GECA 2010 Panel Boards Standard receives GBCA Recognition

As foreshadowed in messages to you in July regarding recognition by the Green Building Council of GECA as a Product Certification Scheme, we are now able to confirm recognition of our draft GECA 04 - 2010 v2 - Panel Boards standard. This is the fifth GECA standard to be recognised by GBCA under their new Green Star Framework for Product Certification Schemes.

In summary, the situation with the development and recognition of these five standards is:

• GECA 28-2006 v1.1 (Modified 2010) - Furniture and Fittings has been released as a FINAL
  (This standard is recognised by GBCA at Level B but is eligible for 100% of points for an interim period. See attachment for more detail)
  Auditing and recommendation for certification or recertification against this standard has commenced.
• GECA 28-2010 v2 - Furniture and Fittings; GECA 50-2010 v2 - Carpets; GECA 25-2010 v2 - Floor Coverings (all recognised by GBCA at Level A)
  are DRAFTS and open to Public Comment until 23 August 2010
• GECA 04 - Panel Boards 2010 (recognised by GBCA at Level A)
  is a DRAFT and open to public comment until 2 September 2010.

We are aiming to release the latter four revised standards as final standards in September 2010.

For more detail on each standard, please go to http://www.geca.org.au/StandardsRegister.htm under the heading

"Product Standards Recognised by GBCA for green star projects"

The attachment to this message outlines the processes we are now undergoing with these standards to enable auditing for certification or recertification to begin as soon as possible. This document is also available at http://www.geca.org.au/StandardsRegister.htm under the heading

"announcements and proposed standards - release of suite of revised geca standards (AUGUST 2010) AS DRAFTS for public comment"

The GBCA has also updated its advice about its recognition of GECA standards under the heading "GBCA Recognised Product Certification Schemes - Good Environmental Choice Australia(GECA)" at

http://www.gbca.org.au/green-star/materials-category/product-certification-schemes/2933.htm

We appreciate the considerable interest and support extended by a wide range of stakeholders in relation to the revision and recognition of these standards and look forward to your comments.

For further information, please email standards@geca.org.au or call our Canberra office on 6287 3100.

Click here for attachment