WA 2021 – Advocacy, Connection & Information
The WA committee has been busy this year, with the key focus to advocate, connect and inform.
We continue to advocate for policy improvements with Ministers and key decision makers within the built environment. We maintain a regular schedule of meetings with Government and are always keen to hear from our members about the issues that matter to you.
Connecting with our members is always a highlight. Major social events for the year included our Welcome Breakfast in February, Business of Design Lunch in August, and our annual End-of-Year drinks in December.
We continue to provide relevant and timely information to our members on items such as COVID vaccination mandates and obligations for employers, CPD via our national webinar team, updated resources on our website, and sharing of information on topical items such as the proposed National Registration Framework implementation.
Medium Density Symposium
In March we held a symposium on the State Government’s proposed policy to guide medium density development across Western Australia. The topic resonated with Perth’s design community, and we had over 250 architects, landscape architects, planners, and government representatives in the room to hear from David Caddy, Chair of the WA Planning Commission and a panel of industry experts including developers and designers. You can read a summary about the event here.
Architects Mental Wellbeing Forum
Mental wellbeing in practice continues to be a key focus and this year we held an intimate launch of the AMWF in WA and facilitated an exclusive St John’s Mental Health First Aid Training session for our members. The feedback from this session was excellent and we plan on offering it again in 2022.
COVID in WA
COVID continues to be a source of uncertainty, particularly as we navigate our obligations regarding mandatory vaccinations. We have been lucky to have had a relatively smooth run over the past two years, but 2022 will signal a shift to living with COVID in WA. Our national team provides frequent updates regarding our obligations as business owners, and locally we will continue to issue WA-specific information as it comes to hand. We encourage you to open our emails, read relevant information on our website, and keep yourself informed.
National Registration Framework
The other big issue we’re focusing on in WA is the proposed National Registration Framework. Broadly we are supportive of the NRF; however, we have raised concerns about the lack of distinction between architects and building designers in a joint statement with the Institute and the AASA. We have made two key recommendations:
- Architects are identified as being able to prepare design documentation, provide design, construction, and supervisory oversight, and provide relevant certifications, such as proposed design declarations, for all building types, categories, and levels of complexity; and
- Building designers are identified as providing a limited scope of work unless they can demonstrate equivalent qualifications and experience as a registered architect.
This is an issue of critical concern for our industry, and the ACA is committed to advocate on behalf of the profession on this matter. In the meantime, we recommend people visit the ABCB website and inform yourself about the implications of the proposal should our recommendations not be accepted.
Thanks
Finally, we would like to thank our superb state sponsors who support us financially but have also become a key part of the ACA community in WA:
- RONDO, represented by Kaylee Hyland
- Armstrong Flooring, represented by Joanne Williams
- Armstrong Ceilings
- Unios, represented by Paley Ho
- Lysaght, represented by Adam Johnson-Kain
- Bluechip, represented by Ben Wallis and Peter Wallis
We would like to wish our members a happy Christmas, restful summer holiday and a healthy 2022. See you at our breakfast in February!