from the

device onto a receptacle. When not in use,

it’s a simple case of screwing the cap back

onto the device’s outlet and the water will

simple fl ow down the downpipe.

For more information go to

www.mccollections.com.au or call

(02) 9556 2965.

Neta’s diverter can be converted for round or rectangular downpipes

An early prototype of the Australian RainSaver

Smart Water Diverter by Brushland

The MC Diverter showroom


splash dec jan 01 40

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