Diversity a challenge in Engineering Associates Act review
The ‘sheer diversity’ of disciplines covered by the Engineering Associates Act demonstrates the significance of the review currently under way, says Department of Building and Housing Deputy Chief Executive Dr Andrew Hearn.
'This is an Act that covers middle-tier engineers and technicians - largely polytechnic-qualified workers or older workers with time-served experience - across some 47 disciplines - everything from acoustics to aircraft, building services to medical equipment, civil engineering to soil mechanics, and design and draughting,' Dr Hearn said.
'The Act itself has been around since 1961, but huge changes in the engineering industry over the past five decades, both in terms of the work itself, and training, education and career structures, make it timely to review what this legislation achieves, the role it plays and what its future role might be,' he said.
'The reality is that the Act belongs to the sector and individuals, and engineering employers need to come forward to help shape the future direction of this part of the engineering industry.
'Engineering in all its forms is one of those backbone industries that is critical to any country's development. This is an important review,' he said.
Dr Hearn said it would be very much a 'baseline' review.
'If this Act is going to remain on the books then it needs to be relevant and contributing strongly to the future direction of engineering in this country. That is why we want as broad a cross- section of sector thinking as possible brought into the consultation process.'
Registered engineering associates come under the Engineering Associates Registration Board (EARB), but there has been declining membership for a number of years, down from 2650 in 1997 to 1880 this year.
The Department of Building and Housing is heading the review and wants to hear from registered engineering associates and people who may be eligible for registration but are not registered. Further information on the review can be found at http://www.dbh.govt.nz/ea-review or by emailing info@dbh.govt.nz
The full list of disciplines covered by the Engineering Associates Act is as follows.
- Acoustics
- Aeronautical
- Aircraft
- Automotive
- Avionics
- Building Services
- Chemical
- Civil -
- Asset Management
- Design
- Design and Draughting
- Geotechnics
- Hydrology Materials Testing
- Surveying
- Wastewater
- Water Treatment
- Concrete Production
- Electrical Distribution
- Electrical
- Electronics
- Fire Protection
- Gas
- Heating
- Ventilating
- Refrigeration
- Air Conditioning
- Hydrology
- Instrumentation
- Lift
- Marine
- Mechanical
- Medical
- Mine and Mining
- Naval Architecture
- Naval Mechanical
- Naval Ordnance
- Plastics
- Production
- Radio
- Rigging
- Sanitary
- Soil Mechanics
- Steel Fabrication
- Structural
- Telecommunications
- Television
- Traffic
- Welding