National licensing system

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to develop a national licensing system that will remove inconsistencies across state and territory borders and allow for a more mobile workforce.

Overview
Update - 13 January 2010
Update - 30 April 2009

Overview

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to develop a national licensing system that will remove inconsistencies across state and territory borders and allow for a more mobile workforce.

Under current arrangements, an array of occupational trades is licensed to varying requirements in each state and territory.

The COAG agreement on 3 July 2008 will result in a new national system that will be endorsed in an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between jurisdictions by COAG in December 2008. The system will see a national approach to the licensing of a range of economically important trades.

COAG has agreed that the national system will initially apply to the following trades:

  • air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics occupations
  • building occupations
  • electrical occupations
  • land transport occupations (passenger vehicle drivers, dangerous goods)
  • maritime occupations
  • plumbing occupations
  • property agent occupations.

COAG has requested that the Business Regulation and Competition Working Group, in consultation with the COAG Skills Recognition Steering Committee, report back to COAG in October 2008 on progress towards:

  • a set of national licensing reform principles for determining whether regulation of trades is warranted
  • a review to determine the necessity to continue licensing trades that are licensed in only one or two jurisdictions or trades not included in the Steering Committee's Ministerial Declaration process under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992
  • arrangements to sustain and further improve the gains to mutual recognition that have been made through the Ministerial Declaration process for those trades that are not part of any new national licensing arrangements

pursuing a national legislative system for selected trades, including:

  • cooperative national legislation
  • national governance arrangements to handle standard setting and policy issues and to ensure consistent administration and compliance practices
  • all current holders of state and territory licences being deemed across to the new licence system at its commencement
  • the establishment of a publicly available national register of licensees
  • the Commonwealth having no legislative role in the establishment of the new system.

For more information visit www.govdex.gov.au/confluence/display/COAGNL/Home

Update - 13 January 2010

The National Licensing Legislation and public consultations

The Exposure Draft of the National Occupational Licensing Law and a supporting explanatory paper were released for public consultation on 13 November 2009.

Public consultation sessions were held in all capital cities and each session contributed constructive feedback on the Exposure Draft. The issues raised will be taken into consideration, along with the submissions received before the end of December 2009, in finalising the legislation.

The Exposure Draft and the Explanatory Paper Exposure Draft can be downloaded from the National Licensing website (https://www.govdex.gov.au/confluence/display/COAGNL/Home). The Explanatory Paper Exposure Draft is provided to assist with interpreting the National Occupational Licensing Law (the Exposure Draft). Information on how to make a submission can also be found on the above website.

The Interim Advisory Committees (IACs)

Membership of the IACs for the first wave of occupational areas was agreed by the Ministerial Council for Federal Financial Relations at its meeting on 23 October 2009. The first wave occupations of electrical, plumbing and gasfitting, refrigeration and airconditioning and mechanics and property occupations (excluding conveyancers and valuers) will commence in the NLS on 1 July 2012.

Membership of the IACs can be viewed on the National Licensing website.

Each of the four IACs met for the first time during November and December 2009 and considered the following matters:

  • governance arrangements during the development of the NLS and the role and terms of reference of the IACs, including a set of operational guidelines to guide the way they do their work
  • a draft IAC work plan and related milestones and timeframes for their work
  • the COAG Principles of Best Practice Regulation and the objectives and principles of the NLS (as set out in the IGA) and how these will apply to the IAC's work
  • an overview of the consultation draft of the National Occupational Licensing Law.

The IACs will next meet in March 2010. Information and further updates will continue to be posted on the national licensing website as the IACs progress their work in developing advice.

Update - 30 April 2009

COAG finalises Intergovernmental Agreement 

On 30 April 2009, COAG endorsed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and released a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) for a national licensing system.

This is one of a series of reforms recommended by the Business Regulation and Competition Working Group (BRCWG), and represents a further step towards the development of a national licensing system for specified occupations.

To access the IGA and the RIS visit www.govdex.gov.au/confluence/display/COAGNL/Home

 

This page was generated on 13 January, 2010

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