Visit to the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors and the Queensland Building Services Authority
In July 2005 Department staff, Malcolm MacMillan, Project Manager BCA Accreditation and Registration and Manager Performance Monitoring and Review and Michelle Manley, Senior Education Adviser from Building Controls visited the Queensland/Northern Territory Chapter of the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) and the Queensland Building Services Authority (BSA).
Discussions were held with the management teams of the AIBS and the BSA to:
- gain further information on the Australian accreditation system offered for building officials
- discuss the approach taken to develop and implement national qualifications for building officials
- investigate the roles and functions of the AIBS and the BSA in the accreditation process
- draw on the experience of both the AIBS and the BSA when considering the applicability of the Australian, and particularly the Queensland, experience to the New Zealand building control environment.
Building controls in Queensland
Each state or territory in Australia has its own legislation governing the building industry. In Queensland, all building surveyors (the equivalent of New Zealand building officials) must receive accreditation from an approved accreditation body, then be individually licensed before undertaking building control work. In Queensland, this accreditation and registration system is administered through the complementary roles of the AIBS and the BSA.
The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS)
The Institute is a national industry-based body aiming to improve the quality of building control work in Australia. It undertakes a number of functions including: supporting and informing members through newsletters, conferences and seminars; facilitating professional development courses; providing leadership to the industry; and accrediting building surveyors and tertiary education providers. To offer accreditation services the AIBS is specifically referenced as the accreditation body in the Building Acts of Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
The accreditation regime for building surveyors
The current Australian accreditation system provides for the accreditation of two levels of building surveyor, depending on an applicant's qualifications and experience.
- Level 1 building surveyors have an unrestricted work scope. They must have a degree in building surveying from an AIBS-accredited provider and at least 3 years work experience.
- Level 2 building surveyors have a restricted work scope unless accompanied by a Level 1 building surveyor. They must have an advanced diploma in building surveying from an AIBS-accredited provider.
Queensland's building control industry faces similar issues to New Zealand in terms of attracting and retaining qualified staff in the area of building controls. In response, the industry encourages and actively supports cadetship schemes where unqualified building surveyors can be employed to assist in building control functions. Cadet building surveyors then undertake study towards a qualification that meets accreditation requirements, and must be supervised by a licensed building surveyor.
The AIBS indicated that this option was proving to be increasingly popular among firms wishing to address human resource shortages. The AIBS is also focusing on promoting building surveying as a career in schools, TAFE colleges and universities.
In order to ensure skill levels are maintained and building surveyors are aware of current legislative requirements, building surveyors must apply for re-accreditation every 3 years. To achieve re-accreditation, applicants must have participated in adequate continuing professional development.
Queensland Building Services Authority (BSA)
The Authority's main role is to ensure regulatory compliance. To this end, it is charged with licensing building surveyors once they have received accreditation. It also undertakes a complaints and investigations role and provides information and education to consumers, building surveyors and other building practitioners on their rights and obligations.
The Authority inspects all licensed building professionals, including building surveyors, on a regular basis. Its Complaints Tribunal oversees complaints received against any licensed building professionals, including building surveyors. It investigates all legitimate complaints and hands down penalties where justified. Strategic industry-level performance issues identified through the complaints and investigations process are then disseminated to the industry.
Relevance to the New Zealand BCA accreditation and registration regime and the development of the education strategy for building officials
While the visits to the AIBS and the BSA were informative and had relevance to the Department's work on an education strategy for building officials and the BCA accreditation system, there are significant differences between the two systems. The specific building control environment in New Zealand has led to a model being developed that will accredit organisations, known as building consent authorities (BCAs), rather than individuals.
Such a system recognises that performance issues in New Zealand building controls are greater than those pertaining solely to individual building officials. In order for building officials to undertake their regulatory building control roles effectively, not only must they be technically competent but they must also be supported by adequate systems, processes, resources, assistance and support from the organisation in which they work.
Notwithstanding the difference in the accreditation systems, Queensland has had to resolve many of the issues currently facing New Zealand when developing its own systems. There are likely to be many lessons that New Zealand can learn from their experiences.The Department will seek further information and feedback from these organisations where appropriate as work on the BCA accreditation and registration system progresses.
For further information about the Department's work on developing the BCA accreditation and registration system please refer to the Building officals section.