Who is allowed to work on gas in Australia?
The short answer
Gasfitting is a separate licence class from general plumbing in every Australian state and territory, and there is no householder exemption for any gas work at all.
TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below
Checked against 6 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this
Plumbing licences in Australia are issued in classes, and gasfitting is its own class. A licensed plumber is not automatically a licensed gasfitter, and many hold both, but the licence document is what tells you rather than the job title.
Licensed gasfitting work
- Installing, replacing, servicing or removing any gas appliance, including a cooktop, heater or hot water unit.
- Any work on gas pipework, including extending, altering, capping or pressure testing it.
- Converting an appliance between natural gas and LPG.
- Installing or relocating a gas bayonet point.
What a householder may do
Effectively only connecting a portable appliance to an existing bayonet point with the correct hose and fitting, and even there the hose and the fitting have to be the right type and in good condition. Everything upstream of that is licensed work, and the exemptions that exist in electrical and plumbing law for minor tasks largely do not exist for gas.236
The paperwork
Gas work generally generates a compliance certificate in the same way electrical and plumbing work does, and you should receive a copy. Keep it with the property documents. It is what an insurer will ask about after an incident and what a purchaser's conveyancer will ask about at sale.
Who does this work
You need a licensed gasfitter
Because gasfitting is a separate licence class from plumbing everywhere in Australia, and a general plumber's licence does not cover it.
This is licensed work in every Australian state and territory. Check a licence in your state
Where are you?
Who regulates plumbing and gas in your state
Trade regulation in Australia is state law, so the body that answers this depends on where the work is. Pick yours.
- New South Wales — NSW Fair Trading
- Plumbing, draining and gasfitting are separate licence classes. Work must be notified and is subject to inspection. How to check a licence in NSW
- Victoria — Building and Plumbing Commission
- Licenses and registers plumbers across separate classes of work. Licensed plumbing work generates a compliance certificate you should be given. How to check a licence in VIC
- Queensland — Queensland Building and Construction Commission
- Licenses plumbers and drainers. Notifiable work must be submitted to the QBCC after completion. How to check a licence in QLD
- Western Australia — Building and Energy
- Plumbing contractor and tradesperson licensing, and gasfitting authorisation, sit with the same body. How to check a licence in WA
- South Australia — Consumer and Business Services
- Plumbing and gas fitting are treated as building work but need specific plumbing, gas fitting and electrical licence classes, known as PGE. How to check a licence in SA
- Tasmania — Consumer, Building and Occupational Services
- Plumbers, gasfitters and auto gasfitters are licensed occupations, all searchable in one place. How to check a licence in TAS
- Australian Capital Territory — Access Canberra
- Plumbers, drainers and gasfitters are licensed construction occupations in the ACT. How to check a licence in ACT
- Northern Territory — Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Board
- Holds the list of currently licensed plumbers and drainers. The board can also confirm a licence by phone if a name is not appearing. How to check a licence in NT
Sources
Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.
- Search a public register · Energy Safe VictoriaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
- Energy Safe Victoria · Energy Safe VictoriaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
- Office of the Technical Regulator · Government of South AustraliaChecked 2026-08-10 · live, but blocks automated clients so the specific page could not be confirmed
- Plumbing and drainage licences · Queensland Building and Construction CommissionChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
- Plumbers, gas fitters and electricians · Government of South AustraliaChecked 2026-08-10 · live, but blocks automated clients so the specific page could not be confirmed
- Building and Energy · Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (WA)Checked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
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