News last week suggested that salaries in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector were up 12 per cent across the board for the six months to December 2006.

But AIIA’s Survey of Salaries and Remuneration Packaging in the Australian ICT Industry, which captures information on new, existing and departing employees across the breadth of the ICT industry, forecasts a budget of 4.1 per cent for 2006-2007 across the ICT sector.

According to AIIA’s Chief Executive Officer, Sheryle Moon, AIIA’s August 2006 Salary Survey revealed total salary increases of 5.8 per cent on average for existing employees.

AIIA and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which outlines their commitment to lead and coordinate efforts to address ICT skills shortages.

AIIA remains committed to developing an industry-driven recycling scheme, despite the recent announcement that governments across Australia are looking to introduce regulations in 2007.

At a meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) in Christchurch on 24 November, AIIA’s efforts to shape a voluntary, national computer recycling scheme were applauded.  However, as unreasonable expectations that industry should engage with small importers and component distributors had not been met, the Council recommended the introduction of a government-imposed regulatory national scheme for recycling PCs and peripherals.

For the past eighteen months, AIIA has been working closely with member companies to develop a voluntary industry-driven product stewardship strategy to address the environmental management of e-waste at the end of life stage of the product lifecycle.

According to AIIA’s General Manager of Strategy and Policy Services, James McAdam, the Association has taken responsible action to develop a scheme and has presented three plausible industry proposals to government.

“Our members have no trouble with the notion of a recycling scheme – most major brand-name PC vendors have been had programs in place for years - but they do not want to pay for unbranded and orphan waste – in other words, the waste of other, smaller companies,” Mr McAdam says.

“Our challenge is to ensure that certain importers and small whitebox assemblers - who may contribute up to 50 percent of the waste arising – shoulder their share of the cost burden.”

AIIA believes that our proposal and that of the EPHC are ‘two sides of the same coin’ and that government should still consider a recycling scheme that's driven by a voluntary industry approach and based on the principles of shared responsibility.

“The Government wants strong regulation, with exceptions for existing industry recycling schemes. The industry wants a voluntary industry-run scheme, with strong regulations to control the ‘free riders’.

“AIIA believes that regulation is important – but why structure the regulation to pick up the ‘good guys’ when it is more important to catch those companies who aren’t committed to recycling?” asks Mr McAdam.

AIIA welcomes further dialogue with government on these challenging issues, particularly on how to engage small brands and importers of components in the proposed scheme.

“We have developed a sound proposal which would cover the vast majority of the industry in Australia.  There is no reason why any proposed national regulation could not be based on our approach.  On that basis, it is imperative that industry is consulted and our concerns addressed in the development of any regulation,” Mr McAdam adds.

A number of AIIA member companies currently run recycling initiatives including HP, Dell and IBM.

By the end of 2007, HP will have recycled nearly half a billion kilograms of IT equipment globally. Dell, with partner Dell Financial Services, has provided PC recycling in 30 countries, and has operated in Australia since 2003. Similarly, IBM has a Global Asset Recovery Service allowing companies to recycle IT equipment or donate to a charity.

For more information on AIIA’s e-waste program, contact Josh Millen or visit our website.
 

Some success stories from AIIA member companies...

IBM

Although IBM no longer manufactures personal computing products, we are committed to the development of programs enabling safe disposal and recycling of all IT equipment, whether IBM branded or otherwise.

In Australia in 2005, IBM's buy-back, reuse, refurbishment and charity initiatives helped to extend the useful life of over 1,000 tonnes of computer equipment. Of the items that were sent for scrapping from IBM operations in Australia, we have been able to recycle 98 per cent so far this year.

Under IBM's Corporate Product Stewardship Program, our design teams are focussed on reducing the negative impacts of our products on the environment, through reduced use of plastics and greater use of recycled content, reduction of hazardous substances, greater energy efficiency, and the labelling of plastic types in parts over 25 grams in weight.

Michael Chanell, Environmental Manager, South Pacific, IBM

 Dell

Dell has offered a recycling service for Australian customers since 2003.  The company has recovered more than 215 tonnes of Dell and non-Dell branded equipment in Australia and New Zealand since January 2006 — a threefold increase on last year.

Dell currently offers a number of recycling options for residential customers, including a national fee-based recycling service, free recycling with purchase offers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and free community recycling events in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.  The company has also periodically offered free recycling on inkjet printers and CRT displays. Dell also offers recycling and asset recovery services to business customers of all sizes.

The company recently announced plans to offer free recycling of Dell-branded computers to residential customers in Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2006 and extend its offer of free recycling of any brand with the purchase of a new Dell PC to consumers in all capital cities.  Earlier this year, Dell also announced plans to triple product recovery worldwide by 2009.

Peter Russell, Environment & BPI Manager, Dell Australia/New Zealand

AIIA has welcomed the federal government’s decision, announced last week, to cease its requirement that ICT suppliers be endorsed under the Endorsed Supplier Arrangement (ESA) if they enter into contracts for government business.

The Bracks Government has reinforced its commitment to the ICT industry by appointing a new ICT Minister for Victoria, says AIIA.

Each week, AIIA’s Bulletin profiles one of the members of our influential Board of Directors.