Minister for Housing and Public Works
The Honourable Bruce Flegg
Plumbing industry to have its say on red tape reduction
Housing and Public Works Minister Bruce Flegg has invited the plumbing industry to provide feedback on proposed regulation amendments to reduce red tape in the industry.
Dr Flegg said the proposed changes to the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 would increase the scope of ‘notifiable works’ – plumbing and drainage work that can be undertaken without Council approval.
“Following the passage of amendments through Parliament in February, Building Codes Queensland has now released the draft tables outlining the proposed notifiable, minor and unregulated categories of work for consultation,” Dr Flegg said.
“Notifiable work will apply to most work on existing buildings, including extensions and additions.
“For Queenslanders, this means everyday plumbing work can be self-certified by the plumber, eliminating the need for local government permits which can be costly and cause delays.
“Work by plumbers and drainers will still be audited by the Plumbing Industry Council and local governments to ensure compliance and health and safety standards remain high.”
Dr Flegg said the proposed changes would create a more efficient process, saving time and money for local governments.
“By reducing the amount of routine work that must receive approval before commencement, these reforms will allow local governments to more precisely target their inspection programs towards high-risk areas and may lead to faster processing of applications.”
Dr Flegg said industry had until 5pm on Friday 22 June 2012 to have their say on the changes.
The draft tables outlining the proposed notifiable, minor and unregulated categories of work can be viewed at: http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/plumbing/proposed-new-schedules-for-notifiable-work.html.
Questions and comments on the draft schedules can be submitted by:
·Post to PO Box 15009 City East QLD 4002
·By email to plumbers@dlgp.qld.gov.au
·Online through the Get Involved website at www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au
For further questions about notifiable work, please email plumbers@dlgp.qld.gov.au or call 1800 264 585.
