Introducing a new engineering registration in Victoria, Australia
30th August 2018
In today’s blog, IChemE Director, Regions, Peter Slane explains the changes that are being made to legislation for engineers in Victoria, Australia and what this means for chemical engineers in the future.
Name: Peter Slane
Job title: IChemE Director, Regions
The Victorian state government has introduced legislation regarding the registration of engineers – the Engineers Registration Bill 2018. Like the existing scheme in Queensland (RPEQ, Registered Professional Engineer Queensland), if the bill is passed it will introduce a mandatory registration scheme for engineers who provide professional services in Victoria.
The current advice from the department of treasury and finance is that a staged registration process will commence mid-2019 with the full scheme implemented in 2022.
The new scheme will be very similar to the QLD/RPEQ scheme, with some Victorian variations to accommodate local existing systems. This has been done to aid mutual recognition and encourage national consistency.
Registration will apply not only to engineers located within Victoria, it will also apply to engineers located outside the state who are working on projects that will be delivered within Victoria.
How will this affect chemical engineers?
The legislation will initially cover the following categories: civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and fire safety engineering. It will not cover chemical engineers, but there is provision for other areas of engineering to be added at a later date. This is expected to occur after the regulations have been introduced, and any issues that arise are settled.
IChemE has been working with the legislators on drafting the bill to ensure that IChemE can respond quickly prior to the introduction of a chemical category.
Our aim is to be an assessing authority for the new scheme, as per our status as an assessing authority for the RPEQ scheme.
Our advice to members is to plan ahead. If you are:
- providing professional chemical engineering services, (for example, application of engineering principles and data to design, construction, production, operation or maintenance relating to engineering); or
- not working under direct supervision of someone who is registered, or not working under a prescriptive standard that does not require engineering judgement or advanced calculations
then visit our dedicated Get Chartered website to determine your requirements for a Chartered application, create your reports, then submit your application well in advance of the regulation’s introduction of the chemical category.
If you are already a Chartered Chemical Engineer (MIChemE or FIChemE) when the chemical category is introduced, then the application process for Victorian registration is simplified and quicker as your assessment has already been completed.
Two schemes, one registration
The bill also aims to take into consideration mutual recognition between the QLD scheme and the VIC scheme. If established, this will allow engineers to provide professional engineering services in both states without the need to be assessed twice or pay two lots of registration fees. More information on this component of the scheme will be released as the legislation is finalised.
Please note, as a Chartered Chemical Engineer you are required to undertake regular continued professional development (CPD) activities. It is expected that the scheme will establish a requirement for 150 hours of CPD over three years.
IChemE will keep you informed of changes with Victorian registration of chemical engineers.
If you’d like further information on the Victorian registration, please visit:
- www.getchartered.org
- www.legislation.vic.gov.au
- www.dtf.vic.gov.au/engineers-registration-bill-2018
- www.icheme.org/membership/demonstrating-cpd/rpeq/
This article was originally published in The Chemical Engineer.