~ Government of Western Australia ~ Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety

Plumbers Licensing Board Policy

Building Commission

Requirements to obtain a plumbing contractor's licence

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this policy is to guide members of the Plumbers Licensing Board (the 'Board') and delegated licensing staff in making appropriate, consistent and legally defensible decisions when issuing a plumbing contractor's licence.

SCOPE

This policy applies to all plumbing contractor's licence applications made under Regulation 15 of the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 (the regulations).

CONTEXT

Equivalent qualification

Under clause 2, schedule 3 of the regulations the requirements for a plumbing contractor's licence are that the applicant -

(a) is the holder of a tradesperson's licence; and

(b) holds-

i. a statement of competency as a water supply plumber, sanitary plumber or drainer; or ii. an equivalent Western Australian qualification as determined by the Board.

Since 2007, the statement of competency as a water supply plumber, sanitary plumber or drainer has been the completion of a Plumbing Contractor's Licence course. The course expired on 31 July 2014, meaning that as of that date the course could not be delivered.

In order to ensure that applications for plumbing contractor's licences can still be made, a policy statement detailing what the Board considers an 'equivalent Western Australian qualification' is required.

Determining competency at re-issue

Under regulation 20A of the regulations,

(1) The Board may, instead of issuing a licence or permit to a person who has applied for one, re-issue a licence or permit to the person if the person previously held a licence or permit of the same type or was authorised to carry out plumbing work of the same type, under these regulations, the Country Areas Water Supply By-laws 1957, the Country Towns Sewerage By-laws 1952 4 or the Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage By-laws 1981.

(2) The Board may re-issue a licence or permit to a person who has applied for the renewal of a licence or permit if the application for renewal is made after the renewal period for the licence or permit referred to in regulation 19A(2).

(3) The provisions of this Part that apply to the issue of a licence or permit apply to the re-issue of a licence or permit except that subregulation (4) applies to the person instead of regulation 17(1 )(b).

(4) Before re-issuing a licence or permit, the Board must be satisfied that, because of the person's experience or qualifications, the applicant would be as competent to carry out the work to be covered by the licence or permit as a person who has recently met the requirements set out in Schedule 3 for a licence or permit that covers that work.

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(5) In satisfying itself of the matter set out in subregulation (4), the Board is to satisfy itself in the same manner and in relation to the same sorts of things that it would in relation to an application for the issue of an equivalent licence or permit under regulation 17(1).

In order to ensure that applications for renewal made after the renewal period of 28 days after the licence or permit would otherwise have expired (19A(2)); being a re-issue, can be assessed in accordance with regulation 20A(4), a policy statement as to what the Board considers would make an applicant as competent to carry out the work to be covered by the licence or permit as a person who has recently met the requirements, is required.

TERMS USE

Course in Plumbing Contractor's Licence

Plumbing contractor's licence

Re-issue

RTO

Statement of competency

Statement of attainment

POLICY PRINCIPLES

Western Australian qualification issued by a RTO and delivered in accordance with the packaging rules outlined by the vocational education and training sector, which expired in July 2014.

A plumbing contractor's licence authorises a plumber to work on water supply plumbing, sanitary plumbing and drainage plumbing, unless the licence has limiting conditions placed by the Board.

Means to issue a licence or permit to a person with the same licence, permit or authorisation number as previously held by the person as outlined in regulation 20A.

A Registered Training Organisation approved by Training.gov.au to deliver vocational training in Australia.

A statement of attesting to the attainment of skills and knowledge and example of which is the Course in Plumbing Contractor's Licence (Water Supply, Sanitary and Drainage) that met the requirements clause 2, schedule 3 of the Plumbing Regulations while it remained accredited.

A statement listing the successful completion of units required by the Board to be eligible to obtain a plumbing contractor's licence.

This policy does not constrain the Board's capacity to depart from this policy as appropriate in the circumstances for any particular plumbing contractor licence application.

CONTRACTORS' REQUIREMENTS

Statement of attainment to be accepted as an equivalent qualification to a statement of competency

In addition to continuing to accept the Course in Plumbing Contractor's Licence dated from 2007 as a statement of competency described in clause 2, schedule 3(b), the Board will also accept a statement of attainment showing the units from the now expired Course in Plumbing Contractor's Licence as equivalent. The units required by the Board to satisfy the requirements for the issue of a contractor's licence are:

Business units (Mandatory)

• BSBSMB401A Establish legal and risk management for small business requirements

• CPCPCM4012A Estimate and cost work • CPCPCM4011A Carry out work-based risk control processes

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Water Supply Units

• CPCPWT4011 B Design and size heated and cold water services and systems

• CPCPWT4023A Commission and maintain hot and heated water temperature control devices

• CPCPWT4022A Commission and maintain backflow prevention devices

Drainage Units

• CPCPDR4013B Design and size domestic treatment plant and disposal systems.

• CPCPDR4011 B Design and size sanitary drainage systems.

Sanitary Units

• CPCPSN4011 B Design and size sanitary plumbing systems.

The three business units are mandatory regardless of the stream(s) of plumbing work the applicant is applying for under the plumbing contractor's licence. Applicants are required to complete at least one stream of Water Supply, Drainage and Sanitary in addition to the mandatory Business units. The Sanitary unit must be coupled with either Water Supply or Drainage units.

The Board has accepted the Plumbing Contractor's Licence course since 2007 and a statement of attainment showing the same units as its equivalent since 2014. Consequently, the Plumbing Contractor's Licence course qualification must be dated between 2007 and 2014 and its equivalent, the statement of attainment showing the same units, between 2014 and the present.

DETERMINING COMPETENCE AT RE-ISSUE

In interpreting regulation 20A(4), the Board will accept an applicant for re-issue who has held a contractor's licence within five years preceding the application for re-issue, or if greater than five years, the same qualifications as accepted for the granting of an initial contractor's licence.

The effect of this policy position is that the Board may re-issue a plumbing contractor's licence if the applicant has previously held a contractor's licence at any time in the past and also holds the currently accepted qualification being the statement of competency being the Course in Plumbing Contractors Licence dated between 2007 and 2014 or the equivalent being a statement of attainment dated after 31 July 2014, showing the three mandatory business units and the completion of one or more of the three other streams (being Water Supply, and/or Drainage, and/or Sanitary).

POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

Delegated licensing officers will process applications in a manner that conforms to this policy and will inform applicants and licence or permit holders of this policy.

GOVERNANCE

Resolved by the PLB Meeting Date Item Number

28 August 101{ 3.3.1 r

Chairperson Signatur~

~~ Date

)_:gl~ l ll . \

Keywords Plumbing 'c¥of{tractor's licence, training, statement of attainment, statement of competency

Next review 1 June 2018

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