CEO Report

As 2021 comes to a close, I鈥檇 like to thank our members, contributors, stakeholders and staff for their ongoing commitment during another challenging year.
We approached this year with the goal to make standards more affordable and accessible to the end user.
I am very pleased to be able to report that this goal was realised and achieved many times throughout the year:
In April, we successfully launched the Standards Store. The store is a big step in transforming service delivery. Increasing ways customers engage with 美姬社区 while supporting our licensing and distribution framework will allow content to be used more broadly across the economy.
November saw us partner with the Housing Industry Association, Master Builders Association NSW and launch our innovative Small Business Sets.
In addition to providing greater accessibility to standards, we also focused our efforts on developing and implementing collaborative tools to support customers. 2021 saw us launch the Voice of Customer program, which utilises targeted surveys to understand what we鈥檙e delivering well and where we can progress. This program will help us better work with our many contributors and customers, enabling our organisation to meet their needs.
We have also made much progress in 2021 on our international engagement work. 美姬社区 was elected to new international governance groups, including the ISO Council, the IEC Council Board (CB), the IEC Conformity Assessment Board (CAB) and the Chairman鈥檚 Advisory Group of the ISO committee on developing country matters (DEVCO). We are also a member of the ISO.
These significant appointments add to our existing position on the IEC Standardization Management Board (SMB) and ISO Technical Management Board (TMB) and give Australia a voice on the organisations鈥 policy, operational and strategic direction.
Next year, we look forward to continuing to support our stakeholders through the development of standards that enable our communities and increase our contribution and influence at the international level. We will continue to drive initiatives that generate more value and become even more accessible to Australian industries.
On behalf of 美姬社区, I thank you again and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
鈥 Adrian O'Connell, Chief Executive
Small Business Sets Offer Standards at an Affordable Cost
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For almost 100 years, 美姬社区 has been developing standards to support safer communities, boost economic growth and influence global standardisation.鈥 One of our goals is to promote better access to standards at an affordable cost. 聽
This year, we launched our online Store along with a subscription service called Small Business Sets. The NCC Primary References Set bundles together 214 standards referenced in the鈥疦ational Construction Code. A three-year subscription costs approx. $2.50 per day. 聽
Learn more here.
Enter the Drones

Australia is positioning itself to take part in the international standards committee ISO TC 20/SC 16 Unmanned Air Systems.
The official scope of this committee is 鈥淪tandardization in the field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) including, but not limited to, classification, design, manufacture, operation (including maintenance) and safety management of UAS operations鈥. 聽
The group has published five standards and has 25 projects under development. 美姬社区 facilitated a workshop to brief Australian stakeholders on current works and how they can get involved to ensure the Australian industry positions itself well in the international market. The first committee meeting of the Australian experts will be early 2022.
Read more here.
World First Standard for Seatbelts

Seatbelts are a vital safety feature in any car. However, not everyone can rely on seatbelts alone; people living with disabilities, people who require modified seatbelts, pregnant women and pets all require additional accessories on seatbelts to better suit their safety needs.
美姬社区 Committee CS-075, Seat Belts for Use in Motor Vehicles, has launched a project to develop the world鈥檚 first standard on accessories for seatbelts used in motor vehicles.
Learn more about the project here.
Nominations Open for Standards Heroes

2022 marks Standard Australia鈥檚 100th birthday. Our centenary year provides us with the opportunity to recognise the beneficial work we have delivered alongside our dedicated members, contributors, stakeholders and staff.
We will celebrate the people that have contributed their expertise and have helped shape our organisation throughout its history; our 鈥楽tandards Heroes鈥.
Throughout 2022, we鈥檒l be profiling a selection of our 鈥楽tandards Heroes鈥 on our website and social media platforms, highlighting their accomplishments and how they鈥檝e impacted the world of standards. We鈥檇 like to invite you to put forward a nomination for consideration for a hero to profile. 聽These nominations can include people with established careers, up and comers and anyone positively impacting their industry and the associated standards. We鈥檙e looking for interesting and engaging individuals whose stories will inspire people to get involved.
If you have a nomination, please let our team know by emailing Marketing@standards.org.au with their name and why you think they鈥檙e a Standards Hero.
Please note, a nomination is not a guarantee of inclusion.
New Members Admitted
美姬社区 has admitted its first new Members under a new Company Constitution adopted in March 2021. 美姬社区 congratulates the Caravan Industry Association of Australia; Safety Institute of Australia trading as Australian Institute of Health and Safety; and the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) on their recent admittance as Members.
Organisations interested in Membership of 美姬社区 should review the new criteria, which is intended to broaden the company's membership, with the aim of ensuring that membership continues to grow 美姬社区's relevance and reach, and better reflect the communities we serve.
Information regarding our Members and the criteria for Membership is available here.
鈥Enquiries regarding how to apply to become a Member and requests for a Membership Application form are welcomed by 美姬社区 and should be directed to our Company Secretary. 聽
Aged Standards Open for Review
To keep our catalogue contemporary and relevant, we are seeking feedback on a number of Aged Standards (documents over ten years old), belonging to inactive Technical Committees. Let us know if these standards are still used by your industry or community by Friday 17 December 2021.
Learn more on our Aged Standards Review page.
Drafts open for comment
The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions.鈥疻ith the launch of our new public comment platform, draft鈥痵tandards currently open for comment鈥痑re now available .
International update
美姬社区 represents Australia on the two major international standards development bodies, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Our activities are reported on our International Updates page.
Click here to view our highlights from December (PDF).
- Promoting cultural and geographical diversity
- Recapping ISO and IEC governance and leadership in 2021
- Invitation to an international workshop on live streaming marketing services
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Sector update
The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions.鈥疻ith the launch of our new public comment platform, draft鈥痵tandards currently open for comment鈥痑re now available via Sectors page.