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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Thursday, 4 March 2004) . . Page.. 712 ..

The ACT Architects Board will be responsible for the registration of architects, the investigation of complaints against architects and, where necessary, disciplinary action against architects. The board will also be required to investigate matters referred to it by the minister for advice and to report on the practice of architecture, including codes of professional conduct. One of the key roles of the board will be to provide general advice to consumers on architectural services. This is particularly important with respect to professional conduct and the standards of competence expected of registered architects.

In striving to achieve a high quality built environment, high quality design is fundamental. Architects have an important role to play in delivering quality design, and consumers and the broader community can only benefit from improved access to information about the qualifications, skills and professional standards that will be required from registered architects.

The board will be appointed by the minister and will have a mix of architects and non-architects in order to comply with the reform framework. The board must contain one representative from a body established to represent the interests of architects, one architect who is an academic who teaches architecture at a relevant educational institution, one legal practitioner with expertise in consumer protection and/or trade practices law and one consumer representative who is not an architect

It is important that members of the board be given appropriate support to fulfil their functions. The bill provides for a registrar of architects, responsible for managing the board’s administrative affairs and for maintaining a register of architects subject to any directions from the board. The keeping of an accurate register of registered architects is another important part of the registration scheme. It will enable consumers in the ACT to gain up-to-date information on those registered as qualified to provide architectural services. The register will be publicly available during ordinary office hours at no charge. The board will also be able to share information contained in the register, such as names and addresses and any disciplinary action taken with neighbouring jurisdictions, for the purpose of establishing a common register of architects among the jurisdictions.

The bill sets out the eligibility and experience criteria for registration as an architect. Only an individual can apply for registration, and they must satisfy the board that they meet the criteria before they can be registered. The requirements specified in the bill are consistent with long-standing arrangements in other jurisdictions and also reflect past practice in the ACT.

While the act will provide for the registration of individual architects, there are many corporations or firms that provide a range of services, including architectural services. While the registration of companies is not intended, it is important from a consumer protection perspective that any corporation or partnership that advertises to provide architectural services has architects responsible for the provision of those services. The bill will require a corporation or partnership that provides architectural services to nominate one or more registered architects to be responsible for the provision of those services partnership. A corporation or partnership may nominate a registered architect only if the architect is a director, partner or employee of the corporation or partnership.

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