Architects Board of South Australia
Information Statement
For the Year Ended 30 June 2009
(For the Purpose of Section 9 of the Freedom of Information Act 1991)

The Architects Board of South Australia is the body corporate in South Australia responsible to the Minister for administering the Architects Act 1939, as amended (the Act), 'which provides for the registration of architects, to regulate the practice of architecture, and for purposes incidental thereto'. The Board is responsible for maintaining a register of architects and architectural companies and for ensuring that only properly qualified and experienced people are listed on the register of architects, and only companies which satisfy the requirements of the Architects Act are registered as architect companies.

1. STRUCTURE & FUNCTIONS

The Board consists of 9 members, 3 appointed by the Governor and 6 elected by architects registered in South Australia.

The functions of the Board are as follows:

• to maintain a register of architects and architectural companies
• to ensure only properly qualified and experienced people are registered
• to investigate complaints made against architects and unregistered persons holding themselves out to be architects
• to discipline architects who have contravened the Act
• to accredit architectural courses
• to promote knowledge of architecture amongst the public

The Board must perform its functions under this Act with the object of protecting the public by achieving and maintaining high professional standards both of confidence and conduct in the provision of architecture in this State.

The Registrar is responsible to the Board for the following services:

• maintaining up to date Registers and information
• all accounting requirements
• administrative and secretarial support
• assisting members of the public and profession about registration and policy matters

The Registrar is the FOI Officer and may be contacted at the address shown in the last part of this Statement.

The Crown Solicitor provides the Board with legal services.

2. EFFECT OF FUNCTIONS ON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

The functions of the Board have an effect on the general public in that they protect the interests of the community by:

• providing effective maintenance of professional, educational and practice standards
• preventing harmful practices of unqualified/untrained persons, and
• providing complaint and disciplinary mechanisms
• conducting examination of candidates seeking registration as architects in South Australia, in conjunction with the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia
• oversight, in conjunction with the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia, of course accreditation and supervision

Members of the public are entitled to complain to the Board about:

• an architect or architectural company's professional conduct, or
• an unregistered person practising architecture or holding out as an architect

In the case of the first point above, the Board may proceed to a formal disciplinary inquiry and impose penalties such as censure, fine, suspension or removal from the register.

In the case of the second point above, the Board may proceed to lay a complaint in a Court of Summary Jurisdiction for a breach of the Act.

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN POLICY FORMULATION

Meetings of the Board and Committees are not open to the public nor are minutes made readily available as much of the business relates to personal, legal, professional, confidential and quasi judicial matters.

The Board invites members of the public or representative organisations who wish to provide comment to the Board in respect of any of the Board's policies, administration or other practices to submit their comments in writing to the Registrar at the address detailed at the end of this statement.

4. KINDS OF DOCUMENTS HELD

The Board has a computerised records management system and two categories of hard copy files.  These are as follows:

1. Registration Files (hard copy)
These contain the original applications for registration and subsequent application for annual renewal of registration. They may also contain other registrant related information including inquiry records.

2. Administration and Policy Files (hard copy)
These files hold all documents concerned with the day to day management of the Board, general business, policy and procedure, complaints, consultants, equipment, taxation records etc.

3. Register (computerised)
A database of individual registrants is kept on computer. The registers are available for inspection by any person during ordinary office hours at the office of the Registrar and the registers or extracts of the registers may be made available to the public by electronic means.

A copy of the register is published annually in the Government Gazette.

Minutes of meetings and computerised accounting records are kept in hard copy.

4. Protocol, Procedure and Guidance Documents

• Procedure upon receipt of a complaint
• Code of Professional Conduct
• Architectural Practice Examination

Other documents held by the Board and provided free of charge include:

• A copy of the Architects Act 1939
• A copy of the By-laws of the Architects Act 1939, as amended
• A copy of the Architectural Practice Act 2009 (yet to be proclaimed into legislation)
• Annual Report
• Application for registration forms
• Guide to registration
• Fee schedules
• Lists of educational institutions
• Interstate Boards
• Newsletters

These documents are also available on the Board's website (shown at the bottom of this statement) and can be downloaded free of charge.

5. ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS, PROCEDURES AND POINTS OF CONTACT

To access documents, other than those identified above as available, it is necessary to apply in writing under the Freedom of Information Act to:

Registrar/FOI Officer
Architects Board of South Australia
GPO Box 1270
ADELAIDE  SA  5001

Telephone: (08) 8373 2766
Facsimile: (08) 8372 6677
Email: jbailey@gtsa.com.au

The Board's office is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm and is located at:

Grant Thornton House
Level 1
67 Greenhill Road
WAYVILLE  SA  5034

Dated: 14 October 2009