Why we need a registration scheme

  • The Victorian Government was elected with a mandate to deliver registration for engineers, to improve community safety, build a stronger industry and improve the standing of the profession.
  • Community safety depends on capable, qualified engineers, and registration helps protect standards and promote competence.
  • Currently the community has no effective way of knowing whether they are dealing with a qualified, competent engineer who maintains standards through ongoing professional development.
  • We have already felt the dire consequences of engineering failure in Victoria: the Longford Gas explosion and Westgate Bridge collapse to name but a couple. Registration of engineers helps enhance community safety.
  • Poor scope and design of engineering projects has enormous financial impacts. We currently have no way to ensure engineers are competent that are working on our massive infrastructure build.
  • The last, independent Cost-Benefit-Analysis showed that engineer registration delivered real tangible economic benefits by preventing engineering failure.
  • At a time of record infrastructure investment, we have to protect and build local industry, and leverage this boom to build a thriving local engineering sector which can export services to the world.
  • Many large firms who oppose registration simply want to continue offshoring engineering work, costing the Victorian economy hundreds of millions of dollars.
  • We need to keep building an engineering profession in Victoria, so we can be a services exporter to the world.
  • Registration of professionals protect their standing in the community, through preventing poor practice or unqualified people doing engineers work.
  • We licence skilled trades: so if we ensure the competence of plumbers and electricians, surely we should do the same for those who are instrumental to their work.
  • There will be increased consumer confidence in the services that engineers offer, bringing engineers into line with other professions.
  • Registration will raise the standing of the profession, by providing it the status of a government recognised registration scheme, like doctors, architects, lawyers.
  • With rapid change it is essential professional engineers keep up to date.