Regulatory reforms are afoot in NSW and VIC to strengthen confidence in and compliance of the building sector. From the 1 July 2021, the New South Wales and the Victorian governments are both introducing registration requirements, and Engineers offering professional services in these states need to understand these local changes and associated requirements.
Victoria – What you need to know
The Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019 commences on 1 July 2021. There are five main areas of engineering that are prescribed for registration under the Act – Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical and Fire Safety. Engineers offering these professional services in Victoria are required to register with the Business Licencing Authority. Be aware that each engineering discipline has a different mandatory registration date, between 1 December 2021 and 1 December 2023.
Find out more at Consumer Affairs Victoria
New South Wales – What you need to know
From 1 July 2021, a new registration scheme will come into effect, initially affecting engineers working on class 2 buildings in NSW only. The NSW Government will expand the reforms to other classes of construction in the future but class 2 buildings are seen as the highest priority right now.
Engineers will need to register under the Professional Engineers scheme and those who are not eligible to register may keep working under the supervision of someone who is registered.
Find out more at NSW Fair Trading
At this stage, third party registration is not available for the Victorian or New South Wales schemes although these are being considered in the future. CIBSE continues to advocate for the best practice of Building Services Engineering and is consulting with both the NSW Fair Trading and Consumer Affairs Victoria to offer assistance with third party assessment schemes in the future.
News
24 May 21