Engineers are engineers because they say they are – but some states want registration

The NSW Government proposes following Queensland and WA, with legislation requiring engineers to be registered for practice.  This strikes the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering as a splendid idea.  The voluntary National Engineer Register, “has served society reasonably well, but with low visibility outside the profession,” ATSE president Hugh Bradlow says.

Good-o but the NSW legislation proposes a registration board, which will also oversight, “approval of assessment schemes conducted by an assessment entity in areas of engineering.” The feds have a view on industry bodies sticking their bibs into university courses (CMM February 28 2018), so who is on the NSW board will matter. The legislation proposes, “some members of the board are to be professional engineers,” which isn’t exactly limiting.