The Queensland Government will review its new licensing regime which allows refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) work to be undertaken without any technical qualifications.
The licensing review is great news for industry and has alleviated fears of substandard installations, and safety risks to consumers and technicians.
In a letter to the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC), the Queensland Government said it will work closely with industry to resolve the licensing issues and ensure workers are adequately skilled to perform the scope of work required for their licence.
ARC CEO, Glenn Evans, said it is a good win for industry.
Evans said licensing in other states align with ARC’s refrigerant handling licence which requires RAC competencies to achieve both environmental and consumer protection outcomes.
“The aim of the review is to ensure RAC work is undertaken by fully qualified RAC technicians in that state,” he said.
Evans said a number of industry associations worked together to achieve this win including the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA) and the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (RACCA).
Details of the licensing issues were published by CCN earlier this week with the Australian Refrigeration Mechanics Association (ARMA) labelling the licensing framework a disaster.
ARMA CEO, Kim Limburg, said the licensing regime is further proof of the trade being eroded as governments continue to accommodate other trades such as electricians and plumbers.
“This is why small business operators in our trade have been decimated over the years,” she said.