Victoria’s engineered-stone ban provides a limited legacy-work exception

October 7, 2026

Victoria’s engineered-stone prohibition took effect July 1, 2024 without a transition for pre-existing contracts. WorkSafe Victoria’s commencement notice confirms that previous contractual obligations did not extend the permitted supply or installation period.

The notice allows limited removal, repair or modification of previously installed engineered-stone benchtops, panels and slabs, and disposal of installed or uninstalled material. Permitted legacy work remains subject to control and high-risk crystalline-silica requirements.

The Victoria legacy-work record identifies the local exception. The model silica code, printed page 47, explicitly notes that Victoria does not require notification to WorkSafe for permitted legacy work. The government’s review report separately documents Victoria’s implementation differences.

Check the activity against the exception

APT’s practical interpretation is to record whether the work is removal, repair, modification or disposal and retain the evidence supporting that classification. The absence of a notification duty does not remove exposure controls or applicable health-monitoring duties.

This account concerns the Victorian OHS framework. Notification rules from another state should not be applied automatically to Victoria, and a Victorian exception should not be carried into another jurisdiction. The permitted activity and its controls need to be assessed together before the work is planned.

For related developments, consult the industrial hygiene regulatory tracker.