The fining of an engineer who was found to be working while unregistered during the Queensland flood crisis of 2011 has once again shed a spotlight on the importance of the registration of the profession, says Engineers Australia
Queensland’s system of registration in unique in Australia and Engineers Australia is supporting the move to establish a national and consistent system of registration or regulation.
The issue made national headlines earlier this year when Australian current affairs television show 60 Minutes reported that a Brisbane man had been masquerading as an English engineer for more than 40 years, stealing the identity of Will Fisher, including his name, birthday and professional qualifications. According to the programme, he played an integral role in the construction of Christchurch’s local television station building, which was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.
With regards to this case in Queensland, local Engineers Australia division president Steven Goh said that at no time was the public at any risk, adding that he was pleased the magistrates had taken into account the personal circumstances of the individual involved.
“The engineer concerned had previously been registered for a considerable length of time, however due to personal reasons he did not reinstate his registration until recently,” said Goh. “The technical work of the dam engineer operating Wivenhoe during the flood crisis was not dependant on his registration as a professional engineer.”
“Engineers Australia believes it is vital that engineering services are delivered by people who have appropriate qualifications and practical experience that meets accepted international standards,” Goh said. “We are committed to protecting standards in the profession and working with local authorities, state and federal governments to assist in the preparedness of the community to deal with natural disasters and crisis situations.”
Engineers Australia will continue to push federal government to bring forward plans to create a national system of registration for engineering professionals to ensure appropriate professional standards similar to the measures in place for doctors, architects and lawyers, for the protection of the community.
“It is unacceptable that engineering is one of the only long-standing professions that is not subject to regulation, given the important work of engineering professionals and the size of the engineering workforce,” Engineers Australia CEO Stephen Durkin said earlier this year. ” Our members are held to a very high standard, however membership is voluntary and we can’t currently guarantee that these same high standards apply to all engineers.”
Durkin added that, given the prevalence of skilled workers who hail from outside the country in the engineering trade, the need for universally-enforced high standards would be an immense benefit.
Queensland’s system of registration in unique in Australia and Engineers Australia is supporting the move to establish a national and consistent system of registration or regulation.
The issue made national headlines earlier this year when Australian current affairs television show 60 Minutes reported that a Brisbane man had been masquerading as an English engineer for more than 40 years, stealing the identity of Will Fisher, including his name, birthday and professional qualifications. According to the programme, he played an integral role in the construction of Christchurch’s local television station building, which was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.
With regards to this case in Queensland, local Engineers Australia division president Steven Goh said that at no time was the public at any risk, adding that he was pleased the magistrates had taken into account the personal circumstances of the individual involved.
“The engineer concerned had previously been registered for a considerable length of time, however due to personal reasons he did not reinstate his registration until recently,” said Goh. “The technical work of the dam engineer operating Wivenhoe during the flood crisis was not dependant on his registration as a professional engineer.”
“Engineers Australia believes it is vital that engineering services are delivered by people who have appropriate qualifications and practical experience that meets accepted international standards,” Goh said. “We are committed to protecting standards in the profession and working with local authorities, state and federal governments to assist in the preparedness of the community to deal with natural disasters and crisis situations.”
Engineers Australia will continue to push federal government to bring forward plans to create a national system of registration for engineering professionals to ensure appropriate professional standards similar to the measures in place for doctors, architects and lawyers, for the protection of the community.
“It is unacceptable that engineering is one of the only long-standing professions that is not subject to regulation, given the important work of engineering professionals and the size of the engineering workforce,” Engineers Australia CEO Stephen Durkin said earlier this year. ” Our members are held to a very high standard, however membership is voluntary and we can’t currently guarantee that these same high standards apply to all engineers.”
Durkin added that, given the prevalence of skilled workers who hail from outside the country in the engineering trade, the need for universally-enforced high standards would be an immense benefit.
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COMMENT: Engineers Australia is not facing up to the fact that an unregistered engineer was playing a pivotal role at the height of the January 2011 Wivenhoe Dam flood crisis. But is was apparently OK, according to Engineers Australia, because at no time was there any risk to the public and no harm was apparently done. That basically seems to make it OK with that sort of convoluted thinking. Imagine a person telling the local magistrate that they didn't have a car licence but it was really OK because they didn't have an accident. Come off it Engineering Australia - get a grip of yourselves and a sense of reality might follow.
