Licensing Requirements

Please note that information provided here is intended to be used as a guide only and may not be comprehensive or current. Users must contact regulators in their jurisdiction for up-to-date licensing information.    

These pages provide an overview of licensing and regulation requirements for each jurisdiction based on the qualifications and units of competency for the Plumbing and Services Sector including: 

§         Changes to OHS requirements

§         Licensing categories

A number of occupations and job roles covered by the competencies and qualifications for plumbing and services may be subject to state and territory licensing requirements. 

Licensing authorities across Australia have actively participated in the development of this sector and it is expected that over time, the state and territory licensing requirements in a number of occupations will be aligned with the competencies and qualifications of CPC08.  

Changes to OHS requirements  

A new OHS unit CPCCOSH1001A Work safely in the construction industry was developed to achieve mutual recognition of construction industry induction (not individual worksite induction).  This unit reflects the newly adopted Construction OHS Code of Practice requirements and meets the training requirements of construction site safety cards in most jurisdictions.  

In response to the requirement for asbestos awareness to be embedded in all construction qualifications, the core OHS unit CPCCOHS2001A Apply OHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry now includes additional content covering recognition and reporting of asbestos containing materials found in construction projects.

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The Plumbing and Services Sector is occupationally licensed in all states and territories although there are different competency requirements for registration across the country. For this reason, you are advised to consult the relevant occupational licensing authority in your jurisdiction to determine the specific licensing requirements for various Plumbing and Services Sector occupations. Below are contact details for regulatory authorities for each state and territory.

Australian Captial Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) an individual or entity that provides a construction service including plumbing and draining work, must be licensed under the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004, and Construction Occupations (Licensing) Regulation 2004.

Water Plumbing - Urban Irrigation

Work of irrigation is defined in the NSW Code of Practice –Plumbing and Drainage – 1999, published by the Committee on Uniformity of Plumbing and Drainage Regulation in New South Wales, including the connection of the system to a water main. For a copy of the Code, go to the Department of Water and Energy website at www.dwe.nsw.gov.au.

Roof Plumbing

This includes the installation of skylights, ventilators, solar systems and the like as well as the application of protective coatings, not involving structural alteration of roof members/components.

Draining Work

Draining work is defined in the Home Building Regulation 2004. Work of sanitary drainage as defined in AS/NZS 3500.0:2003, Plumbing and drainage, including work on a house drain connected to a septic tank, effluent system and sullage system. Sanitary drainage system is defined as an assembly of pipes, fittings and apparatus, which is used to collect and convey the discharge from the sanitary plumbing system, together with discharges from fixtures directly connected to the drain, to the sewer. Usually located below ground level.

Gasfitting Work

Gasfitting work is defined in the Home Building Act 1989 as having the same meaning as in the Gas Supply Act 1996 and includes work on a gas installation (other than an autogas installation) connected or intended to be connected to a compressed natural gas container.

Gasfitting work means any work involved in:

§         the installation, alteration, extension or repair of a gas installation, or

§         the intallation, alteration, extension, removal or repair of any flue associated with a gas installation, or

§         the connection of a gas container, gas regulator or gas appliance to, or the disconnection of a gas container, gas regulator or gas appliance from a gas installation except where it is designed to be readily detachable from the installation.

Gas installation means a system of pipes and associated fittings that is designed to convey gas from the control valve or other connection point of a gas container to the control valve or other connection point of a gas appliance or of another gas container, and includes any flue associated with the installation, but does not include a gas container.

Gas appliance means any gas burning or gas using appliance that is manufactured, adapted or designed for connection to a gas installation, whether by means of a gas outlet socket or otherwise, and includes any liquefied petroleum gas dispenser, catalytic burner or vaporiser, but does not include an internal combustion engine that is installed in, or forms part of, a vehicle, vessel or machine.  

LP Gasfitting Work

LP gasfitting work is defined in the Home Building Regulation 2004. Gasfitting work as defined in the Dangerous Goods (Gas Installations) Regulation 1998, restricted to work on a gas installation designed to carry liquefied petroleum gas in vapour phase only at pressures not exceeding 150 kilopascals.  Liquefied petroleum gas means a liquid or gaseous substance that is a mixture of hydrocarbons, basically consisting of butane or butenes or propane or propene, or any mixture of them. 

Advanced LP Gasfitting Work

Advanced LP gasfitting work is defined in the Home Building Regulation 2004. Gasfitting work as defined in the Dangerous Goods (Gas Installations) Regulation 1998 involving liquefied petroleum gas only, without any restriction as to pressure and whether or not the gas will be conveyed in liquid or vapour phase, and including work on pipes, fittings, or appliances attached to or forming part of a liquefied petroleum gas transport container. 

There are three classes of plumbers and drainers licences issued:

§         plumbers licence

§         drainers licence

§         restricted licence. 

Within each of these classes there are also several types of licence.  Each licence type requires the holder to have particular qualifications and experience to perform the relevant aspects of plumbing and drainage work, for example:

§         a plumbers licence entitles the holder to perform plumbing work, except plumbing work that requires an endorsement

§         a drainers licence entitles the holder to perform drainage work below ground level, except drainage work that requires an endorsement

§         a restricted licence states the plumbing, draining or other work which the holder is entitled to perform, eg a restricted plumbers licence may only allow the holder to undertake water plumbing work to disconnect and reconnect a replacement electric hot water heater. 

Endorsements

An endorsement on a plumbers and drainers licence entitles performance of specific aspects of work not covered under the existing licence, and recognises the additional qualifications and skills for which the endorsement is issues, eg an endorsement to commission, test and maintain backflow prevention devices.

Provisional Licence

A provisional licence is granted where the Board believes more practical experience is needed before a full plumbers and drainers licence can be granted, and/or necessary evidence of experience or qualifications has not been provided.

Tasmania had adoped the Occupational Licensing Act 2005 in part.  This Act currently regulates electrical trades.  The purpose of the Act, when fully implemented, is to provide a uniform licensing framework for electrical, plumbing, and gasfitting occupations in Tasmania.  There will be three sets of regulations under the Act, including the Occupational (Gas-Fitting Work) Regulations and Occupational Licensing (Plumbing Work) Regulations which are under development and expected to be implemented in early to mid 2010.

Contractor's licences will be issued to individuals or businesses and entitle the holder to enter into contracts for plumbing and gasfitting work.  A contractor must engage a nominated manager, who may be the owner of the business, and have the required insurance coverage. 

Existing plumbers will need to apply for a contractor’s licence under the Act once plumbing regulations have been finalised. If existing plumbers do not meet the eligibility requirements for nominated manager but have been doing plumbing contracting in the past, or supervising the work of others doing that work on their behalf, they may offer themselves as the nominated manager.

Those who wish to operate a business in more than one of the industry streams (plumbing and gasfitting) will require more than one licence and may require more than one nominated manager.  

Practitioner's Licence