The Victorian State Budget, handed down by Treasurer Tim Pallas in May, has vindicated the advocacy work undertaken by Engineers Australia over the past two decades.
Among a number of significant proposals to tackle congestion and the State’s unemployment rate, the Government has announced that it will create Infrastructure Victoria; establish the role of Chief Engineer; and most importantly implement a registration scheme for qualified engineers in Victoria.
In this regard, Engineers Australia supports this Government’s strategic infrastructure approach.
Infrastructure Victoria is instrumental to our Division Committee’s Strategic Agenda, which adopts a holistic approach to Engineering Leadership in Successful Cities. Effectively, as engineers, we want to shape the major conversations that involve the liveability of our great State.
As early as 2005, through the medium of our Infrastructure Report Card, Victoria Division recommended:
“A Victorian Infrastructure Advisory Council (VIAC) should be established to provide independent advice on policy, planning and delivery of infrastructure in Victoria.”
The Infrastructure Report Card 2005 was published under a Bracks Labor Government, and now – 10 years later – an Andrews Labor Government is set to implement this long-term strategy advocated by Engineers Australia.
Along with Infrastructure Victoria, the Government will establish Projects Victoria and Skills Victoria. Again, Engineers Australia has been a persistent voice in calling for the creation of these entities, to support a pipeline on major infrastructure projects that will be the catalyst for Victoria’s economic wellbeing, now and into the future.
The Labor Government has set its sights on a Project Leadership Academy, intent on driving thought-leadership in this State. The 2011 Victoria Division President Paul Collier advocated for such an academy, citing the successful model adopted by the Australian and New Zealand School of Government.
A national registration scheme for engineers has been the focus of Engineers Australia for over two decades because we believe it is fundamental to good engineering practice, as well as the safety and wellbeing of the community we serve.
In the next few months, we will be hosting a series of forums with industry leaders, to outline Engineers Australia’s new National Engineering Register and registration scheme and how this will benefit engineering corporations and businesses in Victoria. We support the Government’s desire to implement a registration system, and we want to ensure the voice of our 24,000 members in Victoria is heard.
In regards to the delivery of major infrastructure projects, the Budget states that the Victorian Chief Engineer will “further support the focus on ensuring projects are delivered in a timely and effective manner, as well as overseeing the registration of Victorian engineers.”
The Victorian Government has also promised that they “will also pilot Building Information Modelling (BIM) on select projects to enhance project efficiency and outcomes in delivering buildings and infrastructure, with the potential staged implementation of BIM across infrastructure projects in future”.
Engineers Australia remains a strong supporter of BIM, and the advocacy work we have been doing with the Victorian Government, including the Victorian Building Authority and the profession, is testament to our leadership in shaping the State’s engineering landscape.
Continuing this advocacy role, I recently wrote to the State Attorney-General requesting that the Victorian Government amend legislation to again allow suitably qualified Engineers Australia members to witness a Statutory Declaration.
In his response, the Attorney-General advised that his department was currently looking at modernising the law relating to statutory declarations, and will be taking Engineers Australia’s views into account in that process.
While this is not quite the news I was hoping to share, let me assure you that we will continue to fight for a cause that is close to the heart of a great many of our members.
In closing, let me remind you that nominations are currently open for elected positions on the Victoria Division Committee. The Committee works closely with the General Manager and is responsible for overseeing the Strategic Agenda of the Division. If you are an engineering leader and want the opportunity to drive change within our profession, I strongly encourage you to consider nominating for a position on the Committee. Nominations close on the 31st of July.
Let me also remind members that nominations are now open for the Victoria Individual Awards. This is an opportunity for all engineers to nominate either themselves or a colleague, not only to receive an award, but also to highlight the fantastic work that we do each and every day.
For more information, please visit: www.engineersaustralia.org.au/victoria-division/individual-awards.
Geoff Hayes FIEAust CPEng EngExec