Weld Australia Calls for End to "Tick-and-Flick" Compliance Culture
The alarming rise of non-compliant e-bikes on Australian roads should serve as a wake-up call for governments, regulators and industry alike, according to Weld Australia.
Commenting on recent reporting by the ABC that linked rising injuries and fatalities to the proliferation of high-powered, non-compliant e-bikes, Weld Australia CEO Geoff Crittenden said the issue extends far beyond e-bikes.
According to the ABC, Australia has experienced a surge in high-powered e-bike products that are legal to import and sell, but not legal to use. The result has been a significant increase in injuries, fatalities and enforcement challenges.
Crittenden said the same systemic compliance failures are occurring across multiple sectors of the Australian economy, including construction, manufacturing, energy, transport and critical infrastructure.
"The e-bike story is not really about e-bikes," said Crittenden. "It's about what happens when compliance becomes a paperwork exercise rather than a verification process."
"Australia has developed a dangerous habit of assuming compliance rather than verifying it. Products arrive in the country, documentation is provided, boxes are ticked, and everyone assumes the product complies with Australian requirements. Too often, nobody actually checks."
According to the ABC, the Federal Government removed key import requirements for e-bikes in 2021 as part of a regulatory reform process designed to reduce red tape. Industry representatives argue that the changes contributed to a flood of high-powered products entering the Australian market, many of which fail to comply with existing road rules.
Crittenden said the lesson for policymakers is clear.
"When governments focus exclusively on reducing red tape without considering verification and enforcement, the result is often more risk, more remediation, more enforcement costs and, in some cases, more injuries and deaths."
"Compliance is not red tape. Compliance is the mechanism that protects consumers, workers, taxpayers and businesses."
Weld Australia has repeatedly warned governments that similar compliance gaps exist in relation to imported fabricated steel, pressure equipment, manufactured products and infrastructure components.
The organisation says Australian businesses are required to invest heavily in quality systems, certified personnel, inspection regimes and compliance processes, while imported products are often subjected to far less scrutiny before entering the market.
"What we're seeing with e-bikes is exactly the same issue we've been raising in fabrication, manufacturing and construction for years," said Crittenden.
"We have regulations. We have Standards. We have compliance pathways. What we don't have is a robust system that independently verifies that products actually comply before they're sold, installed or put into service. The problem isn't that Australia lacks regulations. The problem is that these regulations aren’t enforced."
The ongoing use of imported fabricated steel and manufactured products that do not comply with Australian Standards is raising serious questions about public safety, asset durability, value for money, and the viability of local manufacturing. High-profile cases that have drawn attention include GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, road gantries in Melbourne, and WIN Stadium in Wollongong. These examples reinforce a broader pattern: too often, imported fabricated steel is entering the Australian market without robust, independent verification that it meets the same standards required of local manufacturers and fabricators.
"Infrastructure, pressure equipment, fabricated steel, renewable energy assets, water heating systems—these products don't become safe simply because someone signs a declaration. Real compliance requires independent verification."
Weld Australia has been working with industry partners to establish the National Fabrication Authority (NFA), an independent, not-for-profit body designed to verify compliance with Australian Standards for fabricated steel products, whether manufactured locally or overseas.
The organisation believes the same principle should be applied more broadly across high-risk product categories.
"If the e-bike story tells us anything, it's that self-declaration and paperwork are not enough," said Crittenden. "We need systems that verify compliance before products reach consumers, not investigations after people have been injured. The cost of verification is tiny compared with the cost of failure."
Crittenden said Australia must move away from what he describes as a "tick-and-flick" culture and towards a verification-based approach to compliance.
"Every major accident, every product recall, every remediation project and every enforcement campaign ultimately costs far more than getting compliance right in the first place."
About us:
ABOUT WELD AUSTRALIA
Weld Australia represents the welding profession in Australia. Its members are made up of individual welding professionals and companies of all sizes. Weld Australia members are involved almost every facet of Australian industry and make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy. The primary goal of Weld Australia is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future. Weld Australia is the Australian representative member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW). For more information or to join Weld Australia, please visit: https://weldaustralia.com.au/
Contact details:
Sally Wood on 0434 442 687 or [email protected]
