WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/AUS/18
17 July 2003
(03-3869)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:
Australian Greenhouse Office
Phone: 61 2 6274 1888Fax: 61 2 6274 1795
Email: energy.efficiency@greenhouse.gov.au
Web site: www.energyrating.gov.au
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [     ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:   3.2
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
i. Domestic refrigerators and freezers: 8418.10.00 to 8418.10.50
i. Dishwashers: 8422
ii. Clothes washers: 8450
iii. Clothes dryers: 8543
iv. Air conditioners (single & three phase): 8415.10
v. Three phase electric motors: 8501
vi. Mains pressure storage hot water heaters: 8516
vii Ballasts for linear fluorescent lamps: 8539
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:
Australia is a federation of states and territories and each jurisdiction has enacted its own
regulations to underpin this National Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Program.
The regulations enacted in other states and territories are modelled  on the following
Victorian legislation:
• Electricity Safety Act 1998 Act No.25/1998
• Electricity Safety (Equipment Efficiency) Regulations 1999 S.R. No. 48/1999.
The regulation is amended to include each category of appliance or equipment to be
subjected to mandatory energy efficiency labelling or minimum energy performance
standards.  The test procedures and technical requirements are contained in the relevant
Australian and New Zealand Standard and are called up in the regulation.  The VictorianG/TBT/N/AUS/18
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Act and Regulations can be examined on the web site:
http://www.ocei.vic.gov.au/industry/ARCGlist.htm  . The relevant Standard for each product
category are as follows (details of all products, standards and regulations can be found on
the web site www.energyrating.gov.au  ):
i. Domestic refrigerators and freezers:
AS/NZS4474: Performance of household electrical appliances-
Refrigerating appliances Part 1: Energy Consumption and Performance.
AS/NZS4474: Performance of household electrical appliances-
Refrigerating appliances Part 2: Energy labelling and minimum energy
performance standard requirements.
ii. Dishwashers:
AS/NZS2007: Performance of household electrical appliances-
Dishwashers Part 1: Energy Consumption and Performance.
AS/NZS2007: Performance of household electrical appliances-
Dishwashers Part 2: Energy labelling requirements Part 1 of the standard
defines the test procedures  for the determination of energy consumption
and performance.
iii. Clothes washers:
AS/NZS2040: Performance of household electrical appliances- Clothes
washing machines Part 1: Energy Consumption and Performance
AS/NZS2040: Performance of household electrical appliances- Clothes
washing machines Part 2: Energy labelling requirements
iv. Clothes dryers:
AS/NZS2442: Performance of household electrical appliances- Rotary
clothes dryers Part 1: Energy Consumption and Performance
AS/NZS2442: Performance of household electrical appliances- Rotary
clothes dryers Part 2: Energy labelling requirements
v. Air conditioners (single & three phase):
AS/NZS3823: Performance of household electrical appliances- room
airconditioners Part 1.1: Non ducted airconditioners and heat pumps -
Testing and rating for performance
AS/NZS3823: Performance of electrical appliances- air conditioners and
heat pumps Part 1.2: Test Methods - Ducted airconditioners and air-to-air
heat pumps - Testing and rating for performance
AS/NZS3823: Performance of electrical appliances- air conditioners and
heat pumps Part 2: Energy labell ing and minimum energy performance
standard (MEPS) requirements
AS/NZS3823: Performance of electrical appliances- air conditioners and
heat pumps Part 3: Calculation of performance for minimum energy
performance standard (MEPS) requirements
vi. Three phase electric motors:
AS1359: Rotating electrical machines - General Requirements Part 101:
Rating and Performance
AS1359: Rotating electrical machines - General Requirements Part 102.1:G/TBT/N/AUS/18
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Methods for determining losses and efficiency - General
AS/NZS1359: Rotating electrical machines - General Requirements Part
102.3: Methods for determining losses and efficiency - Three phase cage
induction motors
AS/NZS1359: Rotating electrical machines - General Requirements Part 5:
Three phase cage induction motors - High efficiency and minimum energyperformance standards (MEPS) requirements
vii. Mains pressure storage hot water heaters:
AS 1056.1-1991: Storage water heaters - General requirements
AS 1056 Amendment 3, 5 August 1996 – Maximum allowable standing
heat loss
viii. Ballasts for linear fluorescent lamps:
AS/NZS4783.1: Performance of electrical lighting equipment — Ballasts
for fluorescent lamps Part 1: Method of measurement to determine energyconsumption and performance of ballast-lamp circuits
AS/NZS4783.2: Performance of electrical lighting equipment — Ballasts
for fluorescent lamps Part 2: Energy labelling and minimum energy
performance standards requirements
6. Description of content:   The state and territory regulations specify that energy efficiency
labelling or minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for chosen types of domestic
appliances or commercial and industrial equipment came into effect in Australia from aspecified date. All chosen appliances or equipment manufactured in or imported into
Australia after that date must meet the relevant labelling or MEPS requirements set out in
the relevant Australian Standard.  Failure to meet those standards or attach the relevant
mandatory label means that the products cannot be lawfully sold in Australia (in effect the
inefficient products are banned from sale).  The regulations require suppliers of the products
to register with state and territory electrical safety agencies who enforce the regulations.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The world’s climate scientists continue to provide a clear message – that the balance of
evidence suggests humans are having a discernible influence on global climate.  Energyconsumed by equipment and appliances continues is a major source of greenhouse
emissions attributable to the industrial, commercial and residential sectors.  While changes
in behaviour can play a part in reducing energy use, improvements in product energy
efficiency through regulation play a key role in Australia’s greenhouse abatement program.
The scheme enhances trade through two interrelated policies:
• Australian regulatory agencies adopt international testing standards (and
contributing to international standards development) wherever appropriate.
Exporters to Australia may use the results of testing to the international standard in
the country of manufacture to demonstrate product compliance to local laws;
• Australian energy efficiency regulatory agencies adopt the “world best regulatory
minimum” standards as the efficiency goal for all products sold in Australia.Where major economies in Europe, North America or Asia have already regulated
these products, Australia in effect matches these minimum acceptable levels in law,
subject to positive economic cost/benefit studies and community consultation.
Therefore, any product manufactured in or for Australia may be exported
throughout the world and comply with local requirements.G/TBT/N/AUS/18
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These policies ensure Australian regulations setting product standards cannot become
unintended trade barriers and the policies actually reduce business & compliance costs for
all suppliers (manufacturers or importers) operating in Australia.
8. Relevant documents:
NATIONAL APPLIANCE & EQUIPMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM
Work plan and policies for 2002 t o 2004 (released in April 2003).  This document can be
viewed from the electronic library on the web site: www.energyrating.gov.au  .
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }The proposals for all products subject to thisnotification have already been adopted and theregulations have come into force.  Further
products will be added in the future and
comments on those regulatory proposals are
welcome within the published consultation
periods.  See www.energyrating.com.au  for the
targeted products.
10. Final date for comments:   See item 9
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:           