While the Tasmanian government is taking positive steps to improve licensing for technicians, the Victorian government is looking at reforms to allow plumbers to do work currently undertaken by the refrigeration and air conditioning trade.
Tasmania is reviewing its licensing framework for technicians, with key considerations being information asymmetry between consumer and technician, alignment with national licence competencies, and the potential to establish refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) as a distinct trade category.
This review echoes the changes made in Victoria three years ago, where the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) played a pivotal role in advocating for RAC to be recognised as a separate licence category, rather being a subclass of plumbing.
Tasmania is now progressing along a similar path.
RAC is a highly specialised trade that, while overlapping in some areas with generalist plumbing and electrical work, differs significantly in technical scope and expertise.
That’s why it warrants its own licensing category to reflect these unique requirements, according to ARC.
“A critical element of this review will be ensuring alignment with the national competency standards of the ARCTick scheme,” an ARC spokesperson said.
“This will raise the level of competence in the state, and help prevent confusion and avoid placing unnecessary administrative burden on RAC technicians.
“ARC remains committed to working closely with the Tasmanian Government to achieve a licensing framework that meets both policy objectives and industry needs.”
According to a technical bulletin (April 2025) from the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), reforms are underway to meet growing demand for heat pump installations.
“It has highlighted a shortfall in qualified plumbers who can legally install split-system heat pump water heaters circulating refrigerants (natural or ozone depleting refrigerants),” the bulletin said.
“A VBA-industry working group has been established to focus on addressing the shortage of plumbers who can lawfully install heat pump water heaters circulating refrigerants.
“Only a small number of licensed and registered plumbers can decommission gas water heaters and install these products.”
The working group is considering two approaches to overcome this challenge.
The first is administrative reform, which may create a new restricted class under Refrigerated Air-Conditioning for the installation of split-system heat pump water heaters circulating refrigerants.
The second is medium-term regulatory reform involving amendments to the Plumbing Regulations 2018, to formally include this work under an appropriate class.
These changes would significantly boost the number of practitioners who could do this work and keep pace with community demand, the bulletin said.