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Which state, which rules
One question, four answers, for anyone working within sight of the Murray.
The licence that applies is the one for the state the work is performed in, not the state the business is registered in. Automatic Mutual Recognition lets a licence holder work across the border after notifying the other state, but it does not cover every occupation and it does not import the home state's permit process. The longer version.
On this border the state a job is in decides more than people expect: which register the licence has to be on, which public holiday calendar sets the loading, and which regulator you go to if it goes wrong. Four kilometres separates the middle of Albury from the middle of Wodonga and there are two of everything.
Type the town the work is happening in. Not where the business is based, and not where you live. Where the work is.
Why the work location is the one that counts
The licence that applies is the one for the state the work is performed in. A Wodonga plumber replacing a hot water service in Lavington is doing New South Wales work. A Jindera builder putting up a shed in Barnawartha is doing Victorian work. The address on the invoice does not change that, and neither does the registered address of the company.
Automatic Mutual Recognition means a licence holder can generally work in the other state on the strength of their home licence after notifying that state, without paying a second fee. It made the border far easier to work across. It did not make it disappear: the scheme does not cover every occupation, the notification is not optional, and permits, compliance certificates and inspection regimes are still set by the state the work is in.
The holiday problem
The two states do not share a public holiday calendar. Melbourne Cup Day is a holiday in Wodonga and an ordinary Tuesday in Albury. Labour Day is March on one side and October on the other. Victoria takes the Friday before the AFL Grand Final and New South Wales does not.
If you are paying a public holiday loading, the calendar that applies is worth being certain about. The public holiday comparison lays both states out side by side for any year.
What this page is not
It is a lookup against the town list this directory maintains, not legal advice and not a ruling. It tells you which state a place is in and which bodies govern licensing there. Whether a particular person is licensed for a particular job is a question for the register, and the licence check opens the right one.
Common questions
Which licence applies if the tradesperson lives in one state and the job is in the other?
The one for the state the work is performed in. Where the business is registered, where the ute is garaged and where the invoice is issued from make no difference. Ask which licence they are working under for your job, and check that one.
Does Automatic Mutual Recognition mean a NSW licence just works in Victoria?
Usually, but not in the loose sense. The holder must notify the second state before working there, the scheme excludes some occupations and some classes within an occupation, and local permits and compliance certificates still apply. It removes the second licence fee, not the second set of rules.
Where does the town list come from?
It is the same locality set the rest of this directory runs on: every mapped town and suburb in New South Wales and Victoria that we hold, with its postcode and coordinates. If a town is missing, the nearest larger one gives you the same answer.
Is this legal advice?
No. It reports which state a locality is in and which bodies license trades there. Anything turning on a specific job, contract or dispute is a question for the regulator or a lawyer.