Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As the director of a family company that actually sells and manufactures products that have a WELS marking on them, I am very pleased to be able to rise tonight to speak on this bill which is designed to enhance the WELS Scheme. As has been pointed out already, the WELS Scheme is about putting water efficiency labels on products supplies, from showerheads to washing machines, toilets, dishwashers, urinals and taps. Because of the WELS Scheme, manufacturing businesses have flourished in Australia in a way that would not have been possible without it.

The star-rating scheme demonstrating water efficiency started in 2005. It is interesting to note that a then Liberal House of Representatives member, Mr Stuart Henry, is now the CEO of the World Plumbing Council. Mr Henry is a plumber by background and he very much understood the efficiencies that you could get within industry by developing a carrot-and-stick approach. Not only does this legislation set out to amend and improve the operation of the WELS Scheme but, probably as importantly, it develops new civil penalties to complement existing offences under the scheme and it also amends some of the existing criminal offences under the scheme.

It might seem odd that we have criminal offences in this area, but it is certainly something that we need to make easier for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and others to proceed with. I am very well aware of importers of products—particularly, in my experience, taps—which have a WELS star rating marked on them but are not WELS rated products. They are such good copies that until they are taken apart you do not know that they are not water-efficient taps. This of course creates very unfair competition for our local manufacturers, who cannot meet the costs of these people who are cheating on the water efficiency system.