- Published:
- Tuesday, 28 March 2023 at 1:50 am
The Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) recently filed charges with the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria against an individual for alleged offences under the Architects Act 1991 (the Act) relating to representing themself as an architect and providing architectural services without holding registration. The matter has been set down for a hearing in the coming months.
It is a requirement of the Act that to represent a person as an architect or to provide architectural services in Victoria persons must be registered as an architect with the ARBV. Companies and partnerships providing architectural services in Victoria must also be approved by the ARBV.
The ARBV’s CEO, Dr Glenice Fox said that the registration and approval process with the ARBV is an important safeguard, “so that the public can have confidence when engaging an architect that the person responsible for making decisions regarding their project is appropriately skilled, experienced and insured.”
“The ARBV actively investigates notifications of misrepresentation for possible prosecutions. These investigations relate to incidences where persons, who are not registered as architects under the Act, are representing themselves or allowing themselves to be represented either as an architect or as providing architectural services, in breach of the Act.”
“We invite all eligible persons to apply for registration as an architect under the Act at the earliest available opportunity.”
Should individuals not apply for registration as an architect and commit criminal offences against the Act, the ARBV has regulatory powers to investigate and prosecute such offenders. This also can occur for companies and partnerships, who are not ARBV-approved, using expressions such as 'architect', 'architectural services', 'architectural design services' and 'architectural design'.
The ARBV strongly recommends the public ensures they only use the services of persons who are registered as an architect or are an approved partnership or approved company.
You can search for a registered architect.
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