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New NSW Plumbing Act and Regulations
As of 1st July 2012, NSW Fair Trading has become NSW's plumbing and drainage regulator. Since 2010 Fair Trading has been carrying out onsite plumbing inspections in Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains area under contract from Sydney Water.
A new Act transferred these responsibilities to Fair Trading from 1 July 2012.
As part of the changes, Fair Trading is now carrying out onsite inspections in the Newcastle (Hunter Water) region as well.
For the period 1 July 2012 to 1 January 2013, local governments retained their current regulatory powers.
However, the NSW Code of Practice for Plumbing and Drainage has now been replaced by the Plumbing Code of Australia which also calls up the Australian Standard 3500.
Visit the Plumbing code and standards page on the Fair Traiding website for more information on the new standards.
Gas supply consumer safety regulation
On 1 September 2012 a new Gas Supply (Consumer Safety) Regulation commenced.
The Regulation continues the regulatory framework for gas appliances connected to networks and non-networks, gas installations, autogas, licensed gas fitters and the testing of gas meters.
What’s changed?
The 2012 Regulation is a remake of the Gas Supply (Consumer Safety) Regulation 2004 with several amendments, including the items below.
Certificates of compliance and certificates of inspection
A new requirement to provide Fair Trading with a copy of certificates of inspection and certificates of compliance for gasfitting work commenced on 1st March 2013.
Gas fitters are now required to provide Fair Trading with a copy of any certificate of inspection or certificate of compliance following any gas fitting work.
Fair Trading is working on developing new certificates as well as an electronic system for lodging certificates in a simple, cost effective manner.
Time period to lodge certificates of compliance and inspection
Gas fitters now have 5 business days to provide a certificate of inspection to owners or occupiers (and network operators or usual suppliers of gas) following the completion of gasfitting work. While this does not prevent a tradesperson from providing the certificate immediately, it will allow a suitable time period to lodge and is more consistent with other similar fair trading regulation.
For more information on the The Gas Supply (Consumer Safety) Regulation 2012
click here.
What do you think of the new regulations?
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