Dris proposal for national licensing of the plumbing and gasfitting occupations

Northern Territory

There are some general differences that would apply to new individual worker licence applicants when compared to current licensing arrangements and these include:

inclusion of financial probity checks for individual worker licences in relation to payment of penalties or fines

removal of some personal probity checks, health & fitness checks, evidence of experience and mandatory skills maintenance requirements

the introduction of a separate contractor level licence – currently licence holders can contract with the public

minor plumbing work, such as changing tap washers, would be exempted under national licensing

removal of the requirement for a Provisional gasfitting certificate holder to obtain a full general gasfitter licence after one year.

In the Northern Territory a licence or registration is not currently issued for mechanical services plumbing, fire protection plumbing or for a Plumber – disconnect and reconnect; under national licensing these will not be issued for these occupations in this jurisdiction.

Table E.8: Changes to existing licensing arrangements – Northern Territory

Proposed national licence (occupational) categories, eligibility and other requirements	Changes to existing licence categories, eligibility and other requirements
Plumber licence Certificate III in Plumbing or Certificate III in Plumbing (Mechanical Services) or Plumber tradesperson registration plus four compulsory Certificate IV units Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Advanced tradesman licence – plumber* New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: experience three Certificate IV units skills maintenance (on renewal)
Drainer licence Certificate III in Plumbing including the drainage stream and one compulsory unit or Certificate II in Drainage including two compulsory Certificate III units or Drainer tradesperson registration plus four compulsory Certificate IV units Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Advanced tradesman licence – drainer* New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: experience two Certificate IV units skills maintenance (on renewal)
General gasfitter licence Certificate III in Gas Fitting including one compulsory Certificate II unit and two compulsory Certificate III units or Certificate lll in Plumbing including the gas services stream including one compulsory Certificate II units and one compulsory Certificate III unit or General gasfitter tradesperson registration plus four compulsory Certificate IV units Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Gasfitter – domestic /commercial New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: experience
Gasfitter Type B appliances licence General gasfitter licence or qualifications to obtain it plus one compulsory Certificate IV unit Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Gasfitter – Type B New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: experience
Fire protection licence Certificate III in Fire Protection or Fire protection tradesperson registration plus two compulsory Certificate IV units Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the fire protection category in this jurisdiction.
Mechanical services licence Certificate III in Plumbing (Mechanical Services) or Certificate lll in Plumbing including the mechanical services stream or Mechanical services tradesperson’s registration plus three compulsory Certificate IV units Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the mechanical services category in this jurisdiction.
Plumber – tradesperson registration Certificate III in Plumbing or Certificate III in Plumbing (Mechanical Services) Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Journeyman registration – plumber New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: skills maintenance (on renewal)
Drainer – tradesperson registration Certificate III in Plumbing including the drainage stream including one compulsory Certificate III unit or Certificate II in Drainage plus two compulsory Certificate III units Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Journeyman Registration – drainer New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: Skills maintenance (on renewal)
	Current title: Journeyman registration – plumber and drainer New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: skills maintenance (on renewal)
General gasfitter – tradesperson registration Certificate III in Gas Fitting including one compulsory Certificate II unit and two compulsory Certificate III units or Certificate III in Plumbing including the gas services stream including one compulsory Certificate II unit and one compulsory Certificate III unit Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Current title: Gasfitter – provisional gasfitting certificate New requirements: financial probity check in relation to payment of penalties or fines Removed requirements: licence duration not restricted to one year
Fire protection – tradesperson registration Certificate III in Fire Protection Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the fire protection category in this jurisdiction.
Mechanical Services – tradesperson registration Certificate III in Plumbing (Mechanical Services) OR Certificate III in Plumbing including the mechanical services stream Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the mechanical services category in this jurisdiction.
Contractor (in any category) One, three or five year licence duration	No contractor licence in this jurisdiction. Licence holders are able to undertake contracting work.
Provisional plumber (water and sanitary) Offshore Technical Skills Record successfully assessed against either of: Certificate III in Plumbing or Certificate III in Plumbing (Mechanical Services) One year licence duration	Substantially the same
Provisional drainer Offshore Technical Skills Record successfully assessed against Certificate III in Plumbing including the drainage stream and one compulsory Certificate III unit One year licence duration	Substantially the same
Provisional general gasfitter Offshore Technical Skills Record successfully assessed against either of: Certificate III in Gas Fitting including one compulsory Certificate II unit and two compulsory Certificate III units or Certificate lll in Plumbing including the gas services stream and one compulsory Certificate II unit and one compulsory Certificate III unit One year licence duration	Substantially the same
Restricted plumber (disconnect/reconnect) Completion of two compulsory units of competency from Certificate III in Plumbing and one compulsory unit from Certificate lV Plumbing and Services Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the restricted plumber’s (disconnect/reconnect) category in this jurisdiction.
Restricted plumber – urban irrigation work Certificate II in Urban Irrigation including four compulsory Certificate III units or Certificate III in Irrigation including five compulsory Certificate III units and two compulsory Certificate II units or Certificate III in Plumbing including three compulsory Certificate III units and one Certificate II compulsory unit Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the urban irrigation category in this jurisdiction.
Restricted plumber – fire protection (inspecting/ testing) Certificate II in Fire Protection Inspection and Testing Financial probity checks in relation to payment of penalties or fines Skills maintenance on an as needs basis when directed by the licensing authority One, three or five year licence duration	Not currently licensed and a national licence would not be issued for the fire protection category in this jurisdiction.

* Note that, although separate licences for plumbing and drainage may be issued under NT legislation, in practice apprenticeship training in the NT makes water, sanitary and drainage streams compulsory so that completing apprentices currently qualify for both streams.