Victorian Engineers Registration Bill - Update
The Victorian government ran a public forum in March this year which turned out to be an information session rather than a session for debate, discussion or gathering of engineers input. Contact was made with MPs, Louise Staley and Michael O’Brien to find a way for GREG to participate in the development of the Engineers Registration Regulation. However, due to Covid-19, Victorian Parliament had been closed with only two sessions/days planned through till October 2020 when they will review the Budget. This therefore means that committee activities will also be impacted. We have been advised that those preparing the Draft regulations had decided to only work with Engineers Australia and Professionals Australia. Other alternative strategies are being considered to ensure alternative views get a hearing in this draft regulation development.
In parallel with Victoria’s plans to regulate engineers, both houses of NSW State Parliament have passed the Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2020 in early June. You may read more on the Bill posted on our website. This move in NSW has been driven largely by Engineers Australia similar to what has happened here in Victoria.
The NSW Bill states: An Act with respect to the registration of design practitioners, principal design practitioners, professional engineers, specialist practitioners and other building practitioners, compliance declarations and a duty of care; and for other purposes. In law this would suggest that “professional engineers” referred to are “building practitioners.”
The working group for this matter is headed by our committee member John Lambert. Would anyone who wishes to participate and assist John in this working group, please contact John as any help would be greatly appreciated.