Industry bodies voice concern over future plans for Victoria

Victoria's Architects Regulations 2015 are currently under review, ahead of the planned absorption of the Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) into a broader Business and Professions Regulator.

As part of a sunset review, the Architects Regulations 2015 is being examined to determine whether rules governing registration and practice remain effective and continue to uphold professional standards, public safety and effective regulatory oversight for the decade ahead.

Feedback is now being invited as part of this review to help inform the next iteration of the regulatory framework.

The review follows a commitment from the Victorian government that it will implement a recommendation from the Independent Review of the Victorian Public Service (led by Helen Silver) to absorb the ARBV into a new Business and Professions Regulator, along with the Surveyors Registration Board and the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board.

While the timing for the consolidation has not yet been finalised, industry bodies such as the Victorian chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Victoria/Tasmania branch of the Association of Consulting Architects (ACA) have voiced their concerns.

Both groups met with government representatives in December 2025, coinciding with the release of the Regulatory Impact Statement on updating the 2015 Architects Regulations. The ACA said officials were unable to confirm during these meetings whether the ARBV would continue as a board within the Business Licensing Authority or be abolished entirely.

Paul Viney, the ACA national president and Victoria/Tasmania branch president, said "Abolishing the ARBV isn't just shuffling deck chairs; it would likely require substantial amendments or a complete rewrite of the Architects Registration Act, and history shows what happens when the Act is reopened: calls for repeal or dilution based on a fundamental misunderstanding of its purpose."

He also expressed concern about the timing of the government's Regulatory Impact Statement, released on 31 December. "Even if preparatory work was done earlier, this timing doesn't inspire confidence in a process that is supposed to reflect transparency and genuine consultation."

The Victorian chapter president of the Australian Institute of Architects Stephanie Bullock emphasised that the statutory registration of architects exists to protect the public.

"Our primary focus is on ensuring that any changes to the regulatory framework continue to uphold robust standards of competence, education, professional conduct and accountability. The independence, clarity and specialist expertise of architectural regulation are critical to maintaining public confidence in the profession and consistency with national and international practice," said Bullock.

"We share the concerns raised by the ACA about the compressed consultation timeframe and the level of clarity provided to date. Meaningful reform of a system as important as professional registration requires transparency, adequate time for consideration, and genuine engagement with the profession and other stakeholders," she added.

Bullock confirmed the chapter will be making a detailed submission to the RIS process as well as continuing their dialogue with government to ensure that any future model preserves the intent of the Architects Registration Act.

Feedback on the Architects Regulations 2015 Sunset Review can be submitted until 2 February.