Apprenticeship experience to apply for an endorsed class of registration, Occupational Licensing Regimes Amendment Bill, Future Board Member Programme profile
8 May 2026
Issue #132
Registrar update
Kia ora koutou,
Welcome to this edition of the Electron newsletter. Our focus this time is supporting safe, compliant work and helping you navigate changes and expectations across the sector.
If you’re considering applying for an endorsed class of registration, our article on using apprenticeship experience is a reminder to check the requirements early and keep clear, practical evidence of the work you’ve done. Good records make the application process smoother and help demonstrate that you’ve built the right experience in the endorsed area.
We also share an update on the Building and Construction Sector (Strengthening Occupational Licensing Regimes) Amendment Bill. The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has now reported back to Parliament. While nothing changes immediately, it’s important to understand the direction of travel: clearer roles in complaints and investigations, more consistent processes across licensing regimes, and increased transparency.
In this edition you’ll also find our standard of the month (AS/NZS 3012:2019) for those working around construction and demolition sites, summaries of recent decisions, and a reprint of WorkSafe’s update on the independent review of wiring advice.
Finally, MBIE is seeking electrical worker feedback to improve Building CodeHub - please take a few minutes to complete the survey if you can.
Thank you for the work you do every day to keep people and property safe.
Ngā mihi,
Duncan Connor
Registrar of Licensed Electrical Workers
Presiding Member's update
Kia ora koutou,
One of the Board’s key functions is to maintain public confidence in the electrical licensing system by promoting safe practice and, where necessary, addressing conduct and competence concerns through fair and transparent processes.
The decision summaries in this edition of the Electron highlight recurring themes we encourage you to keep front of mind: completing thorough inspection and testing before connection, ensuring any required independent inspection is obtained for high-risk work, and issuing certification accurately and on time. These steps are not administrative extras - they are essential controls that help prevent harm.
You’ll also see an update on the proposed licensing reforms in the SOLR Bill, including provisions that would enable a code of ethics for electrical workers. Regardless of legislative change, the expectation remains the same: apply the regulations and standards diligently, supervise and certify responsibly, and raise concerns early when something is not right.
I encourage you to use the resources in this edition to support your practice - whether that’s revisiting AS/NZS 3012 for site work, learning from others’ experiences through the Future Board Member profile, or staying informed about regulatory guidance as it develops.
Ngā mihi,
Russell Keys
Presiding Member
Using apprenticeship experience to apply for an endorsed registration class
Before you apply for an endorsed registration class, check the requirements and make sure you have appropriate evidence.
Strengthening Occupational Licensing Regimes Amendment Bill
The Building and Construction Sector (Strengthening Occupational Licensing Regimes) Amendment Bill proposes changes across several occupational licensing regimes, including the Electrical Workers scheme.
Standard of the month
Our standard of the month is AS/NZS 3012:2019 Electrical installations - Construction and demolition sites.
Recent EWRB decisions
In this edition, we provide summaries of recent Electrical Workers Registration Board decisions and the key legal duties for carrying out, inspecting, and certifying electrical work.
Independent review finds electrical wiring advice was sound
An independent review has confirmed WorkSafe’s Energy Safety team gave technically sound and justified advice on last year’s regulatory amendments on electrical wiring.
Future Board Member Programme – profile Briana Rae
The Future Board Member Programme is a way for those who might be interested in learning about governance and hearing processes to get an insight into the workings of the Board.
Electrical Worker feedback on use of Building CodeHub website
MBIE’s Building Performance is doing research to help improve the Building CodeHub website. Electrical Workers are key users of this site.
Building CodeHub is an online search tool. It helps building practitioners find and access resources to design and construct buildings that comply with the Building Code.
Survey responses are anonymous, securely stored, and only used for the purpose of this website research. The survey should only take around 5 minutes.
Thank you in advance for your input and participation.
