A guide for an English sparky in New zealand.

[SparkyJoe]

Thought I’d write a little on changing from being a UK spark to a NZ spark, after seeing the Australian thread.

Kiwi licencing is ran by the EWRB (Electrical workers registration board) out of wellington. In order for them to assess your qualifications, you have to send them all copies of your city and guilds, certified by someone (like a doctor etc.) along with 4 years of references, an application and $350 (About £175). It’s worth doing this before you even step on a plane, and saves a lot hassle chasing up previous employers when you’re not in the same time zone as them.
http://www.ewrb.govt.nz/assets/EWRB...verseas-Registration-Certificate-Licencec.pdf

Once you arrive and find a job, you can apply for a limited licence, this allows you to work for a firm under “supervision” costs $91.

Within 3 months of getting your limited licence you need to sit first aid and CPR courses, easiest way of doing this, is by getting a site safe card. Costs $200 and your employer should and will pay for it as its required to get on most sites (Although I didn’t have one for 4months and nobody really cared)

So in order to get a full practicing licence, and avoid having the **** taken out of you wage wise, you are required to sit a stage 3 practical test, and the regulations exam.

The regulations exam is a written paper, but it’s fairly easy, you need 60% to pass, and it’s mostly writing quotes out the regs book (AS/NZS 3000) along with some volt drop and maximum demand calculations.
A training company called ETCO is the best and they provide all the books once you have paid the $800 fee. The course is full time for one week. So it’s worth learning as much as you can before embarking on it.

You can check out the past papers here:
Electrical Regulations | Electrical Workers Registration Board

The practical test contains all sorts including
Wiring the following:

• Direct online motor start, single and 3 phase
• Forward and reverse motor start, single and 3 phase
  
• Star to delta change over contactor
  
• Timed Secondary motor start (Second motor will start after 10 seconds)
  
• Connecting a florescent, sodium lamp and a mercury vapor lamp from parts (I.e. starter, igniter etc.)
• Appliance testing
• Fixed wire testing both single and 3 phase

[h=3] And an AM2 style setup including:

[/h]

• [h=3] A dB, 2way & intermediate lightingVia a relay for the police / night light[/h]
• [h=3] A socket radial fed via an RCD[/h]
• [h=3] A control box & circuit including thermal overload / contactor, indicator lights for start/stop/trip. Start and stop buttons including remote start/stop & remote EM stop[/h]
• [h=3]3 phase socket outlet.[/h]

[h=3] The practical is a week long, and runs straight after the regulations exam, & costs another $800.[/h][h=3] Both exams only run in June and November so its worth timing your stay along these days (i.e., arrive 6 weeks before June or November) as you need your limited licence and site safe to attend the course.[/h][h=3] [/h]

 

[SparkyJoe]

I dont know why half of its bold.