WA 2022 Update
The WA Committee has had another productive year, providing business advice relevant to our state, advocating on behalf of our members and many opportunities to socialise. Below is a summary of the activities that have kept us busy in 2022.
Advocacy
We started the year by tackling the National Registration Framework. If legislated, the NRF will diminish the status of architects by equating our skills with those of building designers and drafters. Whilst supportive of many changes recommended by the NRF, we are working to ensure that the expertise and qualifications of architects are duly recognised.
Committee member, Emily Van Eyk is leading our working group and has developed a roadmap to guide our approach in coming months. We will be lobbying government and involving our members in a consolidated campaign. Please let Emma know if you would like to be more involved in this campaign.
In August, we wrote to the Hon. Roger Cook MLA to argue for the lifting of Energy Performance Standards for new homes as part of the National Construction Code 2022. The letter was sent ahead of Minister Cook’s participation in a meeting of State Building Ministers and joins similar messages from our colleagues at the AIA and other affiliate organisations. We are thrilled to read that our collective voices have been heard! A copy can be read on our website.
Connection
In addition to our advocacy agenda, our members were able to connect at social events including a breakfast in February, the Business of Design Lunch in July and End of Year Drinks in November. The lunch was particularly well attended, with over 50 members present to hear Dale Alcock lay out his vision for the future of Perth.
We hold our social events in interesting venues around the Perth CBD – places you want to spend time, rather than a stuffy boardroom! If you haven’t joined us at one of these events, then please come along to the next one.
We’ve also maintained strong connections with ABWA, the Office of the Government Architect, PIA, AILA and the AIA and meet regularly to discuss critical issues affecting our profession.
Information
We took an in-depth look at the changes to the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA). We first commissioned an article by Fair Work Lawyers and then invited the legal team from Jackson McDonald to provide an overview of the changes relevant to our profession. We are in the process of updating our Safety in Design template to reflect the new legislation and will let you know when the new version is ready for use.
Happily, we held our first face-to-face Business of Small Practice for some time! The event focused on marketing for small business and included a panel of expert speakers including Dave Sharp, Rachael Bernstone, Kate Hulett and Pippa Hurst. It felt great to be back at BoSP HQ in South Fremantle!
Our BoSP team also led an informative conversation with Daniel Bolt from Macquarie Bank on obtaining finance for small business. The webinar dealt largely with the steps you need to take to demonstrate to banks your strength and viability as a business. The webinar was well attended and may be repeated in the future.
As part of our commitment to contributing to a reconciled Australia, we held a webinar with Scott Patterson, Yawaru and Nyinkina man and Director at Ochre Project Services. Scott took us on a journey into First Nations history in WA since colonisation, sharing insights into his family stories and some history that we have missed at school. This webinar will soon be available to watch through our CPD on Demand Channel.
With thanks
Our committee is made of dedicated volunteers who represent practices of all scales in WA. Thank you to:
- President: Kukame McPierzie, Woods Bagot
- Vice-President: Kate Fitzgerald, Whispering Smith
- Treasurer: Janine Marsh, Doepel Marsh
- Secretary: Kali Passmore, Gresley Abas
- Felice Burrows, Architects&Co
- Michel Greenhalgh, MCG Architects (representing regional practice)
- David Gulland, Hassell
- Malcolm Jones, Meyer Shircore
- Andrew Rogerson, COX
- Emily Van Eyk, Mt Eyk
- Executive Officer: Emma Brain
Finally, we would like to thank our sponsors without whom this work would not be possible:
- GOLD: Rondo, Unios, Lysaght, Armstrong Ceilings
- SILVER: Armstrong Floorings, Winnings Appliances
We wish all members a happy and restful festive season and look forward to catching up in the new year. We have plenty of exciting plans for 2023, which we will share at our breakfast in February. See you then!