The State Government has installed new flexible arrangements to allow interstate plumbers and drainers to assist with the massive flood recovery work in Queensland.
Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said the licensing process had been streamlined to enable interstate tradespeople to start work as soon as possible as the volume of work during the initial recovery period is too great for local tradespeople to cope with alone.
"The State Government has received calls from interstate plumbers and drainers offering to come to Queensland and assist with the massive recovery job taking place," Hinchliffe said.
"We need to ensure plumbers and drainers are appropriately licensed and can easily and quickly come to Queensland to help deal with the huge volume of work that needs to be carried out in coming days and weeks.
"To get these tradespeople where they are urgently needed, Building Codes Queensland (BCQ) through the Plumbing Industry Council (PIC), has made arrangements with plumbing regulators in jurisdictions across Australia to enable interstate tradespeople to immediately obtain a Queensland licence.
"To reduce the paperwork and time usually associated with this, interstate plumbers and drainers can pay the necessary fees over the telephone and the PIC will then check their credentials with interstate regulators.
"It is essential residents use licensed plumbers and drainers, as defective plumbing and drainage work poses serious health and safety risks, while defects can cause further damage to buildings already affected by floodwaters.''
State Secretary of Plumbing Union Queensland Brad O'Carroll welcomed the move.
"It is great to see the State Government reacting so quickly to remove the red tape in response to the immediate need to recover from the floods," O'Carroll said.
Executive Director of the Master Plumbers' Association of Queensland (MPAQ) Adrian Hart reinforced the need for residents to employ licensed plumbers and drainers, and applauded the PIC's move to ensure the integrity of the licensing system was maintained.
For more information on the MPAQ, visit www.mpaq.com.au/
Any interstate licensee wanting to perform regulated work in Queensland can contact the PIC's Licensing Team on 3247 3618 or the plumbing regulator in their jurisdiction, who will advise of the process to obtain an immediate Queensland licence.
