One system, one national licence
A new national occupational licensing system commences from July 2012. This means that as a current licence holder, you will get a single national licence for your current occupation which will enable you to work anywhere in Australia without having to worry about applying or paying for different licences.
What does this mean for me?
As a current licence holder, you will automatically become part of the new national system. The first wave of occupations to commence will include property occupations (excluding conveyancers and valuers) electrical occupations, plumbing, gasfitting and air-conditioning and refrigeration occupations. Building and building related occupations, conveyancers and valuers will be transferred to the national system in a second wave.
How will national licensing benefit me as an employer?
As an employer, national licensing will allow you to advertise and employ staff from anywhere across Australia – without the delay of waiting for a new licence to be issued if the licensee lives in a different state or territory.
You can do tomorrow what you can do today
The new national system will not disadvantage current licensees. If you are licensed to perform a certain type of work in a state or territory, you will be able to perform the same work right across Australia under your national licence.
How do I transfer to a national licence?
You do not need to take any action for this to happen. You will be advised individually by your state/territory licensing authority, prior to commencement of the new system, of the licence to which you will transfer. The new system will be administered by the National Occupational Licensing Authority (NOLA) but you will still go to your state/territory licensing agency for all licensing matters, including renewals.
National licensing will increase Australia’s ability to respond to national emergencies. This means that experienced tradespeople from across Australia can work together in any state or territory to help out with any clean up, without the need to apply for a licence in that state/territory.
Transparency for consumers
NOLA will set up a national register of licensees to assist consumers to make an informed decision about who they may choose to undertake work required
Current as at 12th November 2011 – sourced from www.nola.gov.au by Real Estate Excellence www.realestateexcellence.com.au
