CEO Update - February 2020
As Australia prepared to usher in a new decade, we also braced ourselves for a summer season of bushfires, flooding, hailstorms, heatwaves and the impact of natural disasters. For those who are directly affected, the challenges seem insurmountable. For others, the question is ‘how can we help’? Hundreds of volunteers, experts, professionals and students put their hands up and took action. Sincere gratitude and heartfelt commendations. But the recovery is just beginning, and the ACA is firm in our commitment to support and provide relevant information for practices.
Our February newsletter provides vital information and resources on the bushfire response. We remind practices about workplace obligations in relation to community service leave. We also aim to showcase inspirational accounts of architects who have experience in providing guidance, consulting support and design expertise after a disaster strikes. Their stories are a powerful lesson and we hope that we can continue to provide these insights to help those that need them most. The recovery process is only just beginning, and architects can and will have an instrumental role in these aid efforts.
ACA: Malaysia
In other news, I have just returned from a break in Malaysia, where I took the opportunity to connect with ACA: Malaysia (ACA:M) colleagues, National President Jaz Sidhu and Vice-President Jafri Merican. It was an enlightening dialogue that centred on common challenges architectural practices are facing in the region. Climate change, fees, the socio-economic impact of running an architectural practice, mental health in the profession, Federal v State interpretation of legislation, building certification processes and technology were just some of the topics we touched on. Sounded all too familiar… There is much that both associations can learn from each other, and the sharing of experiences is a good start to forging a bilateral relationship. We look forward to continuing the conversation.
NEC Meeting and 2020 Agenda
The ACA National Executive Committee will meet on 9–10 February in Melbourne for our bi-annual face to face meeting. Top priorities for the ACA in 2020 will be to continue consolidating our business and ensuring enhanced financial management, while being more responsive and agile in delivering up-to-date, relevant and accurate information and resources to members. We are also keen to forge stronger links with industry partners and amplify our voice in advocating on behalf of the profession.
New Corporate Partners
We are delighted to welcome two new national corporate partners this year. Armstrong Flooring has been a strong supporter of the ACA – QLD/NT community whilst Deltek has supported the ACA across QLD/NT and VIC/TAS. Both Armstrong Flooring and Deltek have now committed to a national sponsorship arrangement. They will join our long-standing sponsor Planned Cover in supporting ACA’s agenda for the year. We look forward to mutually productive partnerships. For more information on our corporate partners, see Our Partners page.
We look forward to supporting you and your practice and wish you all a very productive 2020.