As Nzs 3000

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:

Appendix Index

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

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

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.