Registration in Victoria for
PAINTERS & DECORATORS If you’ve heard about the new laws concerning painters licensing and painters registration in Victoria, but are not sure what it’s all about, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll explain the new painters registration and painters licence requirements in Victoria. If you are a painter in Victoria, or run a painting business in Victoria these changes may apply to you. Recently, the Victorian Government made some changes to the Building Act 1993. These changes are called the Building Amendment (Registration of Building Trades and Other Matters) Act 2018. The aim is to ensure certain trades have licencing and registration, and was introduced after years of lobbying by the Master Builders Association, the National Painting and Decorating Institute and other associations In 2015 in Victoria, the National Institute of Painting and Decorating surveyed over 550 members of the painting industry, with support from Aussie Painters Network. The survey responses revealed that: • 74% of Victorian painters believed licensing is ‘very important’ • 74% of Victorian painters believed licensing should be limited to qualified painters • 85% believed Certificate III Painting and Decorating (or equivalent) should be the minimum qualification • 55% believed licensing should be required for any work over $1000 • 96% believed licensing should be required for companies, and 93% for sole traders • 55% believed interstate licenses should be recognised in Victoria • The majority believed licensing should cost less than $200 per year This was the basis of our submission to the Department. In 2018 the legislation passed parliament. In 2019 the government asked for feedback as to which trades should be prioritised. We recommended that painters be prioritised because of the risk of unqualified painters preparing asbestos and lead paint.
42 | Aussie Painting Contractor
Recently, the Department of Environment, Water and Planning released the priority trades. The Minister for Planning has determined that carpentry will be the first scope of work to be considered for regulation, starting in 2021. Remaining scopes of building work performed by trade contractors and employees will be gradually considered over a five-year period in accordance with a staged implementation plan. Registration for Painting and Decorating is scheduled to be implemented from 2022.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF TRADES? The objectives of the new registration and licensing scheme are: • there is greater accountability for non-compliant work • there is confidence that people who carry out or perform restricted work have adequate qualifications, skills and experience • incentives for skills formation in the building industry are improved (including completion of apprenticeships) • there is relative consistency between the approach taken to trade contractors and building trade employees so as not to create incentives for the replacement of employees by trade contractors, including the use of ‘sham’ contracting arrangements • the incidence of non-compliant building work is reduced • builders will not be allowed to contract unqualified and unregistered painters. This means more opportunities for qualified and skilled painters • less risk to the public. Qualified painters understand how to identify lead paint and asbestos, and treat it correctly.
