To guarantee the safe production of all electrical installations in the Northern Territory, it is mandatory that all electrical industry workers and contractors are sufficiently trained. All such workers will require a licence and must fulfil certain criteria before performing any electrical work.
The main responsibility of the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Board is to issue licenses to electrical workers. This board is made up of individuals from different areas of the electrical industry, including electrical engineers, government department representatives, apprentice trainers, electrical workers and electrical contractors. The minister overseeing the Electrical Workers and Contractors Act 1978 is responsible for electing the board members.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
In the Northern Territory, any individual who installs electrical equipment or carries out electrical work with voltages higher than 32 volts of alternating current and 115 volts of direct current must possess an NT Electrical Workers License. Any individual carrying out contracted electrical work in exchange for payment or reward must possess an NT Electrical Contractors License.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for a license and/or registration, you can visit the TBC centres in the cities of Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs or Tennant Creek, where you can hand in your form and make a payment. Photographs can also be taken on site if needed. You can call the number provided on the application form if you need to talk to a licensing officer for any reason.
If you do not wish to submit your application in person, you can also send your scanned application via email, or post it to: GPO Box 9800, Darwin, NT, 0801. The contact details for lodging your application can be found on the application forms.
FINDING A LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
Click here to find a full list of currently licensed NT electrical contractors PDF (723.1 KB) (List updated on 6th April 2020).
How to Check an Electrician’s Licence details
Follow this link to verify an electrician’s individual licence details PDF (2.1 MB) (List updated on 6th April 2020). You can call the Board’s Office for information if you wish to employ an individual who cannot be found on the list.
THE ELECTRICAL WORKERS AND CONTRACTORS LICENSING BOARD
The board is responsible for issuing licenses in accordance with the relevant acts and legislation, the purpose of which is to ensure that all work within the industry is performed by trained and qualified tradesmen so that all electrical work is conducted safely. The Board is also responsible for handling complaints relating to electrical work that has been performed by both licensed and unlicensed workers.
The most frequent types of complaints received by the board are:
• public complaints
• active audits made by NT WorkSafe Electrical Safety, and
• consumers education complaints.
The Board has long-standing working relationships with licensing bodies throughout Australia and New Zealand, meaning that all licenses issued by these bodies will be accepted and recognised by the board. Moreover, the Board has a wide network of licensing managers who are responsible for ensuring that licensing management practices are standardised.
The Board is also represented on the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC), a national body tasked with establishing and implementing the requirements for minimum qualifications and licensing. Their key objective is to ensure national uniformity. The Board issues licenses for electrical workers and contractors. As they serve as representatives for the electro-technology industry, Board members have an important voice in the Northern Territory Training Advisory Council.
