AIRAH’s APER approved to register engineers in the ACT.
The ACT government has opened its registration scheme for professional engineers, making it the fourth jurisdiction in Australia to establish such a scheme, alongside Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.
The scheme, which opened in early March, is built on the Professional Engineers Act 2023. It makes registration mandatory for individuals wishing to do engineering work in the ACT, whether or not they are based there.
Applications are now open for civil and structural engineers. In July, applications open for mechanical engineers, then in November, applications open for electrical and fire safety engineers.
Three entities approved
As part of the registration process, engineers must obtain an assessment report from an approved assessment entity. Three entities have so far been approved in the ACT: AIRAH, Engineers Australia, and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia. Following similar requirements in other states, the ACT government last year passed the Professional Engineers Act 2023. “Approved assessment entities are an integral part of the scheme,” the ACT government says, “and will provide the required assessment report on whether a person meets the qualifications, experience and competency requirements for registration.”Tailored for HVAC&R
AIRAH CEO Sami Zheng, Affil.AIRAH, notes that the Institute’s APER is tailored to the needs of HVAC&R building services engineers. “The APER is the only professional registration scheme that specifically caters for engineers working in HVAC&R building services,” Zheng says. “Being on the APER demonstrates to the public and the industry that you have been found qualified, competent and ethical by experts in the field. This is crucial in our branch of engineering, which incorporates specialist knowledge and diverse engineering disciplines.”The ACT scheme in detail
Those already registered in Victoria or NSW can avail themselves of automatic mutual recognition through the Access Canberra website. Fees include the fee charged by the assessment entity, such as AIRAH’s APER, an application fee and a registration term fee. The ACT government is hoping to turn around applications within six weeks. Assessment entities will also require time to perform assessments – best to contact these entities directly for more information.More information
As well as obtaining approval for the APER scheme in Queensland, Victoria, and now the ACT, AIRAH is well down the path to becoming a recognised professional engineering body in New South Wales. All engineers doing work in the ACT must be registered by March 6, 2025.Like to know more?
The ACT government has developed guidance on prescriptive standards, and on direction and oversight. Go to planning.act.gov.au or www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au for more information. For more information about AIRAH’s APER go to www.airah.org.au/site/initiatives/aper
