History and Purpose

History 

There is currently no national regulator for plumbing. Regulation of plumbing work, licensing of plumbers and monitoring compliance with product quality standards in Australia has been the traditional responsibility of the states and territories, forming a significant aspect of the protection of public health and safety, the environment and consumer rights.

Although prior to 2000 some uniformity of plumbing standards was achieved through the National Plumbing and Drainage Code – AS/NZS 3500 and the National Certification Plumbing and Drainage Products scheme, the separate plumbing regulatory systems were largely inconsistent.

The Committee for Plumbing Product Authorisation, established to act as a single point of contact on plumbing product authorisation issues, was discontinued in 1998 in anticipation of a transfer of oversight for national plumbing regulation to ministers responsible for building regulation. When this transfer did not eventuate there was a lack of formal mechanism by which national plumbing policy issues could be identified and discussed.

In 1999 a proposal emerged for the establishment of a National Plumbing Regulators Forum. The findings of the report on a Review of the Australian Building Codes Board delivered in February 2000 supported this proposal, and recommended the establishment of a body to be a national forum for plumbing regulators using existing resources, which would have responsibility for the development of a Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA), consistent in scope and structure to the Building Code of Australia to complement other relevant codes or Standards.

The deed establishing the NPRF Trust came into effect in late 2000. Funding for the development of the PCA was granted in 2002, with the Code published in 2004. After participation in the Forum since its inception, New Zealand regulators were formally incorporated into the NPRF in November 2006.

The NPRF has also formed two subcommittees, the Technical Advisory Committee and the Licensing and Education Advisory Committee, to assist with its functions and to contribute to the advancement of its purpose.

Purpose

The purpose of the NPRF is to provide benefits to government, industry and the public by striving for a consistent, efficient and effective regulatory environment for plumbing activities and for achieving appropriate levels of public health, safety and amenity in the interests of all consumers throughout Australia and New Zealand.