Queensland Consolidated Acts

PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE ACT 2018

- As at 1 February 2024 
- Act 17 of 2018 

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1 - PRELIMINARY

           Division 1 - Introduction

   1.      Short title
   2.      Commencement
   3.      Main purpose of Act
   4.      Act binds all persons

           Division 2 - Interpretation

   5.      Definitions
   6.      Categories of plumbing or drainage work
   7.      The Queensland Plumbing and Wastewater Code
   8.      The Plumbing Code of Australia
   9.      Code requirements
   10.     References to plumbing or drainage work
   11.     References to local governments

   PART 2 - LICENSING

           Division 1 - Classes of licences

   12.     Classes of licences
   13.     Work that may be carried out under licences

           Division 2 - Granting licences

   14.     Qualifications and practical experience required for licence
   15.     Entitlement to licence
   16.     Application for licence
   17.     Inquiry about applicant
   18.     Extending decision period for application
   19.     Deciding application
   20.     Imposing conditions on licence
   21.     Steps to be taken after application decided
   22.     Form of licence
   23.     Duration of licence

           Division 3 - Upgrading provisional licences

   24.     Commissioner may upgrade provisional licence

           Division 4 - Endorsements

   25.     Endorsements on licences
   26.     Qualifications and practical experience required for endorsement
   27.     Entitlement to endorsement
   28.     Application for endorsement
   29.     Deciding application

           Division 5 - Renewing licences

   30.     Notice of expiry of licence
   31.     Application to renew licence
   32.     Deciding application

           Division 6 - Restoring expired licences

   33.     Application to restore licence
   34.     Deciding application

           Division 7 - Reviewing licence conditions

   35.     Review of licence conditions started by licensee
   36.     Review of licence conditions started by commissioner
   37.     Requiring further information to decide application
   38.     Decision on review of licence conditions
   39.     When decision takes effect
   40.     Returning licence for amendment or replacement

           Division 8 - Other provisions about licences

   41.     Register of licensees
   42.     Replacing licence
   43.     Obtaining certified copy of licence
   44.     Notice of change in circumstances
   45.     Notice of particular events to licensing authorities and other entities
   46.     Licensee to have regard to particular guidelines

           Division 9 - Audit programs and auditing licensees

   47.     Approved audit program
   48.     Supplying documents or information

           Division 10 - Disciplinary action

   49.     Grounds for disciplinary action
   50.     Show cause notice
   51.     Deciding action to be taken
   52.     Disciplinary action that may be taken by commissioner
   53.     Advising licensee of decision
   54.     When suspension takes effect
   55.     Referral of particular disciplinary action to QCAT

   PART 3 - GENERAL OFFENCES

           Division 1 - Offences about licences

   56.     Carrying out work without appropriate licence
   57.     Supervising or directing work without appropriate licence
   58.     Exemptions for ss 56 and 57
   59.     Directly supervising trainees or unlicensed persons
   60.     Contravening licence conditions
   61.     Limits on provisional licensees
   62.     Returning suspended or cancelled licence
   63.     Surrendering licence

           Division 2 - Offences about carrying out plumbing or drainage work

   64.     Complying with code requirements for plumbing and drainage work
   65.     Installing things as part of plumbing or drainage work
   66.     Permit required for permit work
   67.     Directing persons to carry out non-compliant work
   68.     Polluting water service provider’s water service or sewerage service provider’s sewerage system

           Division 3 - Offences about use restrictions

   69.     Using plumbing or drainage before inspection certificate or final inspection certificate issued for permit work
   70.     Owner’s obligation for operating and maintaining plumbing and drainage

           Division 4 - Prohibitions on removing or tampering with particular devices

   71.     Backflow prevention devices
   72.     Temperature control devices
   73.     Tampering with water meter

           Division 5 - Discharge and disposal offences

   74.     Discharging toilet waste and water
   75.     Permissible and prohibited discharges
   76.     Disposing of contents of on-site sewage facility
   77.     Disposing of contents of greywater treatment plant
   78.     Discharging kitchen greywater
   79.     Discharging and using greywater, other than kitchen greywater
   80.     Stormwater installation not to be connected to on-site sewage facility or sanitary drain

           Division 6 - Offences relating to finishing notifiable work

   81.     Who is a relevant person for notifiable work
   82.     When notifiable work is finished
   83.     Action after notifiable work is finished

           Division 7 - Other offences

   84.     False or misleading information
   85.     Misleading representation by builder, manufacturer or supplier of on-site sewage treatment plant
   86.     False advertising or misleading representation of particular things
   87.     Obstructing inspector
   88.     Impersonating inspector

   PART 4 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

           Division 1 - General

   89.     Proceedings for offences
   90.     Who may prosecute

           Division 2 - Evidence

   91.     Application of division
   92.     Appointments and authority
   93.     Signatures
   94.     Authentication of council documents
   95.     Other evidentiary aids
   96.     Conduct of representatives
   97.     Evidential immunity for individuals complying with particular requirements

           Division 3 - Payment of penalties and fines

   98.     Payment of particular penalties and fines

   PART 5 - ADMINISTRATION BY QBCC

           Division 1 - Functions of commissioner

   99.     Plumbing and drainage functions of commissioner

           Division 2 - Assistant commissioner

   100.    Appointment of assistant commissioner
   101.    Functions and powers of assistant commissioner
   102.    Reports to the council
   103.    Representation of the council at QCAT proceedings
   104.    Delegations

           Division 3 - Service Trades Council

              Subdivision 1 - Establishment, functions and powers of the council

   105.    Establishment
   106.    Functions
   107.    Powers
   108.    Delegations

              Subdivision 2 - Membership of the council

   109.    Appointing members
   110.    Appointing deputy members
   111.    Appointing temporary members
   112.    Disqualification as member, deputy member or temporary member
   113.    Conditions of appointment
   114.    Term of appointment
   115.    Chairperson
   116.    Deputy chairperson
   117.    Resigning as a member
   118.    Vacating office
   119.    Leave of absence for members
   120.    Criminal history report
   121.    Disclosing new convictions
   122.    Criminal history is confidential

              Subdivision 3 - Business of the council

   123.    References to members
   124.    Conduct of business
   125.    Times and places of meetings
   126.    Quorum
   127.    Presiding at meetings
   128.    Conducting meetings
   129.    Minutes
   130.    Establishing panels
   131.    Panel members and other matters about panels
   132.    Disclosing interests

           Division 4 - Investigators

   133.    Investigator to have regard to particular guidelines

   PART 6 - ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

           Division 1 - Preliminary

   134.    Local laws and local planning instruments

           Division 2 - Administrative matters

   135.    Administration by local governments and other entities
   136.    Monitoring particular greywater use facilities
   137.    Monitoring particular on-site sewage facilities
   138.    Local government to have regard to particular guidelines

           Division 3 - Plumbing and drainage inspectors

   139.    Appointment and qualifications
   140.    Functions of inspectors
   141.    Inspector to have regard to particular guidelines
   142.    Advising commissioner of appointment of inspectors

           Division 4 - Enforcement by local governments

   143.    When enforcement notice may be given
   144.    Show cause notice
   145.    Use of enforcement notice
   146.    Requirements for enforcement notice
   147.    Contravening, or tampering with, enforcement notice
   148.    Application for permit in response to show cause or enforcement notice
   149.    Administering entity may remedy contravention
   150.    Action notices
   151.    Stay of enforcement notice or action notice

   PART 7 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

   152.    Approval of forms
   153.    Electronic notices
   154.    Guidelines
   155.    Public access to documents
   156.    Fees payable to QBCC
   157.    Regulation-making power

   PART 8 - REPEAL, TRANSITIONAL AND VALIDATION PROVISIONS

           Division 1 - Repeal

   158.    Act repealed

           Division 2 - Transitional and validation provisions

   159.    Members of council
   160.    Assistant commissioner
   161.    Licence applications
   162.    Licences
   163.    Disciplinary action
   164.    Permits and certificates
   165.    Compliance requests for compliance assessment of plan for plumbing or drainage work
   166.    Compliance requests for compliance assessment of plumbing or drainage work
   167.    Information requests
   168.    Applications for chief executive approval
   169.    Chief executive approvals
   170.    Inspectors
   171.    Enforcement notices
   172.    Plumbing or drainage work
   173.    References to repealed Act and regulations
   173A.   Holder of particular licence taken to hold associated occupation licence in relevant period
   174.    (Expired)
           SCHEDULE 1