NSW confirms professional registration plans

The New South Wales government has taken the next step towards introducing professional registration of engineers and other building practitioners by gazetting the Design and Building Practitioners Regulation 2021.

The regulation includes details on the classes of practitioners who must register, registration pathways and CPD requirements, lodgement of compliance declarations, insurance, and more.

From July 1, all “regulated designs” will need to be declared by those who prepared them as complying with the Building Code of Australia and other relevant standards. This must happen before building starts, when works are varied, and before the occupation certificate is issued. Only registered practitioners can make these declarations.

Any regulated designs must be lodged on the NSW Planning Portal, and builders must construct according to those plans.

To begin with, this change only applies to Class 2 buildings. The NSW government has signalled that its priority is to allay public concerns around high-rise residential developments. Over time, the rules will be rolled out to other building classes.

Although the government plans to offer various pathways to registration, initially all professional engineers must register through NSW Fair Trading. From July 1 to December 31 there will be a transitional period where those who apply for registration will be “deemed” registered – they can keep working while their application is assessed.

Going forward, professional engineering bodies will be approved by NSW Fair Trading to manage certification schemes.

For more information about the changes ahead, and the steps to take ahead of the July 1 start date, click here.