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13 articles
Australia runs eight separate working with children schemes plus two kinds of national police check. See what each jurisdiction calls its check, what it costs, and how spent convictions differ by state.
Queensland's working with children check is the Blue Card, not the legacy "Yellow Card". Current fee, validity, penalties for working without one, and how it interacts with spent convictions.
There is no general Commonwealth law banning criminal-record discrimination in hiring. See what the AHRC pathway actually offers, why the Fair Work Act does not cover it, and what employers must do under the Privacy Act.
Australia has two routes to a national police check: the AFP National Police Certificate for Commonwealth and ACT purposes, and the NCCHC for general employment. Fees, consent rules and when to use each.
The Northern Territory's Ochre Card costs $89 for paid work and $8 for volunteers, not free, and lasts just 2 years. See the penalty for working without one and how NT's anti-discrimination law treats criminal record.
Tasmania's RWVP costs $137.20, but is free for volunteer registrations from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 under a temporary fee-relief measure. See what happens when that measure ends.
Australia has no single spent-convictions rule. The Commonwealth 30-month threshold applies only to Commonwealth offences; South Australia uses a lower 12/24-month test. See how each state differs.
Every Australian state and territory runs its own working with children scheme under a different name and a different Act. See how they compare, and why none is portable.
The NSW Working with Children Check costs $112 for paid roles, is free for volunteers, and lasts 5 years. See the Act behind it and how it fits into Australia's wider background-check landscape.
South Australia's Working with Children Check costs $145, or $73.50 for tertiary students, is free for volunteers, and lasts 5 years. See the penalty for working without one and SA's own spent-convictions thresholds.
The Victorian Working with Children Check costs $139.20 for employees from 1 July 2026, is free for volunteers, and lasts 5 years. The Worker Screening Act 2020 governs it, but does not rename it.
The WA Working with Children Check costs $87 for employees and $11 for volunteers, and lasts 3 years. See the penalty for working without one and how WA's spent-convictions rules differ from every other state.
The ACT's Working with Vulnerable People registration costs $163 for paid work, is free for volunteer-only registration, and lasts 5 years. See the penalties for working without one.