Getting Your Tickets (Plant / Labourer)

The three types of qualifications

Qualifications in Australian construction fall into three main types. Know the difference first, and it's much easier to work out which ones you need.

• White Card: The compulsory safety training (General Construction Induction) you need to get onto a construction site. Whatever job you do, you must have one.
• Ticket: A qualification for earthmoving machines like the Excavator or Roller. In QLD it isn't a government licence but a nationally recognised statement of attainment. You do the training with an RTO (Registered Training Organisation), and they issue it.
• HRWL (High Risk Work Licence): A licence for high-risk work, such as Forklift (LF) or EWPs over 11m (WP). After finishing the training, you apply to the state government (WorkSafe QLD) and get an official licence.

Overall, the English level isn't high. Don't let worries about your English put you off.

White Card

It's a one-day course. The cost varies by RTO but is roughly $85~150 (as of July 2026). QLD doesn't accept self-paced online courses, so you need to attend in person (or via live video).

I got mine at Brisbane Truck School in a single day.

To get the licence you'll need ID documents and a USI (Unique Student Identifier), so make sure you bring them. Brisbane Truck School asked for 3 of the items below.

• Drivers Licence
• Medicare Card
• Proof of Age card
• Passport
• Visa Grant (visa grant letter)
• Bank/Credit Card