Increase in labour mobility may support construction industry

Proposed reforms to Australia’s licensing regulations may provide a boost to the construction industry.

In an effort to reduce developmental red tape, minister for skills senator Chris Evans released Consultation Regulation Impact Statements to support the proposal for a streamlined and nationally consistent licensing scheme.

The affected occupational areas would include plumbing and gas fitting, property, refrigeration and air conditioning and save the economy an estimated $86 million.

“Having one set of national licences for key occupations is a challenging reform but will make it easier for businesses and individuals to operate across state and territory borders and improve business productivity,” senator Evans said.

For those with a vested interest in the construction industry, as well as the property investment industry – this could be very good news.

Having universal licensing schemes would make it easier for labourers to travel from state to state, eliminating one of the cumbersome and costly barriers associated with mobile companies.

Developers and investors may wish to hire outfits they are accustomed to for cross-country projects, rather than seek out new local companies they are unfamiliar with.

The amount the new licensing initiative will save could also transfer back to communities in several beneficial ways.

“Doing away with multiple licences for people working in more than one state or territory will save licensees millions in additional fees over the next ten years,” said senator Evans.
It may also support transparency within the industry.

“There’ll also be a national register of licence holders that employers or consumers can use to identify and check the credentials of licence holders,” said senator Evans.

“This is about working with Australian businesses and licence holders to make sure we’ve got the best approach to reduce regulatory burdens, increase productivity and grow the economy.”

By Steve McKnight

Steve McKnight, the founder of PropertyInvesting.com, is a respected property investing authority as well as Australia's #1 best-selling business author.