Update for providers impacted by floods
ASQA recognises that many providers and students continue to be affected by the catastrophic flooding in New South Wales and Queensland, particularly where training premises and workplaces have been damaged or lost and are inaccessible to staff and students.
We have responded swiftly to these events by enabling a risk-based and proportionate regulatory approach in responding to these events to reduce regulatory burden for affected providers. This includes deferring the due date for the 2022 Annual Declaration on Compliance for providers with a head office located in New South Wales or Queensland.
If your organisation has been affected by the floods, please contact us on 1300 701 801 to discuss your circumstances.
Working with providers
In particular, we are engaging with providers with on-site training facilities that are now inaccessible to staff and students, and access to businesses in the local community for the purposes of student work placements has been restricted. We are working with individual providers on a case-by-case basis to consider their specific circumstances and affording, for example, flexibility if they are currently undergoing regulatory activity.
Guidance materials
To support providers, guidance materials which provide information and support are available on our Managing natural disasters and pandemics webpage. We have included advice on managing risks where training and assessment is ongoing and to notify us of material changes.
We have also responded swiftly to these events by reducing regulatory burden for affected providers, this includes:
- extending the due date for the annual declaration on compliance from 31 March 2022 to 29 April 2022 for all providers in Queensland and NSW
- advice on how to use the material change notification to advise us of a material change in circumstances such as temporary period of inactivity
- possible extensions for providers affected by flooding such as for an application or performance assessment underway
ASQA is ready to discuss your situation so that we can support you to maintain quality training and assessment for your students, please contact us to discuss your circumstances.