Just to help people understand the trade licence rules in SA (and if they are breaking the law)

The Building Work Contractors Act 1995

States:

" A person must not carry on business as a building work contractor except as authorised by a Licence under this act. Unlicensed building work contractors are not entitled to recieve payment for work they perform"
" If a contractor or sub contractor is using an ABN (Australian Business Number) and is invoicing for work undertaken then this contractor or subcontractor Must be licensed"
" A person may only work under someone's licence if they are a direct employee for that person" the act states "There are no exceptions " maximum penalty for breach of this act $20,000.00

And building work means any building work ie painting, tiling, plumbing, carpentry etc etc

http://www.feg.com.au/legislation.htm
http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au

Steve

http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/licensing/licensing.html

Put your glasses on.

You are considered to be a building work contractor if you carry on business in connection with constructing, erecting, underpinning, altering, repairing, improving, adding to or demolishing a building or structure, including associated work in excavating or filling a site.

There are four principal classes of building work set out in the Regulations. These are:


any building work


light commercial/industrial and residential building work (eg, house construction, multi-storey buildings)


residential building work (eg, building work limited to houses, additions and alterations to houses)


other specified building work (eg, trade work - bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, painting and decorating, air conditioning installation, and various other combinations of commercial, industrial and residential building work). Please refer to Section 3 of the Act and Regulation 5 for definitions on building work or contact us for further advice.
Common examples include:


house construction
renovations, additions and alterations
construction or repairs of on-site swimming pools or spas
paving
carpentry and joinery
painting and tiling
fencing (excluding post and wire fencing)
installing in-built robes and kitchen cabinets
construction of retail shops and office buildings and
installation of air-conditioners.

So if I were a person who paints, I would need to buy a little licence that says I can paint?

How do they award licences anyway? Is there some little jobsworth somewhere who tests your paintbrush skills or something?

I reckon this is all a throwback to the days of the convicts. The powers that be still haven't forgotten Australia's roots and seek an inordinate degee of control over everything just in case the convict gene's resurfaces. Ah well...