This document outlines NSW's new system for maintaining the competence of mining certificate holders through practising certificates and a maintenance of competence scheme. It discusses how practising certificates will be issued for 5 years and require ongoing learning. A new maintenance of competence scheme requires certificate holders to complete a minimum number of learning hours over 5 years across topics like legislation, emergency management and leadership. Learning can be formal, non-formal or informal. The scheme is designed to be flexible while ensuring ongoing training and competence.

1. NSW practising certificates
and the maintenance of competence scheme
Resources Regulator
September 2017 OUT17/33066

2. Contents
1. Practising certificates
2. Maintenance of competence scheme
3. Further information and questions

3. • Enabled under the WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2014
• Existing gazette allows holders of certificates of competence to practise in statutory functions.
• Certificate of competence holders applying for practising certificates from 1 September 2017.
• An individuals applies for one practising certificate. They are valid for five years and can be
renewed.
Practising certificates
3

4. • Practising certificates are issued to holders of mutually recognised interstate certificates.
• Production manager permits replaced by practising certificates (restricted to location/mine operator).
• All practising certificates are subject to conditions. Some conditions apply to all, while other
certificates have specific requirements.
Practising certificate
Mutually recognised or restricted
4

5. Practising certificates
Staggered application process
5

6. • Practising certificates are issued with a condition to maintain competence.
• The scheme is based on the New Zealand equivalent but has been tailored to the NSW regulatory
environment.
• The Mining and Petroleum Competence Board developed the scheme with public consultation.
Maintenance of competence scheme
6

7. Maintenance of competence scheme
Components of the scheme – learning categories
7
Formal Non-formal Informal
Categories of recognised learning

8. Maintenance of competence scheme
Total learning hours and types
8

9. Maintenance of competence scheme
Areas of competence
9
Mining and WHS systems
Legislation
+
Emergency management
+
Leadership and
management
General WHS topics
• Minimum one-third of total
learning hours
• Learning in all four subject
areas
• Includes safety
management system and
principal hazards
• Minimum one-third of total
learning hours
• Complete some learnings in
all three areas
• Maximum one-third of total
learning hours
• Mandated topic for learning
from mining disasters (eight
hours formal course) and
• Topics from areas 1-4 or any
WHS topic related to a
statutory function

10. • The scheme is designed to be as flexible as practical to accommodate the varying circumstances of
individuals to complete learning
• Maximum of one-third of total hours completed in any one year. An example is:
Maintenance of competence scheme
Completion of hours over the five years
10

11. Maintenance of competence scheme
Implementation
11
Introduction Recording Auditing
Compliance or
non-compliance

12. Further information
12
• Visit our website for:
o the fact sheet on the practising certificates system
o the guide to the maintenance of competence scheme for practising certificates and logbooks
o frequently asked questions
o guides and forms to apply for a practising certificate.
(http://www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au/miners-and-explorers/safety-and-
health/applications/mining-competence/practising-certificates)

13. Questions and enquiries
13
• Any questions, for example:
o What if an individual applies after the 12 month invitation period for the practising certificate?
o How can I find out if the learning I want to claim is eligible?
• Enquiries
o practising.certificates@industry.nsw.gov.au
o 4931 6625

14. Latest learnings for application of MOC scheme
14
• Activities the Regulator views as eligible learning:
o Meetings between mines of the same mine operator (non-formal number 5)
o MEMMES meetings for presentations part (under formal seminar)
• Activities not viewed as eligible:
o Pre-shift meetings (except if they have content claimable as other types of learning)
o Tool box talks (except if they have content claimable eg. formal training course)
• Related issues:
o Requirements are the same for all persons practising eg. persons relieving occasionally

15. Resources Regulator
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Planning and Environment
2017
This publication is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this
material in an unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal use or for non-
commercial use within your organisation. To copy, adapt, publish, distribute or
commercialise any of this publication you will need to seek permission from the NSW
Department of Planning and Environment.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and
understanding at the time of writing (August 2017). However, because of advances in
knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they
rely is up to date and to check currency of the information with the appropriate officer of
the NSW Department of Planning and Environment or the user’s independent advisor.