Dris proposal for national licensing of the plumbing and gasfitting occupations

Attachment E – Key changes to existing jurisdictional licensing arrangements

New South Wales

There are some general differences that would apply to new individual worker licence applicants when the preferred national licensing model is compared to current licensing arrangements, including:

removal of some personal probity checks, health and fitness checks, evidence of experience and age requirements

two gasfitting licence categories replace the three currently available at the contractor level; however, at the full licence level, one category is replaced by two

removal of financial probity check for bankruptcy for tradesperson registration holders and (full) licence holders

variation to the number of Certificate IV units required at the full licence level.

In New South Wales a licence or registration is not currently issued for mechanical services plumbing, and under national licensing neither will be issued for this occupation.

[Note that, in all the following jurisdictional tables, a compulsory unit or units refers to specific unit or units proposed as required for obtaining the relevant licence under national licensing. See 3.1.6 to identify the specific units required.]

Table E.1: Changes to existing licensing arrangements – New South Wales

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: Endorsed supervisor – Plumbing work (includes sanitary) New requirements: additional two Certificate IV units of competency Removed requirements: health and fitness check fit and proper experience age requirement
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: Endorsed supervisor – Draining work New requirements: additional three Certificate IV units of competency Removed requirements: health and fitness check fit and proper experience age requirement
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: Endorsed supervisor – Gasfitting work New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check fit and proper experience age requirement
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: Endorsed supervisor – Advanced liquid petroleum gasfitting work New requirements: none Removed requirements: one less Certificate IV unit of competency health and fitness check fit and proper experience age requirement
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	Current title: Endorsed supervisor – Water plumbing – Fire protection systems New requirements: additional three Certificate IV units of competency Removed requirements: requirement for separate fire sprinkler systems licence health and fitness check fit and proper experience age requirement
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: Tradesperson certificate – Plumbing work (includes sanitary) and Water plumbing New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check experience age requirement financial probity check for bankruptcy
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: Tradesperson certificate – Draining work New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check experience age requirement financial probity check for bankruptcy
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: Tradesperson certificate – Gasfitting work New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check experience age requirement financial probity check for bankruptcy
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	Current title: Tradesperson Certificate – Water plumbing work – Fire protection systems New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check experience age requirement financial probity check for bankruptcy
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	Current title: Endorsed contractor in all relevant categories New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check age requirement reduced time requirement following bankruptcy
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	Current title: Endorsed supervisor Water Plumbing work – Disconnect/Reconnect Electric Hot Water Heating Appliances New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check criminal history check fit and proper experience age requirement
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	Current title: Water plumber – urban irrigation New requirements: none Removed requirements: health and fitness check. criminal history check fit and proper experience age requirement
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	Current title: No direct equivalent. New South Wales has two restricted fire protection licences covering fire protection systems and fire, however the work regulated is broader than inspect and test. NSW will decide whether a national licence would be issued for this category his category