Victoria’s private security industry is moving through a significant period of reform this year.
Taken together, the current licensing, refresher training and labour hire reforms point to a broader shift in how the industry is expected to operate.
For businesses, this is not just an administrative update. It is a workforce readiness issue.
A broader reform landscape
From 19 June 2025, most changes under the Private Security and County Court Amendment Act 2024 commenced. This included changes to private security licences and registrations, with all private security activities becoming licensed activities.
For registration holders, the transition process is now reaching an important point. Registration transition applications must be submitted by 19 June 2026 for those who want to continue working in the private security industry under the relevant activities.
At the same time, refresher training is becoming part of the renewal process for relevant licence holders. ASIAL has been contracted by Victoria Police to provide the approved Learning Management System for this refresher training, with training applying to security guards, crowd controllers and bodyguards.
Labour hire is also changing. From 1 June 2026, Victoria’s labour hire laws introduced stronger requirements around who is suitable to hold a labour hire licence and on what basis. For security businesses, this matters because the sector often uses subcontracting, labour supply and site-based deployment models that can create uncertainty if records and responsibilities are not clear.
These reforms sit in different regulatory streams, but the practical message is similar. Operators need to know who is working, what they are employed to do, what records support that, and whether labour supply arrangements can be clearly explained.
This is where Guardhouse’s licence and compliance matrix becomes useful. Operators need a simple way to see licence status, activity coverage, renewal dates, training evidence and first aid currency across the workforce. Through Guardhouse, operators can easily manage compliance by sending reminders to staff with upcoming licence expirations in our system.
Why these changes matter
The role of frontline security officers has become more complex than simply filling a rostered shift. They are often the first visible response to risk, conflict, emergency situations, public safety concerns and client-facing incidents. Clients expect professionalism, readiness and accountability. Regulators are also placing greater focus on whether security businesses can demonstrate compliance, not just claim it.
Refresher training supports the idea that capability should remain current after the original training certification. It recognises that operational expectations, communication standards, risk awareness and compliance obligations continue to evolve over time.
The labour hire reforms also reflect a similar theme. The focus is moving beyond just contract wording and towards the core of labour arrangements. If workers are supplied through multiple layers or are directed and controlled in ways that resemble labour hire, businesses may need to look more closely at those arrangements.
Many operators already invest in proper systems, training and records. Stronger expectations help make those standards more visible across the industry.
What is changing for licensing and training
Registration holders (equipment installers and advisers) need to be aware of the 19 June 2026 transition lodgement deadline. Businesses should understand which workers are still registered, which have transitioned, and whether any gaps could affect deployment.
For renewals, Victoria Police generally sends renewal applications around 10 weeks before licence expiry. That creates a defined window for workers and employers to manage renewal requirements before expiry becomes an operational problem.
The refresher training requirement applies to security guards, crowd controllers and bodyguards. The training is delivered online through the approved Learning Management System and focuses on four modules:
- industry update
- risk management and situational awareness
- effective communication
- safe compliance tactics
On successful completion, licence holders receive a certificate of completion. That certificate forms part of the renewal evidence. First aid currency also needs to be treated as part of renewal readiness, with operators needing visibility over current first aid certificates and expiry dates for all licence holders.
The practical point is this: Licence renewal is no longer just a calendar date. It now involves a broader set of evidence.
When those records are connected to Guardhouse’s staff profiles, rather than sitting across spreadsheets, inboxes and folders, critical compliance matching becomes easier. Operators can more clearly match workers to the roles, sites and licence requirements they are approved for before deployment.
What is changing for labour hire and supply-chain accountability
The Victorian Labour Hire Authority has advised that, from 1 June 2026, new requirements apply to all licence holders and applicants. These include a stronger fit and proper person test, broader consideration of compliance with relevant laws, and a financial viability requirement.
Security operations often involve workers moving between client sites, subcontracted providers, and host-controlled environments. In some arrangements, the label on the contract may not tell the full story. What matters is how the work is actually arranged, who supplies the workers, who directs them, and whether a labour hire licence may be required.
Security providers need to understand who is actually supplying labour within their business arrangements. Where subcontractors are used, operators should also consider whether those subcontractors are engaging further subcontractors or labour suppliers. This makes supplier visibility, licence checks, clear records and documented approval processes more important.
For businesses using subcontractors or labour suppliers, Guardhouse’s subcontractor sharing can support clearer supplier visibility. Records, document storage and compliance information can help operators see who is being engaged, what evidence is held, and where follow-up may be required.
What operators should be reviewing
The practical response is not to overcomplicate the issue, but to get the right records and responsibilities in place.
Security businesses should consider reviewing:
- licence expiry dates
- registration transition status
- refresher training requirements and first aid certificate currency
- certificate records
- renewal timing and responsibility
- public register checks
- labour hire arrangements
- subcontractor and supplier records
- contract and onboarding processes
The key question is not only whether a worker is licensed today, but whether the business has enough visibility to identify problems early.
Gaps such as missing certificate records, delayed renewals or unclear labour supply arrangements can create issues for rostering, client assurance and audit readiness.
Compliance and operations are connected
Security businesses need reliable records that connect people, licences, training, roles, sites and suppliers. When those records sit across disconnected spreadsheets, inboxes and manual reminders, the risk of something being missed increases.
For operators, clearer visibility supports better decisions. A structured compliance matrix can help identify who is ready to work, who is due for renewal, what evidence is outstanding and where subcontractor or labour hire arrangements may need closer review.
A connected workforce system such as Guardhouse can also support client assurance by keeping records, reminders and audit trails in one place. This gives businesses a clearer way to show that compliance is being actively managed, rather than pulled together only when a renewal notice arrives.
That is the practical value of these reforms. They encourage operators to move from last-minute compliance to planned workforce readiness.
The practical takeaway
Victoria’s reforms create more work for security businesses, but they also support a stronger and more accountable industry.
For businesses, the opportunity is to review how records are managed, how labour arrangements are documented, and how confidently the business can show its workforce is ready, current and compliant.
The businesses best placed to manage these changes will be those with clear records, structured processes and visibility across their people and suppliers before issues become urgent.
As always, if you need assistance, please feel free to connect with your Customer Success Manager:
