The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) welcomes news of the introduction of legislation through the New South Wales Parliament that aims to reduce red tape for licensed tradespeople.

The mutual recognition (Automatic Licensed Occupations Recognition) Bill 2014 was yesterday moved for debate in the New South Wales Upper House by the Minister for Fair Trading, Mr Matthew Mason-Cox and aims to enable electricians to carry out trade in New South Wales through the recognition of cross border licensing arrangements.

Under the proposed legislation, specified licenses issued in another state or territory would be treated as the equivalent of a NSW issued licence, provided the holder of the license maintains their principal place of residence within the other jurisdiction. If passed, the legislation would come into effect by the end of 2014.

The executive director of NECA’s NSW chapter, Oliver Judd welcomed the news of the introduction of this legislation for debate in the New South Wales Parliament and adds, “NECA supports the removal of red tape so that our members can operate more freely, efficiently and without the unnecessary impediments of government regulation. The successful passage of this legislation will see the removal of the requirement to maintain multiple licensing for work and employment across state boundaries within NSW, which is good news for our industry and consumers, particularly those living adjacent to our border regions.”

The New South Wales Minister for Fair Trading noted that “the reforms will benefit small business and the wider community by eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens”.

“NECA looks forward to working with the Minister for Fair Trading to assist with the passage of this legislation and its successful implementation prior to the end of 2014,” Oliver says.