High front guttering advisory committee report - NSW Fair Trading ...

adequacy of rainwater retention systems), as a criteria for the issuing of Construction
Certificates for all home building work in NSW that includes high fronted gutters.
Replacement Guttering
Conclusion: Under The NSW Environment Planning and Assessment Act all replacement guttering
work in NSW currently has to comply with the BCA. Manufacturers and NSW licensed contractors
(Builders, Roof Plumbers and Plumbers) need to be reminded of this requirement, including the
requirements to ensure that downpipes, appropriate overflow and stormwater drainage capacity are
adequately addressed in all replacement works.
Recommendation:
10. That NSW Fair Trading write to all relevant licence holders (Builders, Roof Plumbers and
Plumbers) to remind them that all guttering replacement works they carry out have to
comply with the BCA, including downpipe capacity and appropriate provision for overflow,
and that all such works need to be carried out by appropriately licensed contractors.
Industry Skills, Education and Training
Conclusion: The Committee was advised on the roll-out of National Occupational Licensing Scheme
(NOLS) over 2011 and 2012. The Committee was also informally alerted to a looming shortage of
licensed roof plumbers in NSW. Care needs to be taken to ensure roof plumbing remains a part of
building regulation and licensing in NSW under NOLS and that there is an adequate supply of
qualified new entrants into the industry, in addition to new entrants through plumbers’ training
programs. Attention also needs to be paid to ensuring that all relevant licence holders are kept up to
date with prevailing BCA performance requirements.
Recommendations:
11. That NSW Fair Trading, NSW TAFE, manufacturers and industry bodies assess whether or not
there is a prospective shortfall in labour supply, and develop and implement training
programs to ensure the supply of licensed contractors. Such training should include a full
understanding of the BCA performance requirements, how building solutions (especially
Deemed to Satisfy solutions) serve to meet these requirements and how to calculate
Deemed to Satisfy gutter, downpipe and overflow requirements.
12. That NSW Fair Trading, NSW TAFE, manufacturers and industry bodies also develop
appropriate training programs for existing licence holders including top up training to meet
any perceived knowledge gap and continuous education and training programs.
13. That NSW Fair Trading undertake an audit of the extent to which installers hold appropriate
licences, and take appropriate enforcement action on unlicensed installers.
14. That NSW Fair Trading take on the role of issuing direct advice to all relevant licence holders
of changes made to the BCA (and National Construction Code in the near future) and
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