News

Available EXCLUSIVELY and FREE to ACWA Members.

It is imperative that car wash sites do everything in their power to ensure the safety of staff and customers and with this in mind. ACWA has just released a range of safety posters to help your car wash protect customers and staff.

ACWA’s Community Safety Posters reinforce the need for customers to maintain the principles of social distancing while at your car wash and highlight the ways your wash is helping ensure customer safety.

The posters come with a range of messages suitable for use across wash sites from Self-serve and Automatics.

Each poster is available in A4 and A3 (poster) sizes and have been made available absolutely FREE to ACWA members.

Place your order by clicking the link below

ACWA Community Safety Posters for your Car Wash Site

Yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced new rental waivers and deferrals for commercial tenants impacted by the coronavirus crisis.  The Scheme was announced after a meeting of the National Cabinet on Tuesday.

At the meeting, the National Cabinet agreed that States and Territories would implement a mandatory Code of Conduct.

Under the terms of the Code of Conduct, there will be an agreement to commercial rent reduction based on the proportion of the tenant’s decline in turnover. In the Government’s view, this will ensure the burden of COVID-19 impacts are equally shared between landlords and tenants. Importantly, the Rent Relief Policy includes an obligation requirement on businesses to continue to engage their employees through the JobKeeper initiative where eligible.

Details and a link to National Cabinet Mandatory Code of Conduct can be found here.

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/update-coronavirus-measures-070420

The Federal Government Rent Relief Package will be a key topic to be discussed at the ACWA COVID-19 Members’ Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 11:00 am (AEST)

At this Zoom Video Conference Meeting, ACWA will bring together a panel of experts to answer all your essential questions on the JobSeeker and JobKeeper Schemes as well as the Rent Relief Package.

Our expert panel consists of industrial relations, workforce and accounting professionals and includes:

• Graham Lilleyman – Employment Services Solutions Australia (ESSA)
• Tony Young – New Vision Accounting
• Ben Haycroft – Workplace Central

 

ACWA’s first Zoom video conference was held last Thursday 2 April, with more than 75 members taking part.  Thank you to all those who participated;  we trust the information shared during the session helped.

For those Members unable to take part, a recording can be viewed by logging into the ACWA website members area and following the links in the COVID-19 in the members’ navigation.

 

The Association publishes a quarterly newsletter to keep Members up to date with all current car wash industry news.  The latest Autumn issue is now available – read here

Businesses in the car wash industry whose turnover has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic may be able to access a wages subsidy through the Federal JobKeeper Scheme. The Scheme is designed to allow businesses to continue paying your employees as we go through the tumultuous Coronavirus environment and provide companies with a kick-start when it’s over.

Under the JobKeeper Program, your business can claim a fortnightly payment of $1,500 per eligible employee from 30 March 2020, for a maximum of six months.

Please find attached detailed information regarding the Federal Government’s JobKeeper Payments announced today. Please be aware this package still needs to pass through legislation before it can take effect. In the coming days, the Government will shed more light on how the Scheme will be implemented.

More information is available on the Federal Treasury’s resource site. It has detailed fact sheets on all COVID-19 economic measures and is a great resource.

https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/businesses

 

This information and other important resources are also available in the member’s area of the ACWA website https://acwa.net.au/members/ .

 

NSW Water Minister, Melinda Pavey recently announced that from 1 March 2020 water restrictions would drop from level 2 to level 1 for greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra Water.  However, on checking the Sydney Water website, ACWA discovered that conditions for commercial car washing remained unchanged.

It is pleasing to report that as of today, this situation has been resolved and commercial car washes in areas under Sydney Water’s authority will revert to more favourable Level 1 conditions.  Indeed, Sydney Water has approved an additional concession, allowing operators to average water use per car across all wash types on the site. This is a condition ACWA fought for during Level 2 Restrictions.

Level 1 Restrictions for commercial car washing in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra are:

• All commercial car washes must apply for a Water Restrictions Exemption.
• Commercial car washes may wash vehicles using any wash method.
• Commercial car washes must use an average* of fewer than 125 litres of drinking water for each car washed*.
  • *125L/wash is the efficiency requirement.
  • Most car wash sites use multiple car wash systems (self-serve and auto, for example).
  • Average water use is calculated per vehicle across each washing method used on the site.

ACWA encourages all members to ensure they hold a Water Restrictions Exemption. The Exemption is an online application process https://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/water-the-environment/what-we-re-doing/water-restrictions/water-restrictions-exemption-request/index.htm

Members should also be aware that a fine of $550 (per day) may be applied to businesses who have not applied for an Exemption.

The Reserve Bank yesterday revealed the design of the new $100 banknote, which is the final denomination to be redesigned as part of the Next Generation Banknote Program. The banknote will be released into circulation in the second half of 2020.

As with the existing banknote, the new $100 features Sir John Monash and Dame Nellie Melba.

The Reserve Bank has advised that it is continuing to work with banknote equipment manufacturers and retailers to help them prepare banknote accepting and dispensing machines to handle the new $100 banknote.

Existing $100 banknotes remain legal tender and can continue to be used.

Full details of the design and security features on the new $100 banknote, and other denominations, are available on the Bank’s website at banknotes.rba.gov.au.

ACWA takes this opportunity to advise members of several Worksafe inspections carried out at car wash sites in Victoria in the last week.

Car wash site operators are encouraged to review and update their WHS Site Plans and ensure any required on-site signage is clear and visible to customers.

We take this opportunity to remind operators that ONLY ACWA MEMBERS can access exclusive:

• WHS Guides and Templates specifically designed to ensure car wash sites are Worksafe compliant
• Free individual opportunities to consult with the best one-on-one WHS Consultancy Service in the marketplace