Edition 58, July 2008

COAG agrees to develop national trade licensing system

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to develop a national trade 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 trade 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 trade 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.

COAG has also agreed to the rationalisation of occupational licences with an implementation plan to be considered in October 2008.

Other highlights of the 3 July COAG meeting include the signing of an intergovernmental agreement for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) reform which will formalise the commitment of the Commonwealth, States and Territories to adopting model OH&S laws.

COAG has agreed to an accelerated implementation timetable for national uniformity of OH&S laws, with the implementation timetable brought forward by one year to 2011.

COAG also endorsed the need for a new wave of national reform focused more squarely on the users of the vocational education and training system, including in relation to competition, contestability, regulation, quality assurance and consumer information. The proposals will also be considered by COAG in October2008.

For more information visit www.coag.gov.au

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