Engineers Australia has re-stated the case for compulsory registration in a submission to the Victorian opposition party.
The submission was made ahead of state parliament’s potential consideration of the Professional Engineers Registration Bill 2019.
Engineers Australia General Manager Victoria Alesha Printz said compulsory registration should be introduced in Victoria because it would facilitate higher levels of community safety and consumer protection.
“While Victorians in many other professions, including doctors, architects and lawyers, have to register to be able to legally carry out work, there is nothing to stop a person from calling themselves an engineer, even if they are not an engineer,” Ms. Printz said.
“This poses significant risks to consumers, as well as to community safety.”
Ms. Printz made a comparison to the Architects Registration Board of Victoria website which states an architect is a person registered with the Architects Registration Board of Victoria, with no one else able to use that title.
“Why shouldn’t there be the same requirement for engineers? It shouldn’t take a crisis for government to act in the interests of community safety and consumer protection,” Ms. Printz said.
“It should be compulsory for any engineer in Victoria – indeed, Australia – to be registered as an engineer.”
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