Freedom of Information

Architectural Practice Board of South Australia Information Statement
For the Year Ended 30 June 2011
(For the Purpose of Section 9 of the Freedom of Information Act 1991)

The Architectural Practice Board of South Australia is the body corporate in South Australia responsible to the Minister for administering the Architectural Practice Act 2009 (the Act), which 'provides for the registration of architects and architectural businesses; to regulate architectural practice', and for purposes incidental thereto. The Board is responsible for maintaining a register of architects and architectural businesses and for ensuring that only properly qualified and experienced people are listed on the register of architects, and only businesses which satisfy the requirements of the Act are registered as architectural businesses.

1. STRUCTURE & FUNCTIONS

The Board's overall structure is set out below in the chart:

 

 

The Board consists of 7 members, 4 nominated by the Minister and 3 elected by architects registered in South Australia.

Section 13 of the Act provides that the functions of the Board are as follows:

  • to oversee the practice of architecture by registered architects and registered architectural businesses in the public interest;
  • to approve, after consultation with authorities considered appropriate by the Board, courses of education or training that provide qualifications for registration on the register of architects;
  • to determine, after consultation with authorities considered appropriate by the Board, the requirements necessary for registration on the register of architects;
  • to establish and maintain the registers contemplated by the Act;
  • to prepare or endorse, subject to the approval of the Minister, codes of conduct or professional standards for registered architects or codes of conduct for registered architectural businesses;
  • to prepare or endorse guidelines on continuing architectural education for registered architects;
  • to take such measures as the Board considers appropriate to promote education in architecture, to assist students in architecture or to further knowledge of architecture among the public;
  • to establish administrative processes for handling complaints received against registered architects and registered architectural businesses (which may include processes under which a person voluntarily enters into an undertaking);
  • to provide advice to the Minister as the Board considers appropriate;
  • to carry out other functions assigned to the Board by or under the Act, or by the Minister.

The Board must perform its functions under this Act with the view to achieving and maintaining high professional standards both of competence and conduct by registered architects and registered architectural businesses.

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 business's professional conduct, or
  • an unregistered person 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 register 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, taxation records etc.
  3. Registers (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.
    Access to some register information is available via the Board's website www.archboardsa.org.au free of charge.
    Minutes of meetings and computerised accounting records are kept in hard copy.

4.      Protocol, Procedure and Guidance Documents

-          Procedure upon receipt of a complaint
-          Architectural Practice Examination
-          Guide to Registration
-          Guidance Note 1 Professional Indemnity Insurance
-          Guidance Note 2 Use of the Title Architect

A copy of any part of a register kept under the Act may be obtained on payment of the prescribed fee.

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

  • A copy of the Architectural Practice Act 2009
  • A copy of the regulations to the Architectural Practice Act 2009
  • Annual Report
  • Application for registration forms
  • Fee schedules
  • Lists of educational institutions
  • Interstate Board Contacts
  • Newsletters
  • Information on Academic Prizes awarded by the Board

These documents are 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
Architectural Practice Board of South Australia
GPO Box 1270
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Telephone: (08) 8373 2766
Facsimile: (08) 8372 6677
jim.bailey@au.gt.com

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

Website: www.archboardsa.org.au

Application and processing fees are in accordance with the Freedom of Information (fees and charges) Regulations 1991.

 

Dated: 13 July 2011

 

 

Last updated: 8 August 2011