Plumbing work on-the-job by pre-apprentices undertaking a Certificate II in Plumbing qualification

In April 2021 the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s Building and Energy Division (Building and Energy) published advice regarding an anomaly in the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 (Plumbing Regulations). The anomaly was that the Plumbing Regulations did not authorise students (commonly referred to as pre-apprentices) who are undertaking a Certificate II in Plumbing qualification, to carry out plumbing work on-the-job, even though such work is considered an essential part of their training. 

To address the anomaly, and to authorise pre-apprentices to be able to carry out plumbing work on-the-job under certain conditions,  Building and Energy has  amended  the Plumbing Regulations, through the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Amendment Regulations (No. 3) 2021 (Amendment Regulations). The authorisation for a pre-apprentice to carry out plumbing work, only applies to work that is part of the work placement component of the Certificate II in Plumbing course. Further, such work must be performed under the supervision of a licensed plumbing contractor, or the holder of a tradesperson’s licence working under the general direction and control of a licensed plumbing contractor.

The Amendment Regulations were gazetted on 18 June 2021 and pre-apprentices may now carry out plumbing work on-the-job, as part of the work placement component of the Certificate II in Plumbing course. The previous advice provided in April 2021 no longer applies.

For queries relating to what constitutes regulated plumbing work, or on the Amendment Regulations generally, please contact Building and Energy on 1300 360 897 or by email at be.info@dmirs.wa.gov.au.

Plumbing services to individual lots on subdivided land

In August 2020, the Plumbing Regulations were amended to include a new ‘Part 6A - Plumbing standards for plumbing and plumbing work on subdivided land’.

Part 6A of the Plumbing Regulations sets out specific standards that licensed plumbing contractors must adhere to in relation to the installation/provision of water services and sanitary drainage services (plumbing services) to individual lots that are the subject of a proposed scheme plan for a survey-strata scheme as defined in the Strata Titles Act 1985 (WA).These standards are designed to ensure that individual survey-strata lots are provided with fit for purpose plumbing services, installed and certified by a licensed plumbing contractor.

A new form of land tenure known as a community scheme is being introduced in Western Australia through the Community Titles Act 2018 (WA), which provides an alternative method for the creation of mixed-use developments, other than a strata-scheme.

To ensure that fit for purpose plumbing services are installed/provided to individual lots on a community scheme, Part 6A of the Plumbing Regulations has been amended by the Commerce Amendment Regulations (Community Titles) Regulations 2021.

The amendment includes a proposed scheme plan for a community titles (land) scheme (as defined in the Community Titles Act 2018 section 3(1)) as a type of scheme that the requirements of Part 6A will apply. 

Licensed plumbing contractors now need to be aware that when installing plumbing services to individual lots on a development that is a proposed community titles scheme, the standards referenced in Part 6A of the Plumbing Regulations apply.

For queries relating to the plumbing standards that apply to survey-strata schemes and community titles schemes please contact Building and Energy on 1300 360 897 or by email at be.info@dmirs.wa.gov.au.