The introduction of a National Occupational Licensing System (NOLS) for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics has again been postponed.
The Federal Government has abolished plans to introduce NOLS on July 1, 2013, following a meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) held in Canberra last week.
COAG has issued a statement confirming the delay until 2014.
COAG said additional state-based consultation is required before a final decision can be made by the end of 2013.
The announcement isn't exactly a big surprise with many sections of industry claiming there are still a range of issues to be addressed.
If a final decision isn't reached until the end of this year then implementation isn't likely to take place until July 1, 2014.
This is a two year delay and the second time the government has postponed national licensing.
Initially, the licensing reforms were set to begin on July 1, 2012.
However, this date proved far too ambitious with NOLS board chair Elizabeth Crouch describing the reforms as complex.
This complexity was confirmed when submissions were sought late last year in response to licensing options outlined in the Regulation Impact Statement (RIS).
The COAG National Licensing Taskforce received 3,591 submissions in response to the RIS, proof of the high level of interest from industry.
Despite the high number of submissions industry hoped the July 1, 2013 deadline could still be met. Clearly, this isn't going to happen with industry now preparing for more consultation and the opportunity to examine a range of concerns.
The good news is that Elizabeth Crouch is one of the keynote speakers at CCN Live, which is being held in Sydney on Friday, August 9, 2013.
The event is CCN's first full day conference providing readers with an opportunity to hear about industry developments first hand.
CCN ran a special four page feature in the March edition of the magazine on NOLS, what are your views on national licensing? What questions would you like to put to Crouch at CCN Live?
Send emails to sandravandijk@yaffa.com.au