Dris proposal for national licensing of the plumbing and gasfitting occupations

1.12Comparing the impacts for licensees working in single and multiple jurisdictions

Of the impacts that have been quantified in this analysis, two impacts relate only to those licensees and businesses that work across more than one jurisdiction. These are:

benefits from improved labour mobility

benefits from the removal of multiple licences held across jurisdictions.

To demonstrate the impact of national licensing on those who work in a single jurisdiction versus those who operate across multiple jurisdictions, Table 4.30 shows the quantified impacts separated out for each of these groups. The separation of the results has been calculated based on:

the percentage of licensees in each state and territory domiciled in another jurisdiction

the estimated distribution of multiple licence holders across each of the jurisdictions.

For more detail on these two assumptions, see Attachment G.

While the industry is characterised by a large number of ‘small-scale operators, which maintain a territorial approach to their local geographic market’¹⁹, a number of these businesses have premises in border areas and will therefore be able to take advantage of business opportunities more readily under national licensing. Additionally, small businesses recruiting staff could be expected to source staff more easily and to have less difficulty in understanding the licence(s) held by job applicants and the regulated work they are able to carry out.

Larger construction companies and facilities maintenance groups, which represent a growing trend in the industry, are far more likely to have a national, or multi-state presence, and are therefore best placed to achieve optimum benefits from rationalised, consistent training, licence types and scopes of work and the increased mobility of labour arising from national licensing reform.

Table 4.33: Comparison of the impacts of national licensing on licensees working in a single jurisdiction versus licensees working across more than one jurisdiction

$ million	NSW	VIC	QLD	WA	SA	TAS	ACT	NT	National
Two tier
Impacts on those who currently operate in only one jurisdiction
Ongoing impact per annum	5.96	12.03	12.61	17.41	3.18	1.24	1.50	0.57	54.51
Transition cost	(7.07)	(3.36)	(4.80)	(3.52)	(1.46)	(0.87)	(0.80)	(0.50)	(22.37)
Impacts on those who operate in more than one jurisdiction
Ongoing impact per annum	13.23	5.71	7.74	5.44	1.63	0.59	0.82	0.57	35.73
Transition cost	(0.21)	(0.23)	(0.27)	(0.08)	(0.11)	(0.10)	(0.14)	(0.22)	(1.37)
Overall total impact
Ongoing impact per annum	19.19	17.74	20.35	22.85	4.80	1.84	2.32	1.14	90.24
Transition cost	(7.28)	(3.59)	(5.07)	(3.60)	(1.57)	(0.97)	(0.93)	(0.72)	(23.74)
Three tier, sub-option 1
Impacts on those who currently operate in only one jurisdiction
Ongoing impact per annum	2.31	1.80	2.11	(1.30)	0.35	0.23	(0.35)	(0.08)	5.08
Transition cost	(7.07)	(3.36)	(4.80)	(3.52)	(1.46)	(0.87)	(0.80)	(0.50)	(22.37)
Impacts on those who operate in more than one jurisdiction
Ongoing impact per annum	13.12	5.00	7.15	5.01	1.42	0.47	0.51	0.28	32.95
Transition cost	(0.21)	(0.23)	(0.27)	(0.08)	(0.11)	(0.10)	(0.14)	(0.22)	(1.37)
Overall total impact
Ongoing impact per annum	15.43	6.80	9.26	3.71	1.76	0.70	0.16	0.20	38.02
Transition cost	(7.28)	(3.59)	(5.07)	(3.60)	(1.57)	(0.97)	(0.93)	(0.72)	(23.74)
Three tier, sub-option 2
Impacts on those who currently operate in only one jurisdiction
Ongoing impact per annum	3.30	4.58	4.96	3.78	1.11	0.50	0.15	0.10	18.49
Transition cost	(7.07)	(3.36)	(4.80)	(3.52)	(1.46)	(0.87)	(0.80)	(0.50)	(22.37)
Impacts on those who operate in more than one jurisdiction
Ongoing impact per annum	13.15	5.19	7.31	5.13	1.48	0.50	0.59	0.36	33.70
Transition cost	(0.21)	(0.23)	(0.27)	(0.08)	(0.11)	(0.10)	(0.14)	(0.22)	(1.37)
Overall total impact
Ongoing impact per annum	16.45	9.77	12.27	8.90	2.59	1.01	0.74	0.46	52.19
Transition cost	(7.28)	(3.59)	(5.07)	(3.60)	(1.57)	(0.97)	(0.93)	(0.72)	(23.74)