Industry has lots to achieve in 2016

Welcome to 2016! Can you believe we are over halfway through this decade already? I hope that you had a well-deserved break over Christmas, and that by now whatever natural disaster always seems to happen this time of year is under control.

Last year was a very big one for the association, topped off by the annual gala dinner in Melbourne. More than 500 people attended and we would sincerely like to thank all the members and supporters of the association for making the event so special. The success is due in no small part to the army of volunteers that make it happen and also Westwick-Farrow’s Comms Connect team.

For 2016 we have a long list of items that will need attention. It all starts with a planning day in Melbourne, where the committee and partners spend two days ensuring that each area of interest is being worked on and that we end up with documented outcomes. These days are essential in maintaining a high degree of participation from our partners and committee members, and involve quite a time commitment in both attending and preparing for the events.

In 2016 you will also see a program of events for Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Wellington. These one- and two-day events proved popular in 2015 and I am sure will be further improved for 2016. There is always room to have new topics covered — just ask or volunteer! Remember, we can only give you the information you need if you tell us what you want. The industry really benefits when ideas and technology are presented; so as an industry, please, make sure you support these events around Australia and New Zealand.

Last year the association, with assistance from the FCS in the UK and RFUANZ, published a mobile radio installation standard. I am pleased to report we will be adding to this in 2016 with white papers on intrinsic safety standards, tower/antenna best practice and a paper on industry best practice for the operation of CB radios in commercial applications. As we see all too often, consumers can’t readily identify the difference between a $25 radio on eBay, a CB radio and a commercial radio. Of course, with modern technology these lines are often blurred, so ARCIA needs to be in a position to provide information to the market and become a respected point of influence.

As we also plan to revise the website, the intention is to provide information for the benefit of all members and supporters, as well as other groups looking for information such as highlighted above.

Finally, ARCIA has been talking about training for some time, and in particular the lack of specialised RF training. As we work towards having an industry-recognised training scheme, we have at last found an organisation in Riverina TAFE that has the resources and people capable of providing what we need. You can expect that in 2016 ARCIA will be pressing members to provide commitments on training, assuming we can arrange the package to suit our geographically spread workforce.

Hamish Duff, President, Australian Radio Communications Industry Association