Standards Australia provides free course for NSW construction sector

Recent COVID-19 restrictions have forced New South Wales into lockdown and prompted the state’s construction industry to shut down, impacting almost 250,000 trades professionals. Standards Australia, in partnership with the NSW Office of the Building Commissioner and TAFE NSW, temporarily gave free access to the e-learning module The value of Australian Standards. The module provides an overview of Australia’s building and plumbing framework, Standards Australia’s responsibilities to the NSW Government and the National Construction Code, how and why standards are used in construction and the implications of not adhering to relevant standards. Participants also get insight into standards development and the different types of existing standards.

Once enrolled, participants will have six months to access the two-hour online course and will receive a certificate upon completing the assessment quiz. The launch of this module represents an in-depth resource on construction standards and where they sit in Australia’s regulatory framework. Until 1 July 2021, the module was voluntary, however it became mandatory for Design and Building Practitioners prior to registration, after NSW Fair Trading introduced residential building industry reforms.

Adrian O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer of Standards Australia, said this module will provide an opportunity for industry professionals to understand standardisation and its impact on the safety of the community. “In order to show our support of the construction industry during this challenging time, we have decided to provide free access to this online module,” O’Connell said. David Chandler, NSW Building Commissioner at NSW Department of Customer Care, said that now is a great time for construction professionals to develop new skills from the comfort of their homes.

Update: the free period to access this course has now ended.

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