SA February Update

6 February 2019

Issues raised at the ACA – SA’s recent Welcome Breakfast will help to inform this year’s calendar of roundtables, lobbying and major events.

Our first function for 2019 was this week’s President’s Breakfast. The 20 attendees were asked to name the priorities they believe should be the focus of the ACA in 2019.

Issues included:

  • Low fees (a very common concern)
  • Producing more client-facing information on the time and cost calculators
  • Communicating the value of what architects do to clients and the public
  • Speaking out about building quality and failures, and the role architects could play in improving building quality
  • Helping the transition from university graduate to professional
  • Explaining how to better understand risk and liability
  • Providing resources to help small firms grow
  • Catering for the stratification of practices into large and small firms
  • Becoming more collegiate
  • Lobbying state government re procurement
  • How architects manage working in a Design and Construct environment
  • More resources and lobbying on standard contracts

Thanks to Sascha Byrne for organising the event!

Our program planning for this year is well under way; hopefully many of the issues raised above will be covered in our roundtables, lobbying and major events. Our first roundtable is scheduled for 4.30pm on Thursday 21 March – watch this space as we’ll have more information to you shortly!

The Practice Administrator’s group meets for the first time this year on 13 March at 12.30–2pm, lunch included, to learn about the new Single Touch Payroll hosted by Cbus Super at their SA Office, 50 Flinders Street, Adelaide. Contact Sascha Byrne if you or one of your staff are interested in joining this group.

John Held is the National President of the ACA, President of ACA – SA and Director of Russell & Yelland.