National registration roll-out gathers pace

Western Australia and the ACT have both taken the next steps towards implementing registration schemes for professional engineers.

The moves add momentum to a nationwide trend towards registration schemes in response to the recommendations of the Building Confidence Report, which highlighted the need for registration as a mechanism for providing public accountability. WA and the ACT will join New South Wales and Victoria, which commenced their schemes in 2021, and Queensland, which has had professional registration for engineers since 2002.

Western Australia issues draft regulations

In WA, a draft document of regulations to register building engineers is now open for public comment.

In July 2022 the Minister for Commerce, the Hon Roger Cook MLA, announced that the government would prepare new regulations to register building engineers in WA.

The draft is open for comment until 5pm, October 24 (AWST), and can be downloaded – along with an explanatory statement of the policy intent – at the Building and Energy website.

Building and Energy will consider all comments provided before the amendment regulations are finalised, gazetted, and commence operation.

Upon commencement of the amendment regulations, building engineers will be required to be registered as practitioners and contractors across applicable levels and classes, consistent with recommendations of the Decision Regulatory Impact Statement released in July 2022.

ACT issues consultation paper

The ACT government, meanwhile,  is seeking feedback on the key elements of its proposed Professional Engineer Registration Scheme. A consultation paper has been released, providing an overview of the key elements of the scheme. It also includes questions to guide feedback and comments.

Following community and stakeholder consultation, the scheme will be finalised, with legislation prepared and a bill presented to the Legislative Assembly in late 2022.

Submissions close at midnight on September 20, 2022.

More information about the scheme and the consultation paper can be found at the YourSay Community Conversations website.

Photo by Daniel Morton on Unsplash.