Gas work in Darwin: the Territory rules
Who licenses gasfitters
ABLIS, the Australian Government's licence directory, lists NT WorkSafe as the administering agency, under the Dangerous Goods Act 1998 and the Dangerous Goods Regulations 1985. A licence lasts 5 years.
Four categories
General gasfitter, gasfitter Type B (appliance), provisional gasfitter and auto gasfitter. A provisional holder may only work under the supervision of a full certificate holder.
Your part with LPG
Under the Regulations, connecting or disconnecting a gas cylinder that isn't filled on the premises isn't gasfitting, so you can swap an exchange bottle. Other work on the system is a gasfitter's.
What you should get after the job
A gasfitter who installs, modifies or repairs a fuel gas system, other than a minor repair, must give the owner a certificate of compliance when the work is finished. A copy goes to the Competent Authority within 7 days.
They must also fix a fuel gas compliance plate at or near the control valve, or where the system connects to the cylinder or the main. It shows the gasfitter's certificate number and the date of the work, and any older plate comes off. Installations must conform to AS 1596 for storing and handling LPG and AS 5601 for gas installations.
Checking a Darwin gasfitter
Ask for the category
Find out which of the four categories they hold and whether it covers your job.
Confirm it with NT WorkSafe
NT WorkSafe's website wouldn't load for our research, so check the licence with NT WorkSafe directly before work starts.
Read the new plate
When the job's done, check the compliance plate shows a certificate number and the date of the work.
File the certificate
Keep the certificate of compliance with your house papers. A buyer, insurer or the next gasfitter may ask for it.
Gas and plumbing are separate licences
Plumbers and drainers are licensed by the Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Board; gasfitters by NT WorkSafe. For a gas hot water system, which involves both water and gas work, ask whether one person holds both licences or whether two trades will attend. Our Darwin hot water page covers the plumbing side.
If you smell gas
Get everyone out, leave switches and flames alone, and make the call from outside. For LPG, turn the cylinder valve off only if you can reach it safely. Our gas leaks page has the full steps.
Questions for a Darwin gas fitter
- Which gasfitter category do you hold, and is it current?
- Will I get a certificate of compliance, and when does the copy go to the authority?
- Where will the compliance plate go?
- Does this work meet AS 5601, and AS 1596 for the cylinders?
What we would do
Before a gasfitter starts, ask for their category and confirm the licence with NT WorkSafe. When they finish, don't let them leave without the certificate of compliance in your hand and a new plate on the system. Swap your own exchange cylinders if you like, but leave regulators, hoses and appliances to the licence holder.