Dris proposal for national licensing of the plumbing and gasfitting occupations

South Australia

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 very high number of conditioned or restricted licences and registrations and the ability to license ‘in any other way’. As an example, there is no separate fire protection category but legislation permits the issuing of a plumbing licence limited to fire protection. Under national licensing, a separate category would exist for fire protection. Currently, licences exist which are restricted to a location or a company. No new licences will be issued in these areas.

removal of requirement for an apprentice to be licensed.

In South Australia a licence or registration is not currently issued for mechanical services plumbing and under national licensing will not be issued for this occupation in this jurisdiction.

Table E.5: Changes to existing licensing arrangements – South Australia

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: PWR water plumbing work and PWR sanitary plumbing work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year for contractors and three years for a worker licensee. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: PWR drainage work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year for contractors and three years for a worker licensee. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
General gasfitter licence Certificate III in Gas Fitting including one compulsory Certificate II units and two compulsory Certificate III units or Certificate lll in Plumbing including the gas services stream including one compulsory Certificate II unit 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: GWR gasfitting work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year for contractors and three years for a worker licensee. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: GWR limited to Type B gasfitting work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year for contractors and three years for a worker licensee. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: PWR limited to fire protection work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year for contractors and three years for a worker licensee. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion two additional Certificate IV units Removed requirements: five additional Certificate IV units
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: PWR water plumbing work under technical direction or PWR sanitary work under technical direction New requirements: licence duration is normally three years. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: PWR drainage work under technical direction New requirements: licence duration is normally three years. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: GWR gasfitting work under technical direction New requirements: licence duration is normally three years. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: PWR limited to fire protection work under technical direction New requirements: licence duration is normally three years. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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: PCL contract for any plumbing work (e.g. sanitary, water, drainage, water and sanitary, water and drainage, etc.) New requirements: licence duration is normally one year. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion requirement for a nominee Removed requirements: skills qualifications (business units) financial resources check will be replaced with a financial probity check
	Current title: PCL fire protection work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion requirement for a nominee Removed requirements: skills qualifications (business units) financial resources check will be replaced with a financial probity check
	Current title: GCL contract for any gasfitting work New requirements: licence duration is normally one year. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion requirement for a nominee Removed requirements: skills qualifications (business units) financial resources check will be replaced with a financial probity check
	Current title: GCL contract limited to installation, servicing and commissioning of Type B gas appliances New requirements: licence duration is normally one year. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion requirement for a nominee Removed requirements: skills qualifications (business units) financial resources check will be replaced with a financial probity check
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: PWR limited to disconnect/reconnect New requirements: licence duration is normally three years. Under national licensing, there will be the renewal option of one, three or five years at the licensee’s discretion Removed requirements: none
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 in SA. This licence has a lower barrier to entry for the irrigation industry; SA is therefore considering the introduction of this restricted licence.
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 in SA. This licence is proposed to be introduced as it has a lower barrier to entry and reduced scope of work than the current Certificate III requirements.