Queensland’s new Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 is set to replace the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 from 1 September 2026.
For electricians, electrical contractors, businesses and other people working with electrical installations and equipment, the change is important, but it is not a major overhaul of Queensland’s electrical safety requirements.
The Queensland Government has confirmed that the 2026 Regulation does not introduce new policy or regulatory obligations. Instead, the regulation has been substantially reorganised and rewritten to make it easier to navigate, understand and apply alongside the Electrical Safety Act 2002.
Why Has The Electrical Safety Regulation Been Replaced?
The Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 was subject to Queensland’s statutory sunset review process. Queensland subordinate legislation generally expires after 10 years unless it is reviewed and remade.
The 2013 Regulation was due to expire on 31 August 2026. The review found that the regulation remained necessary and that its underlying policy and regulatory intent continued to be appropriate.
Rather than allowing the regulation to expire, the Queensland Government remade it as the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026. The new regulation was notified on 14 August 2026 and commences on 1 September 2026.
The official position is that the remake is primarily about structure, clarity and usability, rather than introducing a new set of electrical safety rules.
What Are The Main Changes?
Although the practical electrical safety requirements are largely unchanged, there are several important structural changes that electrical businesses should be aware of.
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The Regulation Has Been Completely Reorganised
One of the biggest changes is the structure of the regulation.
Sections have been reordered and grouped into new parts to better align the regulation with the Electrical Safety Act 2002. As a result, virtually all section numbers have changed.
This means a procedure, safety document, contract, training resource or other business document that currently refers to a particular section of the 2013 Regulation may contain an outdated reference after 1 September 2026.
For example, rather than assuming that a section number from the 2013 Regulation remains valid, businesses should check the Queensland Government’s comparison information to identify the corresponding provision in the 2026 Regulation.
This is likely to be one of the most noticeable changes for contractors and compliance teams.
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Greater Connection Between The Regulation and The Electrical Safety Act
The 2026 Regulation contains additional legislative references throughout the document.
These references are intended to make it clearer how individual requirements relate to the corresponding provisions of the Electrical Safety Act 2002.
The aim is to make the legislation easier to interpret and navigate, particularly where a duty originates in the Act and the Regulation provides more detailed requirements about how that duty is to be met.
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Some Provisions Have Been Streamlined
A small number of provisions have been removed or combined where they were considered unnecessary or duplicated requirements elsewhere.
The purpose is to reduce duplication and make the regulation easier to read and use.
Importantly, this should not be interpreted as a broad removal of electrical safety responsibilities. The Queensland Government states that the remake does not change the underlying policy or intent of the regulation.
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Work Near Electrical Lines Has Been Restructured
Requirements dealing with work near overhead and underground electric lines have been reorganised.
The provisions have been separated according to the different risk profiles associated with overhead and underground electrical lines.
Definitions relating to exclusion zones and unsafe distances have also been moved to the beginning of the regulation so they are easier to locate and apply throughout the legislation.
For businesses carrying out construction, excavation, civil works, tree work or other activities near electrical infrastructure, this restructuring should make the relevant requirements easier to find.
It is still important, however, to review the new provisions rather than relying on old section references.
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Licensing Provisions Have Been Consolidated
The 2026 Regulation reorganises provisions relating to licensing and qualified persons.
Definitions for qualified technical person (QTP) and qualified business person (QBP) have been included in the licensing part of the Regulation, along with definitions for other terms used in the licensing provisions.
The intention is to make the licensing requirements more logically organised and consistent.
Do electricians need to apply for a new licence?
No.
The commencement of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 does not invalidate existing electrical licences. Licences issued under the 2013 Regulation continue to have effect under the 2026 Regulation.
Queensland Government guidance confirms that licence holders do not need to apply for a new licence or take action simply because the new regulation commences.
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High-Voltage Live-Line Work Has Been Separated Into Two Sections
Requirements for high-voltage live-line work have been reorganised into two separate provisions.
The purpose is to make the requirements easier to understand and apply rather than to introduce a new policy approach to high-voltage live-line work.
Businesses involved in high-voltage work should nevertheless update internal references to the relevant sections of the new Regulation.
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Safety Management System Requirements Have Been Restructured
The requirements for safety management systems (SMS) have been reorganised into discrete sections.
The Queensland Government has also included a transitional arrangement so that the new SMS provisions do not commence immediately.
The restructured SMS requirements commence on 1 September 2027, giving prescribed electricity entities an additional 12 months to become familiar with the new structure.
During the transitional period, the former section 234 of the 2013 Regulation continues to apply.
Importantly, the Government says there are no changes to the underlying SMS requirements, the changes are primarily structural and clarifying.
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Changes To SMS Auditing Requirements
The 2026 Regulation provides additional clarity around safety management system auditing.
For example, it clarifies that an audit report must be provided to the regulator following an audit and removes the broader requirement to provide “any further information” required by the regulator.
The annual audit provisions have also been clarified, including what is subject to an annual audit while retaining flexibility for a prescribed electricity entity to determine the scope of an audit.
The timeframe for providing an annual audit plan has also been expressly stated: generally, the later of 30 days before the audit begins or an agreed date.
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Transitional Arrangements Protect Existing Licences and Processes
The new Regulation contains transitional provisions in Part 16.
These provisions are designed to ensure continuity when the 2013 Regulation is replaced.
For example, existing licences, notices and authorisations continue to operate under the transitional arrangements. Certain applications, investigations and proceedings that began under the 2013 Regulation can also continue under the appropriate legislative framework.
This means businesses should not assume that the changeover date requires them to start existing processes again.
What Does This Mean For Electricians and Electrical Contractors?
For most electricians and electrical contractors, the practical impact should be relatively small.
If your business was already complying with the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013, the Queensland Government says you are unlikely to need to change your work practices simply because the 2026 Regulation commences.
However, there are several things worth doing.
Review Your Procedures
Check your electrical safety procedures, safe work procedures, compliance manuals and other documents for references to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.
Where your documents refer to specific section or part numbers, those references should be checked and updated.
Update Templates and Compliance Documents
Businesses may have references to the 2013 Regulation in:
- electrical safety procedures
- SWMS and risk-management documentation
- compliance manuals
- internal audit documents
- training materials
- contractor documentation
- inspection and testing procedures
- electrical installation checklists
- safety management system documents
- website compliance information.
Not every document will need to be rewritten. If a document describes a practical safety requirement without referring to an old section number, the Queensland Government says substantial changes are unlikely to be necessary. However, documents should still be reviewed for accuracy.
Make Your Team Aware Of The New Section Numbers
There is no general requirement to retrain workers simply because the 2026 Regulation has commenced.
Workers should, however, be made aware of the new structure and any changes to legislative references that affect their work.
This is particularly relevant for supervisors, electrical contractors, compliance managers and anyone responsible for preparing or reviewing safety documentation.
Has Anything Actually Changed In Day-To-Day Electrical Safety?
For most electrical work, the answer is not in a substantive policy sense.
The Queensland Government has been very clear that the 2026 Regulation is not intended to introduce new policy or regulatory obligations. The purpose of the remake was to improve the regulation’s structure, clarity and usability.
This distinction is important.
The regulation looks substantially different, section numbers have changed and provisions have been moved around, but that does not mean electricians suddenly have an entirely new set of electrical safety obligations.
In practical terms, the biggest immediate challenge may be finding the equivalent provision in the new Regulation.
What About Enforcement?
The Queensland Government has stated that the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 will not result in a different enforcement approach.
The remake does not change the policy intent or how the obligations are intended to operate. The changes are primarily structural and drafting improvements.
Businesses should therefore treat the commencement of the new Regulation as an important compliance-document update rather than assuming that the change creates a new enforcement regime.
Don’t Confuse The 2026 Regulation With Other Electrical Legislation Changes
There have also been separate changes to Queensland electrical safety legislation during 2026.
For example, the Electrical Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026 was assented to on 27 March 2026. Those legislative amendments are separate from the sunset remake of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026.
The 2026 Regulation itself is the replacement for the 2013 Regulation and is primarily a restructure and clarification exercise.
This distinction matters when researching “electrical safety changes in Queensland in 2026”, because not every 2026 legislative change is a consequence of the new Regulation.
When Does The Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 Start?
The Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 commences on 1 September 2026.
The existing Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 expires at the same time. The new Regulation has been made as Queensland subordinate legislation and is scheduled to remain in force until its next statutory expiry in 2036, subject to any future legislative changes.
The exception is the restructured safety management system provisions discussed above, which commence on 1 September 2027 under the transitional arrangements.
A Practical Checklist For Queensland Electrical Businesses
Before the new Regulation takes effect, electrical businesses should consider:
- Review your references to the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013.
- Check the new section numbers for requirements relevant to your business.
- Update policies and procedures that cite the old Regulation.
- Update compliance and audit documentation.
- Brief supervisors and workers about the new structure.
- Review documentation relating to work near overhead and underground electrical lines.
- Check licensing documentation and references to QTPs and QBPs.
- Review safety management system documentation if your business is a prescribed electricity entity.
- Keep copies of the new Regulation and the official comparison material available to relevant staff.
The Bottom Line
The Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 is a major rewrite in structure, but not a major change in electrical safety policy.
From 1 September 2026, Queensland will move from the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 to the new 2026 Regulation. The biggest changes are the rearrangement of provisions, new section numbers, clearer legislative references, consolidated licensing provisions, restructured requirements for work near electrical lines and clearer safety management system and audit provisions.
For most electricians and contractors who already comply with the existing requirements, there should be no need to change established work practices simply because the new Regulation commences.
The key task is to make sure your business documentation, procedures and legislative references keep pace with the new structure.
For the definitive requirements, businesses should refer to the official Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 and the Queensland Government’s Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 guidance rather than relying solely on summaries or third-party interpretations.
