FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

URGENT MESSAGE to the QLD SIGNAGE INDUSTRY June 12, 2003

The Sign Association of Australia Qld Branch issued a press release (3rd June) to Channel 7 responding to their news story (2nd June) regarding the sign company that was prosecuted by the BSA for installing the HITACHI sign in Brisbane’s CBD without a General Builders License.

The Minister for Public Works and Housing, Robert Schwarten, appeared in the news item advising that the QBSA had prosecuted a local sign company for installing a sign without a General Builders license.

The HITACHI sign that was installed last week via helicopter drew broad media attention. Once the HITACHI signs were installed the BSA received a complaint from a rival sign company stating that the company who installed the signs were not licensed.

The press release issued by the SAA stated, among other things, the following:

'In this instance the signage company was reported to the BSA by a rival sign company (who has a general builders license to build houses) and the BSA were forced to act. The signage company had constructed and installed the sign according to Engineers specifications and met all BSA requirements with the exception of holding a General Builders License. The BSA were used as a pawn in a personal vendetta against a signage company.

The Minister in last nights broadcast has also unwittingly fuelled the vindictive agenda by the rival sign company.'

The rival sign company here is the CDC Group. To anyone who doubted the agenda of this self-serving organization, their intent must now be clear. The SAA chose not to respond to the recent smear campaign run by CDC choosing instead to remain focused on achieving our aims of having the sign industry license in place for September 1.

The CDC Group have now thwarted any chance of this occurring. This is of course the outcome the CDC Group were hoping for. The goal posts have moved and whilst the SAA are just as dedicated to ensuring the license is in place as quickly as possible this recent prosecution has made the process all the more onerous.

The press release also clearly stated our position regarding licensing and that as the peak body representing the signage industry in Queensland we are developing our own industry license in collaboration with the BSA. The proposed license entitled 'Building Restricted to Signage Manufacture and Installation' will replace the need for sign manufacturers and installers to seek a general builders license, but will still enable the general public to feel safe in the knowledge that the signs being installed are done so by professional licensed operators.

...... The Sign Association of Australia is the peak body with whom the BSA are negotiating the development of a signage industry specific license.

The FACTS regarding the SAA and licensing are as follows:

.... membership funds whilst distributed between the state and national body directly fund this licensing process. Licensing in Queensland is funded by both National and State branches. Queensland licensing will form the blue print for all other states. We can then on-sell this blue print to other states to recoup some of our costs.

The CDC Group are not members of the SAA and were not engaged in any capacity to address the licensing issue on behalf of the members of the SAA.

Whilst it is an extremely complex process, the SAA’s development of a signage industry specific license is well progressed. Tenders for training providers to provide SIGN INDUSTRY RELEVANT training for license eligibility have been called and decisions will be made shortly. We cannot make a license application to the BSA until an appropriate training regime is in place.

The SAA as a not-for-profit industry association, are not required to lodge tax returns to the ATO. The SAA Qld branch is a strong and legal entity in its own right.

Furthermore;

If we do not have a strong and representative membership of the SAA the license may fall over on application to the BSA through lack of industry support.

If we do not have a strong membership of the SAA we will not have adequate funds to develop the signage industry license and as sign companies you will be forced to seek a General Builders License to install signs over the value of $ 1100.00. The major national signage company who manufactured and installed the HITACHI sign have had a general builders license application in with the BSA for over 6 months and were still unable to meet some of the essential requirements for licensing.

In addition to licensing, strong membership of the SAA will allow us to:

Combat the recent push by the CFMEU to have all Queensland sign companies be a party to an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) whereby substantial wage increases will be awarded to all employees and a 36 hour week will be introduced across our industry.

Join reciprocal membership with the QMBA, HIA and other peak bodies to provide better access to services such as training, legal advice etc. Address the skills shortage that currently exists within this industry through: Improved, updated and relevant sign industry specific training through TAFE The re-introduction of prevocational training courses for school leavers to encourage entry into our industry The lobby for funding to improve the quality of traineeships and apprenticeships for our industry

....... With regard to the current status of installation of signage in Queensland the following still applies:

'Signs attached to buildings and signs attached to the ground where the value of the work exceeds $1,100.00 should only be installed by appropriately licensed companies or individuals. Until such time as the licensing issues are resolved the BSA will not actively pursue the signage industry for unlicensed contracting. In the event that a complaint is made in relation to unlicensed contracting the BSA will have no option but to take some form of action.' Chris Boyle, Manager Licensing Development, QBSA

....SAA Qld Branch"

After discussion with my family, it has been decided that we will join the Q SAA from July 1. Although I have been critical of the organsiation for some time, I also appreciate that the problems now facing our industry will need a unified 'voice' if we are to make any headway. Clearly, the Qld Government see this as another easy revenue grab, and with the red tape that is sure to follow, both government and possibly union, being outside an organised group will be a negative, not a positive step for my business.

As a final note, I believe the CDC Group have approached several small sign business, offering to install their signs using the CDC Groups BSA license. This they would do for an sizeable membership fee, plus a percentage of the invoice total for each job. Clearly, they do not want the QBSA to give every sign shop access to a QBSA approved license.

Thanks for the time in reading this article.

Regards,

Shane Drew

Drew's Sign It
PO Box 313
Waterford West,, Qld 4133
Phone: 1 800 06 16 17
Fax:
E-Mail: admin@signs.au.bz
Website URL: www.signs.au.bz