AS/NZS 3000
AS/NZS 3000, the Wiring Rules, is the joint Australian and New Zealand electrical installation standard. It’s the “Wiring Rules” cited by every state and territory regulator across both countries.
What AS/NZS 3000 is
Published jointly by Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand, AS/NZS 3000 covers low-voltage (less than 1000 V AC) electrical installations from the supply terminals to the final point of use. The current edition is AS/NZS 3000:2018, with amendments published since.
Companion standards in the same series, some of which WireSketch references implicitly:
- AS/NZS 3008.1, selection of cables
- AS/NZS 3017, verification (testing) procedures
- AS/NZS 3001, relocatable installations (caravans, mobile homes)
- AS/NZS 3500, hydraulic, used in cross-reference for bathroom zones
Where it applies
- Australia, all states and territories, adopted via state-level electrical safety legislation. Licensing varies by state (e.g. NSW requires Master Electrician registration for design work).
- New Zealand, adopted under the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010; certification through EWRB-registered electrical workers.
Plumbing-electrical interaction in wet rooms references AS/NZS 3500 conventions; ensure cross-trade coordination during fit-out.
Key requirements
- Voltage / frequency, 230 V single-phase / 400 V three-phase, 50 Hz. WireSketch’s load calc uses 230 V nominal.
- RCD protection, 30 mA on all socket-outlet circuits, all lighting circuits (since 2018), bathroom circuits, and outdoor circuits.
- Cable type, TPS (Thermoplastic Sheathed, twin-and-earth flat cable) for residential fixed wiring; orange-circular for tougher applications.
- Bathroom zones, Zone 0/1/2/3 model that broadly tracks IEC 60364-7-701, with some local adaptations.
- Switchboard, main switch + RCBOs for combined overcurrent + earth-leakage protection; specific rules for sub-mains.
- Socket outlets, Type I (slanted three-pin), the AS/NZS 3112 plug pattern.
- Outdoor installations, IP54 minimum for accessible outdoor sockets, IP65/IP66 in exposed locations.
What WireSketch models from AS/NZS 3000
- Vertical and horizontal cable safe zones (15 cm vertical, 30 cm horizontal, AS/NZS clauses on safe wiring paths)
- Switch height (~120 cm) and socket height (~30 cm) defaults
- IEC 60364-7-701 / AS/NZS bathroom Zone 0/1/2 in wet-room mode
- TPS cable type as the default residential cable in recommendations
- RCBO main protection in the panel template
- Outdoor IP65 recommendation for exposed-location fixtures
- 230 V single-phase load calculation
Licensing matters in Australia and NZ. Electrical work is restricted to licensed electrical workers in every state, territory, and across NZ. WireSketch helps you plan and communicate; the actual installation, certification, and compliance verification must be done by a licensed practitioner.
What WireSketch doesn’t model
- State-specific licensing rules, NSW, Vic, Qld, etc. have different design-work requirements; not surfaced in the app.
- Bushfire-prone area requirements, AS 3959 derating, conduit material restrictions in BAL-FZ zones: not modelled.
- Cyclone-prone area additions, supplementary attachment / sealing rules for northern QLD, NT, WA, not modelled.
- Calculated maximum demand, AS/NZS 3000 Section 2.2 maximum-demand calculation for service sizing is not computed.
- Underground service rules, service trench, bedding sand, marker tape requirements, out of scope.
- NZ-specific deltas, small but real differences in some clauses; WireSketch implements the broadly shared AS/NZS baseline.
Practical tip
For an Australian or NZ homeowner planning a renovation: use WireSketch to capture the fixture layout, generate the Renovation Brief PDF, and hand it to your licensed electrical contractor for a Certificate of Compliance (NZ) or relevant state compliance document. For commercial or large-residential projects, the contractor will produce a full design package per AS/NZS 3000, treat WireSketch as the conceptual rough-out.
Important. WireSketch produces a planning and design artefact, not a compliance document. Standards are modelled at their baseline, local amendments apply, and final certification of any installation must come from a licensed electrician operating under your jurisdiction’s adopted edition and amendments.