The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Tradies To Get Free Access To Mandatory Standards
Friday, 25 September 2026
The Albanese Government is delivering on ensuring workers such as electricians, plumbers and builders can access mandatory Australian Standards online for free.
We are putting an end to a system which can force Australian workers to pay to read rules they are legally required to follow by providing $42.7 million over four years to Standards Australia to give free online access to Australian Standards contained in Commonwealth, State and Territory laws.
For too long, mandatory Australian Standards have sat behind a paid access system, leaving electricians, plumbers, builders, manufacturers, safety officers and small business owners paying to see what they are required to do.
Today, the Government completed the legislative process to make funding available for this program. The Government will now work through the final steps with Standards Australia to get the program up-and-running.
When a standard becomes part of the law, people should have clear access to it.
For a small construction firm, the Government estimates that free access to construction and electrical standards could save up to $1,600 a year.
Free access will also benefit consumers. Making the rules easier to check helps businesses get them right, supporting safer work and better products.
For the economy, easier access to standards can lower business costs and support greater competition.
The Government expects the program to start in the coming months. Businesses and workers can register on the Standards Australia website to receive updates on when free access will be available.
This reform backs the people who build, wire, plumb, manufacture and repair, while removing an unnecessary cost of doing business.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh:
“If the law tells you to follow a standard, you shouldn’t have to pay to read it.
“Free access means lower costs for business and fewer barriers to getting work done. That’s exactly the kind of productivity reform Australia needs.
“It will also make it easier for businesses to get the rules right, which is good for workers and consumers.”
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