01What changes in Darwin
The NT Building Practitioners Board says residential restricted registration covers defined one- and two-storey Class 1a or Class 2 construction and associated structures where the work is $25,000 or above, while unrestricted registration covers the stated residential classes at any height.
Since April 2025, prescribed Class 1b and Class 3–9 commercial building work also requires the relevant restricted or unrestricted commercial contractor registration. NT residential-building guidance says fidelity fund certificates apply to prescribed work such as new homes and qualifying extensions, with the trigger increased to $25,000 on 30 March 2026; the certificate is required before the building permit and before payment is demanded.
Darwin also sits in a different permit context from some Tier 2 areas outside the Darwin region, so campaigns covering Palmerston, Casuarina, Howard Springs and Humpty Doo should collect the exact locality rather than assume one administrative path. The ad must not call a non-structural renovation a registered new-build project or imply fidelity cover for work the scheme excludes.
