News & Views

The AS/NZS 3000:2018 was published on 26 June 2018 and supersedes AS/NZS 3000:2007. In most States and Territories, all electrical installation work must comply with AS/NZS 3000:2018 from 1 January 2019.  After 1 January 2019, any electrical installation work started before 26 June 2018, not completed and not compliant to the 2018 edition will require an exemption from the electrical regulator to be completed to the 2007 edition. 

If a person/s has died on one of your installations, and as a result find yourself in front of a Judge, you will have to explain why you were not following the current Standard. An excuse at the moment would be that the hard copy was not available at that time.

Most regulators acknowledge some electrical installation work would have started prior to the publication of the 2018 edition and will therefore not mandate the 2018 edition until 1 January 2019. This will allow the electrical industry a six-month transition period to complete the electrical installation work which was undertaken to the 2007 edition. Any work started before the publication of the 2018 edition must be completed before 1 January 2019.

In some circumstances, due to the size and nature of the electrical project, it may not be possible to complete all the electrical installation work started under the 2007 edition before 1 January 2019. In these cases, an exemption will be required to complete the electrical installation work in accordance with the 2007 edition. For more information, click on the links below to contact your State or Territory regulator.

NSW: fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Tradespeople/Home_building_licensing.page

ACT: accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2982/kw/electrical%20licensing

QLD: worksafe.qld.gov.au/licensing-and-registrations/electrical-licences

TAS: justice.tas.gov.au/licensing_and_accreditation

VIC: esv.vic.gov.au/licensing-coes/interstate-and-international-electrical-workers/

In NSW, the mandatory date will be around the 1 Jan 2019. However, it will depend on when it is cited in the NSW Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation. This document covers:

• Who can and can’t do electrical work. 
• It nominates Fair Trading as NSW’s Regulator.
• It explains the need for and function of the Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW). 
• It explains licencing for electrical work. When this document says to follow AS/NZS 3000:2018 then that will be the date.

Note that this Electrical Regulation is being combined with the Gas Regulation to form one document, the NSW Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Regulation, which should be available later in the year.

For more information or clarification, contact NECA's Technical Advisor, Leon Dickson, on 0488 774 669 or email leon.dickson@neca.asn.au.