Changes to security provider laws in Queensland

People who work within the security industry play a vital role in protecting community safety and property. Under the Security Providers Act 1993, security firms and people who are employed in the security industry such as security officers, crowd controllers, bodyguards, private investigators, security advisers and security equipment installers must be licensed to work in Queensland. These changes can be found in the Security Providers Amendment Act 2007. These occupations are defined as follows:

Security firms: a person, partnership or corporation that engages crowd controllers, security officers, bodyguards, private investigators, security advisers and/or security equipment installers and supplies their services to others for a fee.
Security officers: individuals employed to patrol or guard another person's property, such as a static security officer at a bank or a mobile patrol officer. This excludes people employed by a security provider to carry out clerical duties (e.g. secretaries), casino employees or government security officers (e.g. police, defence forces, government staff). Specific changes for functions of a security officer can be found in the Consumer Credit (Queensland) and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2008.
Crowd controllers: individuals employed to maintain order in and around a public place (e.g. at a hotel, night club or rock concert).
Private investigators: individuals specifically employed to obtain and provide information about another person without their consent, such as surveillance work or investigating the disappearance of a missing person. This excludes people who have to obtain and/or give information about others in the course of their jobs (e.g. lawyers, accountants, or workers who have to obtain information for their employer about a person's credit rating).
Bodyguards: people who provide close personal protection services. This was previously part of the crowd controller’s licence.
Security advisers: individuals paid or otherwise rewarded to provide security advice about security equipment, methods or principles (excluding those who provide security advice only to their employer and their employer is not in the business of providing security advice).
Security equipment installers: individuals paid or otherwise rewarded to install, repair, service or maintain security equipment (excluding those who do this work for their employer where their employer is not in the business of installing security equipment).
Information on fees, register requirements and documents required can be found in the Security Providers Regulation 2008.

This website provides information on the licensing and ongoing obligations.

Changes to security provider laws in Queensland

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