After apparently 25 years of lobbying the government for a national registration scheme, Engineers Australia (EA) has decided that it will move to ‘self-regulation’ with its own scheme.

Although the federal government sees no need for such national regulation, the Australian Financial Review reports that the move by the EA is “to safeguard the industry against a wave of temporary work visas being issued to fill employment gaps.”

According to EA, currently 14 different Acts and subordinate legislation regulate some engineering services in most states and territories.  Where regulation exists, it is rarely specific to engineering services. Queensland is the only state that requires all engineers to be registered if offering or providing engineering services, and Western Australia is considering introducing similar requirements.  In other states and territories engineers generally operate under a self-regulatory system.

The peak body, which represents about 100,000 engineers, has been urging state and federal governments for the past 25 years to adopt a national registration scheme, which would ensure high professional standards are maintained in the sector.

Engineers Australia (EA) chief executive Stephen Durkin told the AFR that while most government representatives have seen value of a national registration scheme for engineers, the general response has been "but buildings aren't falling down'.

The AFR reports that the register would check the qualifications of engineers, experience and monitor their commitment to professional development. Mr Durkin said the need for the scheme stemmed from the number of overseas engineers coming to Australia to fill job gaps.

EA admits that Australia has to rely on foreign engineers as Australian universities produce less than half of the estimated demand of up to 20,000 engineers each year.

One of EA’s concerns is the rapid rise of the number of engineers on sc457 visas: "Up until a couple of years ago the number of 457 visas went from 2000 to about 7000," Mr Durkin said.

"We can't register the term engineering because it's a generic term. But we can create a register that the public can access to see if an engineer is a qualified, practising and ethical engineer.

"We want to control our own destiny."

The register will also be linked with professional standards councils in different states and territories. Mr Durkin said these councils were independent statutory bodies, recognise by law.

"We believe that our NER [National Engineering Register] will further improve the professional recognition and public trust of engineers in Australia and promote the role of EA in advancing the profession."

He said it will also help governments, which are increasing outsourcing engineering services, be "informed" buyers of engineering services.