The threshold at which the Construction Training Fund levy becomes payable in Western Australia rose from $20,000 to $100,000 on 1 July 2026. The rate did not change. It remains 0.2 per cent of the estimated value of construction work, calculated to include materials, labour, services, fees, overheads, profit and GST.
It is the first movement in the threshold since 1999.
Fewer projects attract the levy. Training support remains available under its separate eligibility rules.
Threshold and rate
CTF administers the levy under the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund and Levy Collection Act 1990. Its levy FAQs (opens in a new tab) state that construction starting from 1 July 2026 at a value of $100,000 or less does not attract the levy. Earlier work and permit transitions require separate checks.
The State Government announced the change on 27 May 2026 and presented it as a reduction in administrative load on small and medium businesses. The Minister for Skills and Training, Amber-Jade Sanderson, described the intent as keeping "more tradies on the tools". CTF reported investing more than $70 million in workforce training in the past financial year.
- 1Threshold before 1 July 2026$20,000
- 2Increase in threshold+$80,000
- 3Threshold from 1 July 2026$100,000
The $80,000 increase is derived from the two reported thresholds. The levy rate remains 0.2 per cent of applicable project value.
Data table
| Measure | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Threshold before 1 July 2026 | $20,000 | Reported |
| Increase in threshold | $80,000 | Derived |
| Threshold from 1 July 2026 | $100,000 | Reported |
Per-project assessment
The threshold applies to each project, not annual turnover or average job value.
Where payable, the levy is 0.2 per cent of the estimated project value and is due before construction starts, whether or not a building permit is required.
Project types and scope
Assess the value, scope and responsible party for each project:
Standalone retrofits. Check the total project value against the threshold. Do not assume every residential installation is below it.
Commercial installations. Projects above $100,000 need a scope assessment before work starts; size alone does not settle whether the work is levy-liable.
Trade packages on new builds. Check the builder’s overall project and permit holder’s obligations rather than treating the solar package as a separate levy event.
Project-owner obligations
CTF places the levy on the project owner: the party holding the building permit or, where no building permit is required, the party carrying out the construction work. On a project that does need a permit, that is the permit holder.
Where no permit is required, the party carrying out the construction work may hold the obligation. An installer acting as head contractor should confirm responsibility rather than assume it rests with the customer.
Construction-work definition
CTF applies the definition of construction work used in the Construction Industry Portable Paid Long Service Leave Act 1985, which reaches construction, erection, installation, alteration, maintenance and repair. Published exclusions cover work below the threshold, agricultural work that needs no building permit, government work performed by government employees, resources operational work, foreign missions, soft landscaping, and lifts and escalators.
The cited guidance does not expressly settle the treatment of standalone solar and battery installations. Ask CTF to confirm the scope for a project above the threshold.
Value and scope are separate checks. The threshold change does not establish whether a particular type of installation is construction work.
Training rebates
CTF upskilling and short-course funding continues to rebate up to 70 per cent of course costs, capped at $1,300 per course in the metropolitan area and $1,700 per course regionally. Eligibility extends to apprentices, trainees, long-term workers and business owners with substantial and direct involvement in construction work in Western Australia. Claims must reach CTF within twelve months of course completion.
Apprentice support
CTF support eligibility depends on involvement in WA construction work, not whether an employer paid levy on a particular project.
CTF publishes the following support for apprentices:
The threshold change does not remove these support programs. Each retains its own eligibility conditions.
Funded course dates
Dated training notice: On 10 August 2026, ECA WA advertised funded Orange Card Combo dates with Equip-Safe, RTO 2394. All three units of the two-day course were required for the funded rate:
- RIIHAN301E Operate elevating work platform
- CPCCCM3001 Operate elevated work platforms up to 11 metres
- RIIWHS204E Work safely at heights
Equip-Safe lists the standard course fee at $710 and the CTF-subsidised fee at $214. For apprentices employed by current ECA WA business members, ECA WA covers the remaining 30 per cent and the course is delivered at no cost. A current training contract number is required as evidence of CTF eligibility, and an enrolment stays provisional until Equip-Safe confirms it.
August dates are 13–14, 20–21, 24–25 and 26–27 August, and 31 August to 1 September. September dates are 2–3, 9–10, 14–15, 17–18 and 22–23 September. Workers who are not apprentices are directed instead to the AF301 Construction Industry Preparation Skill Set, covering the White Card, scissor lift, elevating work platforms to 11 metres and working safely at heights.
Separate long-service levy
The training levy and portable long service leave are separate schemes. The 1 July threshold change does not alter MyLeave obligations.
The training levy sits under the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund and Levy Collection Act 1990 and is collected by CTF on projects. Portable long service leave sits under the Construction Industry Portable Paid Long Service Leave Act 1985 and is administered by MyLeave, with employers registering and contributing in respect of their construction employees. The overlap that causes the confusion is that CTF borrows the 1985 Act's definition of construction work to decide what its own levy captures.
Employer obligations to MyLeave continue exactly as before.
Questions for CTF
CTF levy compliance can be reached at levycompliance@ctf.wa.gov.au or (08) 9244 0100. Three questions decide how this change applies to a solar and battery business:
- Is a standalone rooftop solar or battery installation levy-liable construction work.
- On such an installation, where no building permit is issued, is the installer the party carrying out the work and therefore the project owner for levy purposes.
- For work performed between the $20,000 and $100,000 values before 1 July 2026, what assessment obligation applied at the time.
Earlier work must be assessed against the requirements that applied at the time.
Sources: Construction Training Fund, "An Introduction to the CTF Levy" (opens in a new tab); Construction Training Fund, "Construction Industry Levy for Employers" (opens in a new tab); Construction Training Fund, "Upskilling and Short Course Funding" (opens in a new tab); Construction Training Fund, "We support apprentices" (opens in a new tab); Government of Western Australia, "Construction Training Fund Levy changes support small businesses", 27 May 2026 (opens in a new tab).
