As the trusted voice of the profession, Engineers Australia has recently engaged in several important conversations impacting on public policy in Victoria. Engagement with government agencies and their consultants provides opportunity to drive impactful leadership and ensure the views of engineers are clearly communicated to relevant decision makers, driving better outcomes for the communities in which we work and live.
As a key stakeholder, we continue to engage with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) who are currently developing the regulations and guidance to support the introduction of the Professional Engineers Registration Scheme in Victoria. We have provided extensive information regarding our own National Engineering Register and the requirements for registration as a professional engineer, including how we assess Washington Accord equivalence. This opportunity allows us to provide information and feedback in advance of, and during, the drafting of the regulations.
The draft regulations will be released for public consultation in the middle of the year and we are well placed to engage our members during this phase. This is a critical opportunity to hear from our members and ensure that the Victorian registration scheme is as robust and efficient as possible.
You can access the information from CAV and sign up for government updates here.
A comprehensive review of Victoria’s Building System is currently well underway, and we have been invited to participate in this to ensure the views of engineers are represented. The objective of the review is to provide recommendations to government on a building system that delivers safe, quality buildings with effective consumer protection through a sustainable construction industry. Through numerous conversations and the support of our members we have provided the perspective of engineers across several engineering disciplines on the current state of the building system and opportunities for change and improvement.
This review allowed a timely opportunity to share our report Building Confidence: How to use engineers to improve building and construction which was released last week. This report introduces the concept of the Engineer of Record and Proof Engineer, two key roles to deliver a paradigm shift in the building industry.
More information on the Building System review is available here.
Our advocacy has extended to responding to COVID-19, both in its immediacy and the longer-term recovery. We have met regularly with the Victorian Building Authority to discuss the impact on our members and the importance of ensuring effective measures to allow the building sector to continue operation. We have met with Building Victoria’s Recovery Taskforce, which has been tasked with ensuring Victoria’s priority projects continue, are expedited where necessary, and can overcome these unprecedented circumstances. We shared the key points of our COVID-19 Recovery Plan, focussing on addressing the immediate need for jobs, leveraging existing structures to safeguard the recovery and adapting to the new normal.
We will continue to engage with key government stakeholders, policy and decision makers on critical engineering issues. We thank our members for sharing their professional opinions and encourage you to reach out to us on matters of importance to our profession.