National licensing system for electrical and plumbing trades

Tradesmen working in the plumbing and electrical fields will benefit from a new national licensing scheme launched by the federal government.

Announcing the initiative yesterday (August 13), minister for skills Chris Evans said the national reforms would streamline business practices across the country in the plumbing and gas industries.

"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," Mr Evans explained.

"National licensing means these workers will only need one licence to work anywhere in Australia - boosting productivity and labour mobility."

Mr Evans said the new system would eradicate multiple licences across the country, saving millions of dollars in additional fees.

The new regulations will replace the current laws which see a separate law for each state and territory across the country, however each region will still collect fees and monitor performances under the national standards.

"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," Mr Evans added.