as-nzs-3000

AS/NZS 3000:2018 — Electrical Installations (Wiring Rules) — Complete Reference

Purpose

This skill provides the complete text of AS/NZS 3000:2018, Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules), incorporating Amendments 1, 2, 3 and Ruling 1:2024. It enables accurate clause lookup and compliance checking against the standard's requirements for the design, construction and verification of electrical installations.

AS/NZS 3000 is the primary technical standard for electrical installation work in Australia and New Zealand. While not itself legislation, it is mandated by electrical safety laws across all Australian states and territories and by New Zealand regulations, making compliance effectively compulsory for all electrical installation work. The standard's requirements are intended to protect persons, livestock, and property from electric shock, fire and physical injury hazards.

The standard is structured in two parts. Part 1 (Section 1) sets out fundamental safety principles that shape minimum regulatory requirements. Part 2 (Sections 2–8) details deemed-to-comply solutions — specific work methods and installation practices that satisfy the Part 1 principles.

Critical Rules

1. Only cite clauses that appear in the section files. Never fabricate or assume clause numbers, table numbers, or content. If a clause cannot be located in these files, state that the specific clause should be verified against a current copy of the standard.
2. Citation format: Use "Clause X.Y.Z" for individual clauses, e.g. "Clause 2.5.3 of AS/NZS 3000:2018" or "Clauses 3.9.4.2 to 3.9.4.4" for a range. For tables, use "Table X.Y" e.g. "Table 2.2". For figures, use "Figure X.Y".
3. Use conservative, factual language when describing standard requirements. Avoid subjective interpretation — describe what the standard requires in objective terms. Use "the standard requires" or "Clause X.Y specifies" rather than interpretive language.
4. Always use Australian English spelling (e.g. behaviour, organisation, colour, defence, licence [noun], aluminium, metre, centre).
5. If a clause cannot be located in these files, state this explicitly and indicate which section it is likely found in. Do not guess or reconstruct clause content from memory.
6. Distinguish between normative and informative content. Sections 1–8 are normative (mandatory requirements). Appendices are informative (guidance material) unless specifically referenced as normative within the body text. When citing appendix content, note that it is informative guidance.
7. Distinguish between the standard and legislation. AS/NZS 3000 is a technical standard, not legislation. WHS Acts and Regulations are covered by separate skills (whs-act-checker, whs-regulation-checker). The standard is called up by legislation but is not itself law.
8. Note text extraction limitations. The reference files were extracted from a text conversion of the standard. Tables, figures, and diagrams may not be fully preserved. If a query depends on specific table data or figures, advise the user to verify against the published standard.

Section Index

Read the relevant section file(s) based on the subject matter of the query:

File	Section	Key Clauses	When to Read
sections/section-01-scope-application-fundamental-principles.md	Section 1 — Scope, Application and Fundamental Principles	Clauses 1.1–1.9	Scope and application of the standard, referenced documents, definitions (Clause 1.4), fundamental safety principles (electric shock protection, fault protection, RCD additional protection, thermal effects, overcurrent, overvoltage, fire spread), design requirements, equipment selection, verification principles, means of compliance
sections/section-02-general-arrangement-control-protection.md	Section 2 — General Arrangement, Control and Protection	Clauses 2.1–2.9	Circuit arrangement, maximum demand (Clause 2.2.2), control and isolation, main switches (Clause 2.3.3), emergency switching, fault protection, overcurrent protection (Clause 2.5), RCD requirements (Clause 2.6), overvoltage/undervoltage protection, arc fault detection (Clause 2.9)
sections/section-03-wiring-systems.md	Section 3 — Selection and Installation of Wiring Systems	Clauses 3.1–3.11	Wiring system types, cable selection and installation (Clause 3.3), cable support and fixing, conduit systems, trunking/ducting, cable trays, underground wiring (Clause 3.8), aerial lines, conductor identification, circuit segregation
sections/section-04-electrical-equipment.md	Section 4 — Selection and Installation of Electrical Equipment	Clauses 4.1–4.16	Switchboards (Clause 4.2), socket-outlets (Clause 4.4), lighting, switches, motors, appliances, capacitors, transformers, batteries, generators, UPS, inverters, converters
sections/section-05-earthing.md	Section 5 — Earthing Arrangements and Earthing Conductors	Clauses 5.1–5.7	Earthing systems — MEN, TN, TT, IT (Clause 5.2), MEN system requirements (Clause 5.3), earthing conductors, equipotential bonding (Clause 5.6), earth electrodes, connections to earth
sections/section-06-damp-situations.md	Section 6 — Damp Situations	Clauses 6.1–6.6	Electrical installations in damp situations, bathrooms and shower areas (Clause 6.2), swimming pools and spas (Clause 6.3), fountains, saunas, zones of protection
sections/section-07-special-installations.md	Section 7 — Special Electrical Installations	Clauses 7.1–7.8	Medical locations (Clause 7.1), caravans and mobile structures, temporary installations, SELV/PELV/FELV extra-low voltage, renewable energy systems (Clause 7.6), embedded generation, electric vehicle charging (Clause 7.8)
sections/section-08-verification.md	Section 8 — Verification	Clauses 8.1–8.4	Inspection requirements (Clause 8.2), testing requirements (Clause 8.3) — insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, polarity, RCD testing, test instruments, documentation and certification (Clause 8.4)

Appendix Index

Appendices are informative (guidance) unless specifically referenced as normative within the body text:

File	Appendix	Content	When to Read
sections/appendix-a-referenced-documents.md	Appendix A	Referenced documents list	When checking which Australian, NZ or international standards are referenced
sections/appendix-b-circuit-protection-guide.md	Appendix B	Circuit protection guide	General arrangement of protection examples
sections/appendix-c-circuit-arrangements.md	Appendix C	Circuit arrangements	Maximum demand calculation guidance, diversity factors, circuit arrangement examples
sections/appendix-d-aerial-lines.md	Appendix D	Aerial line pole/strut sizing	Minimum sizes of posts, poles and struts for aerial conductors
sections/appendix-e-ncc-requirements.md	Appendix E	NCC cross-references	National Construction Code electrical requirements
sections/appendix-f-surge-protection.md	Appendix F	Surge protection devices	SPD selection and installation guidance
sections/appendix-g-ip-ratings.md	Appendix G	IP rating classification	Degrees of protection (IP ratings) for enclosed equipment
sections/appendix-h-ws-classification.md	Appendix H	Wiring system classification	WS classification scheme for wiring systems
sections/appendix-i-imperial-cables.md	Appendix I	Imperial cable equivalents	Protective device ratings for imperial cables in alterations/repairs
sections/appendix-j-symbols.md	Appendix J	Electrical symbols	Symbols used throughout the standard
sections/appendix-k-switchboard-summary.md	Appendix K	Switchboard requirements	Summary of switchboard requirements
sections/appendix-m-continuity-of-supply.md	Appendix M	Continuity of supply	Reducing impact of power outages for assisted living / homecare
sections/appendix-n-conduits.md	Appendix N	Conduit standards	Electrical conduit types and parallel standard series
sections/appendix-o-afdd.md	Appendix O	Arc fault detection devices	AFDD installation guidance
sections/appendix-p-ev-charging.md	Appendix P	EV charging guidance	Electric vehicle socket-outlet and charging station installation
sections/appendix-q-dc-circuits.md	Appendix Q	D.C. circuit protection	DC circuit protection selection and application guide
sections/amendment-control-sheet.md	Amendment Control	Amendment history	Changes from Amendments 1, 2, 3 and Ruling 1:2024

Note: Appendix L has been deleted from the standard.

Regulatory Standing

AS/NZS 3000 is a Category 1 — Legislatively Mandated Standard. It is called up by state and territory Electricity Acts and Electricity Safety Regulations across all Australian jurisdictions, making compliance compulsory as a matter of law — not merely good practice. Non-compliance with AS/NZS 3000 constitutes a regulatory breach under the relevant jurisdiction's electrical safety legislation.

For full regulatory context, including how this standard interacts with the WHS framework and how to frame compliance advice for different categories of standards, read ../../REGULATORY-CONTEXT.md.

Workflow

1. Identify the subject matter from the user's query — is it a clause lookup, a compliance check, or a general question about the standard?
2. For compliance framing: If the query involves regulatory consequences, gap analysis, or compliance advice, read ../../REGULATORY-CONTEXT.md to ensure the response correctly reflects the legal weight of this standard.
3. Read the relevant section file(s) — consult the Section Index and Appendix Index above to determine which file(s) to read. For most queries, one or two files will suffice. Read only what is needed.
4. For compliance checking: Read the relevant normative section first, then check whether the installation detail in question meets or departs from the stated requirements. Be specific about which clause applies and what it requires.
5. Cite clauses accurately from the extracted text. Include clause numbers, table references, and figure references as they appear in the source files.
6. Cross-reference where appropriate — some requirements span multiple sections (e.g. earthing requirements in Section 5 may interact with RCD requirements in Section 2 and damp situation requirements in Section 6).
7. Flag limitations — if the query depends on table data or figures that may not be fully preserved in the text extraction, advise the user to verify against the published standard.

Common Query Routing

Query Topic	Primary Section(s)	Key Clauses
Definitions / terminology	Section 1	Clause 1.4
Fundamental safety principles	Section 1	Clauses 1.5.1–1.5.14
Maximum demand calculation	Section 2 + Appendix C	Clause 2.2.2, Appendix C
Main switch requirements	Section 2	Clause 2.3.3
Emergency switching	Section 2	Clause 2.3.5
Overcurrent protection	Section 2	Clauses 2.5.1–2.5.7
RCD requirements / additional protection	Section 2	Clauses 2.6.1–2.6.3
Arc fault detection (AFDD)	Section 2 + Appendix O	Clause 2.9, Appendix O
Cable selection / wiring systems	Section 3	Clauses 3.3–3.4
Underground wiring	Section 3	Clause 3.8
Conductor identification	Section 3	Clause 3.10
Switchboard requirements	Section 4 + Appendix K	Clause 4.2, Appendix K
Socket-outlet requirements	Section 4	Clause 4.4
Earthing systems (MEN, TN, TT, IT)	Section 5	Clauses 5.2–5.3
Equipotential bonding	Section 5	Clause 5.6
Bathroom / shower installations	Section 6	Clause 6.2
Swimming pool / spa installations	Section 6	Clause 6.3
Medical locations	Section 7	Clause 7.1
Solar / renewable energy	Section 7	Clause 7.6
EV charging installations	Section 7 + Appendix P	Clause 7.8, Appendix P
Inspection and testing	Section 8	Clauses 8.2–8.3
Insulation resistance testing	Section 8	Clause 8.3.6
RCD testing procedures	Section 8	Clause 8.3.8
Referenced standards list	Appendix A	—
IP rating classification	Appendix G	—
DC circuit protection	Appendix Q	—

Version Information

• Standard: AS/NZS 3000:2018, Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules)
• Incorporating: Amendments 1, 2, 3 and Ruling 1:2024
• Prepared by: Joint Technical Committee EL-001, Wiring Rules
• Published: 26 June 2018 (original)
• Source: Licensed copy, text extracted from .docx conversion
• Extraction method: Full text extracted using python-docx with page headers/footers and copyright notices removed

Note: This skill covers AS/NZS 3000 only. For cable current-carrying capacity and cable sizing calculations, AS/NZS 3008 (Electrical installations — Selection of cables) is the relevant standard and will be available as a separate skill in this plugin when added. For electrical installations on construction sites, refer to AS/NZS 3012. For WHS legislative requirements, consult the relevant whs-act-checker and whs-regulation-checker skills.