On 12/02/2011 8:15 PM, John Robertson wrote:

You can't get a permit to do your own home wiring in Australia?

Nup. Well, not unless you become a professional electrician, which
requires an apprenticeship, AND pay the annual licence fee.

Pity.
Here in most of Canada - as long as the city (or relevant jurisdiction)
electrical inspector OKs the job (permit required) - then the handy
homeowner is permitted to do their own work - obviously one does it to
the electrical code. I did quite a bit of improvements to my previous
home, the inspector came in, examined a few random spots (opened
sockets, boxes, etc) and like what he saw and signed off on the job. If
he wasn't happy I would have had to open every box to show the job. This
inspection was before I put the wallboard up of course!


Here in Aussieland, you cannot so much as replace a light switch with an
identical model.

You can be on a remote farm, 100s of kilometers from anywhere, and if a
lampholder breaks, you have to call in a sparky.

Sylvia.