Abstract:

For many years, the various states within Australia have regulated the licensing of practitioners in the construction and property industries. Initially, legislation delivered a loose assemblage of educational requirements for the diversity of skills necessary for builders and property agents to carry out the appropriate discharge of their duties. Occupational licensing was not accompanied by compulsory education but this has gradually changed to increasing requirements in this area. In parallel there has been an increasing awareness of consumer protection, thus demanding the tightening of licensing requirements including its sub-parts.

The research methodology in this paper combines regulatory theory concepts and theoretical structures of history to map the increasing requirement for compulsory education in licensing, and covers a critique of the relationship between this and consumer protection.

Keywords:

Compulsory Education, construction, consumer protection, property, occupational licensing.