About Us

In Australia, plumbing regulatory functions and protection of public health and safety are the responsibility of State and Territory Governments.  Although the legislative responsibility is with individual jurisdictions, a considerable amount of experience and knowledge is shared to achieve an effective and efficient regulatory environment across Australia and New Zealand for plumbing, drainage and other associated disciplines.

The NPRF provides a forum for the liaison and cooperation required between jurisdictions to coordinate their activities in respect of regulatory strategies, standards and certification of products.

The Forum also addresses issues in the areas of occupational licensing/registration, broader plumbing regulation and water and energy efficiency in plumbing installations. The NPRF exists entirely through cooperative action and has no executive power, however we are actively seeking to formalise intergovernmental arrangements for plumbing regulation through a structure that is appropriate for the plumbing industry.

Objectives

The NPRF’s principal objectives are to:

• Develop a national policy framework that encourages and assists coordinated plumbing regulatory arrangements protecting public interest in each jurisdiction and addresses issues in areas of both licensing/registration and on-site regulation;
• Provide a national forum for discussions regarding regulatory reform issues of interest to all jurisdictions;
• Enable the individual jurisdictions to coordinate program objectives and activities to ensure uniformity wherever possible;
• Represent NPRF’s agreed proposals for the purpose of securing support from Governments or Government Agencies, industry and the public; and
• Actively participate and liaise with bodies involved in technical and regulatory matters relevant to plumbing and nominate members where appropriate.

To achieve these objectives, amongst other actions we:

• develop and maintain the Plumbing Code of Australia;
• play a major role in the WaterMark Certification Scheme; and
• undertake projects to enhance understanding of water-efficiency and  ensure the development of safe, effective and appropriate standards.

The NPRF also provides an avenue for consultation with other relevant bodies, including training councils, industry associations, and federal agencies, to address issues at a national level. We have strengthened our links with stakeholders, particularly by engagement through our Advisory Committees.