All of the excitement that accompanied the beginning of 2013 is starting to fade.
Realisation has dawned that the backdrop for 2013 looks set to be a very long-winded federal election campaign (sigh).
I was naive enough to believe that this year's election would be a normal campaign, you know, the usual six to eight weeks.
But alas the Prime Minister has gone ahead and set an election date that is eight months away, an incredibly long time in politics.
But it's even longer for voters having to endure month after month of mind-numbing rhetoric and childish election stunts.
The only positive in all of this is that it is a huge window of opportunity for those keen to do a little lobbying.
For the HVAC&R sector its a chance to be heard and to make a difference. In the wise old words of Mick Jagger: "Time is on my side."
The pre-election period is the one time in the political cycle when politicians are keen to listen and to appease the electorate; it's when electoral murmuring can actually be heard.
So get to it: your vote matters. Go ahead and prepare your wish list. It's time to persuade, convince and educate. Regardless of your voting intentions, it is an election year, so let the games begin!
There has never been a better time than now to put the HVAC&R sector under the spotlight. With industry in a state of transition there is no shortage of issues that need to be addressed. In fact, there are a series of announcements expected in coming months that could actually transform the entire sector.
To keep readers abreast of these unfolding developments, the March edition of CCN Magazine covers the most topical issues under review.
At the top of the agenda is the incentives program for the destruction of synthetic greenhouses gases. Industry consultation is well underway with a new program expected to commence on July 1, 2013.
Also in this issue is a mid-point review of the federal government's HVAC High Efficiency Systems Strategy (HESS). CCN checks out the progress that has been made under this 10-year plan, which was first launched in 2007.
The review is timely because the federal government has recently undertaken a mini HESS review to assess where the plan is heading and to establish new priorities for the second half of the strategy.
It's fair to say we have engaged in a bit of a feature frenzy.
One feature that will definitely be of interest to readers is CCN's four-page report on the national occupational licensing debate. Here is an issue that has divided industry and raised more questions than answers.
CCN has taken the time to assess submissions from a wide range of industry groups to present readers with the most relevant highlights. Incredibly, NOLA received over 3000 submissions, proof of the high level of interest in these licensing reforms.
Finally, there is also CCN's regular building automation feature, which begins on page 20.
2013 is set to be a milestone year for building automation as barriers to adoption are removed. This is another area of the industry undergoing considerable change.
Just as an aside, there is an interesting article on www.Dvice.com about a bio-architecture student called Doris Kim Sung who works with thermo-bimetals (smart materials that respond dramatically to temperature change).
She believes these adaptable materials could change the way buildings are designed in the future, by making them more responsive to the outside temperature.
Just like clothing or human skin, buildings themselves could have a system that automatically "breathes" to regulate internal temperatures without relying exclusively on mechanical solutions.
Until next month, make the most of being under the spotlight.