Darwin 18 June 2013. The Country Liberals Government is committed to cutting red tape and making it easier for businesses to operate in the Territory.

From today, NT High Risk Work licences can be issued and renewed over the counter at Territory Business Centres (TBC) in as little as 20 minutes. Previously, this process took up to 20 days.

Minister for Business David Tollner said NT WorkSafe and TBCs have worked together to streamline this frontline service.

“In this case it has effectively saved local tradies and businesses up to three weeks in waiting time so they can get on with the job much sooner,” Mr Tollner said.

“Qualified applicants can walk into any Territory Business Centre and be issued with an over-the-counter licence, a much more efficient service for licence holders and applicants.”

Qualifications are still required prior to a licence being issued. The applicant must be assessed by an accredited assessor to obtain relevant qualifications before applying for a licence. The applicant has 60 days to lodge their application after the assessment date.

High Risk Work licences include forklift, scaffolding, dogging, rigging, crane operation and others.

Under national legislation, some licences previously issued “for life” must now be renewed every five years. Holders of interstate licences should contact the jurisdiction in which they were issued.

Renewal letters were recently sent to 3000 High Risk Work licence holders. If they have any queries, they should check with their local TBC.

Territory Business Centres are located in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. They are the first point of contact for anyone looking to find out about licensing requirements.

So far this financial year, Territory Business Centres have issued more than 6200 High Risk Work licences and recorded 116,000 client contacts.

A schedule of fees and detailed information is available on the NT WorkSafe website www.worksafe.nt.gov.au