Advocacy
Sparking progress
At Master Electricians Australia, we’re dedicated to advocating for the issues that matter most to our industry, including:
- Electrical safety and regulations
- Licensing
- Workplace relations
- Electrification
- Skills shortages
- Security of Payment laws
- Unfair contract terms
- WH&S
- Continued professional development
- Small business regulatory environment
- Automatic Mutual Recognition
When an electrical contractor becomes a Master Electrician, they gain a leading business partner and knowledge source. In addition, MEA works to advocate the interests of the industry to local, State, and Federal Governments, regulators and other key stakeholders.
Submissions and Representations
2025
Skills Shortage: Improving Skilled Labour Available for Our Members
Australia’s electrical industry is grappling with a significant skills shortage. To address this, a series of targeted reforms is essential. These include grants for employers, employees, and apprentices, incentives to promote workforce diversity, the recognition of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Secondary Schools as an ATAR subject, anti-poaching measures to protect small- and medium-sized contractors from losing nearly qualified apprentices to larger firms, and enhanced Automatic Mutual Recognition Schemes nationwide. Together, these initiatives can help bolster the availability of skilled labour in the electrical workforce.
2025
Consumer Energy Resources: Securing Work for Licensed Electrical Workers During the Nation’s Electrification
Through a combination of solar Photovoltaic (solar PV), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) and Time of Use Tariffs (ToU), households and businesses are empowered to independently produce distributed clean energy, simultaneously reducing power bills which increases consumer disposable income leading to long-term economic growth. Australia’s electrical industry stands ready and waiting to install and maintain private household and business CER assets.
2025
Security of Payment & Unfair Contracts: Ensuring Subcontractors Get Paid
The current challenging economic climate, marked by rising business costs and persistent inflation, underscores the need to protect our members from being used as financiers for construction projects by principals and head contractors. Security of Payment (SOP) laws are essential to safeguard small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from payment imbalances, ensuring they receive the funds they are owed, which might otherwise be diverted to external projects. Strengthening these protections will not only safeguard SMEs but also help prevent ‘domino’ liquidations that could impose recessionary pressures on the broader economy.
2025
Small Business: Maintaining Optimal Operational Environment
As our members are Small and Medium Entities (SMEs), we monitor and respond to changes in the regulatory environment which impact the operational and economic functions of our members.
2025
Work Health and Safety (WH&S) and Licencing:
We address any changes to Work Health and Safety (WH&S)/Licensing laws and regulations that affect the safety, operational procedures, and workplace rights of our members.
2025
Continuous Professional Development: Maintaining a Competent and Informed Electrical Industry
Safety for employees, customers and the wider public is the foremost priority in the electrical industry. Notably, many qualifications do not require continued assessments to ensure up-to-date competent knowledge and skills are being maintained. We advocate it is essential for all licensed electrical contractors to undergo periodic assessments of all qualifications and licenses obtained.
2025
Mutual Recognition: Making it Easier for Our Members to Work Across States
Not all states have adopted Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) or included the electrical industry within its scope. This creates significant barriers for electrical contractors, who face extra administrative burdens and costs to validate qualifications they already hold when working interstate. We are advocating for the national harmonisation of AMR in the electrical industry, enabling licensed electrical workers to operate seamlessly across all of Australia.
2025
Government budgets and election campaigns
MEA is at the forefront of engaging with government and shadow government representatives in each jurisdiction, advocating for the industry issues that matter most to our members. Explore our work regarding State budgets and election campaigns, where we work to ensure these key concerns are brought to the attention of political parties.
2025
Other consultations which could impact members.
Other consultations pop up which impact our members ranging from energy prices to superannuation requirements. Have a look at the consultations we have responded to which has an impact on you and your business.
2024
2023
2022
2021
2018
2017
2016
