Whilst we are sure landscapers love to focus on the work they do in transforming the gardens and outdoor spaces of their clients, unfortunately, there are also administrative obligations that they must deal with. Some relate to health and safety, others to consumer law, and for landscapers based in Australia, they also need to ensure that they have the appropriate licences to carry out the work that they do.
This is especially the case when landscapers carry out structural landscaping where they may be constructing fences, ponds, and retaining walls. Where the difficulty comes is that there is not a one-size-fits-all licence across Australia. Instead, the licences that landscapers need will be issued by the respective state authorities where they are based as outlined below in alphabetical order.
Australian Capital Territory
ACT does not issue specific landscaping licences, but it does require that a business holds a Class D builders licence if carrying out building work. In addition, their Class D licence may be granted with endorsements permitting landscapers to construct structures not regarded as habitable such as pergolas and patios.
New South Wales
The body which grants and issues licences in NSW is called Fair Trading. Any work where the cost is going to be more than 200AUD will require a landscaping licence. For more comprehensive work that involves the construction of non-habitable structures such as pergolas and patios, a Structural Landscaping Licence must be obtained.
Northern Territory
Normal landscaping work in the NT does not normally require landscapers to obtain a licence. However, NT does require a business to hold a Home Improvement Licence for a range of home improvement projects, and it is possible certain structural landscaping work might come under that definition. If landscaping in NT it is advisable to ask the local council for guidance to see if a licence is necessary for that area.
Queensland
As with NSW, Queensland also bases the requirement for a landscaping licence on the cost of the project. However, they set the amount at a much high level of 3300AUD. Once again, if their work is going to be structural and involves the construction of retaining walls and patios, for example, a Structural Landscape Licence must be obtained by the landscapers.
South Australia
The licence that landscapers must hold in South Australia is called the Building Work Contractors Licence. This is required for any landscaping business to enter into a contract with a client. In addition, the work must be supervised by an individual, usually a landscaper, who holds a Supervisors Licence.
Tasmania
In Tasmania, the term used to authorise landscapers to carry out work is accreditation. If given accreditation in Tasmania it may only apply to certain types of work, so it is not a blanket authorisation. The cost threshold in Tasmania is 5000AUD which only allows accredited landscapers to embark on that size of project.
Victoria
Regulations in Victoria state that any work which has a cost of over 10,000AUD must be done by a business that holds a builder’s registration card, and that includes landscaping projects. The two main registration types are the Building Practitioners Board and the Domestic Builder – Limited with the latter being the one most commonly obtained by landscapers.
Western Australia
In WA, the stipulation is that any type of building work, including landscaping work done by a builder or a landscaper that exceeds a cost of 12,000AUD, must be undertaken or, at the very least, supervised by a licenced building contractor.