ARBV Update

Edition 25, March 2026

Welcome to the first ARBV update for 2026! 

As we noted in the December 2025 newsletter, governance reforms affecting the ARBV have recently been proposed by government in response to the Independent Review of the Victorian Public Service by Helen Silver.

This review made recommendations for changes to various entities and advisory boards, including the ARBV. While government is not adopting all the recommendations made in the Silver Review, it is proposing to create a new Business and Professions Regulator, by expanding the role of the Business Licensing Authority to cover architects, surveyors and veterinarians.

As government is responsible for implementing the reform proposals, the ARBV will continue to operate in the usual way pending detailed implementation plans being developed and any changes coming into operation.

Changes to the Architects Regulations

The Architects Regulations are due to sunset and as previously advised the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) released a Regulatory Impact Statement for consultation late last year. The consultation period closed on 2 February 2026. Thank you to everyone who submitted responses to the consultation.

We understand that consultation responses are currently being reviewed by DTP and a final version of the new regulations is being developed to come into effect on 26 April 2026. As soon as the Regulations are made, the ARBV will issue communications about the changes and how they will impact architects and consumers of architectural services.

Reminder of renewal changes

Renewal for 2026 will start in May and is due by Tuesday 30 June 2026.

It is important to ensure you are up to date with the changes to the renewal process arising from legislative changes that came into effect in August 2025. Failure to renew registration by 30 June 2026 will incur additional fees and if renewal requirements remain unmet on 1 August 2026, this will lead to removal from the Register of Architects.

The changes will mean that:

• the following requirements must be completed by 30 June:
  • payment of renewal fees (previously due on 1 July) for practising architects, companies and partnerships
  • practising architects, companies and partnerships must provide the ARBV with proof of required professional indemnity insurance coverage (see the further update on PII below)
  • practising architects must also provide the ARBV with proof of compliance with continuing professional development requirements by way of a declaration and a declaration that they are a fit and proper person to continue practising as an architect
  • non-practising architects must confirm they intend to remain non-practising and make a declaration that they are a fit and proper person to remain on the Register as a non-practising architect.
• a late payment fee is payable if renewal requirements are not completed by 30 June.
• registration or approval automatically expires 1 month after the renewal due date. If renewal requirements remain unmet on 1 August, registrant details will be removed from the Register of Architects.
• architects, companies and partnerships with expired registration or approval can apply to reinstate their registration or approval within 2 months after it ceases (i.e. by 1 October).
• reinstatement after 2 months is at the discretion of the ARBV.
• where an application for reinstatement is made, a reinstatement fee will apply in addition to renewal fees.

The ARBV will issue correspondence letting you know when the renewal period has started.

We will also be hosting a webinar in April going through the changes to the renewal process, as well as the pending changes to the Architects Regulations.

Further update on PII proof of coverage 

Some architects and firms have provided feedback to the ARBV that changing their cycle of insurance to avoid expiry of coverage in July, August or September may be difficult to co-ordinate. The ARBV confirms that we will continue to accept proof of coverage that expires in these months, but we may contact the registrant to discuss their cycle of insurance.

As outlined in the December Update, we will review compliance with proof of insurance requirements at the end of the 2027 registration year. This will include assessing whether the requirement for coverage not to expire in July, August and September can be relaxed in some circumstances.

For renewal, please note that if your 12-month proof of insurance does not cover the same period as the registration year (i.e. 1 July to 30 June), you will be required to make a declaration that you:

• will not allow your insurance cover to lapse; and
• will provide the ARBV with updated proof before the coverage expires.

Upcoming ARBV Webinars 

A range of webinars have been held, and further webinars are planned as part of the ARBV’s CPD program. We are on track to provide 10 formal free CPD webinars for the current financial year (CPD cycle). 

The topics of webinars planned for the coming months are set out below. Full details are yet to be published, so look out for emails from us prior to the events: 

• April: ResCode clause 55 amendments (1 CPD point)
• April: Overview of changes to registration renewal and the Regulations including to the Code of Professional Conduct (2 CPD points)
• May: Culture of Compliance research – architects duty to the public (1 CPD point)
• June: Carbon whole lifecycle (1 CPD point)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Audit outcome

CPD serves as a vital educational tool helping architects to keep informed of current issues and developments that may affect their practice. It also fosters connections among architects and promotes innovation within the field.

The ARBV recently audited a sample of architects (practising) who made a positive declaration at renewal in 2025, confirming that they had complied with CPD requirements during the preceding year.

Auditees were asked to provide a record of their CPD activities for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, including any documents supporting formal hours accrued. While there was improvement in some areas compared to last year, the results were still disappointing overall, with 20% of auditees not providing any records at all of completion of CPD. These individuals are now subject to disciplinary action as a result of their non-compliance.

Once again, we remind all architects in the practising class to keep an accurate record of their CPD activities for at least 5 years. All supporting documents should clearly identify the architect as the participant in claimed CPD activities. This will ensure that if you are selected to participate in a future CPD audit, you have a complete record of your CPD activities ready to provide to the ARBV. In our recent audit we found that 13% of respondents provided insufficient proof of their CPD activities to substantiate their positive declaration made at the time of renewal.

If there are personal circumstances (such as ill health) that have impacted your ability to meet your CPD obligations during the registration year, you may apply for an exemption. Your CPD exemption request should outline the circumstances that have prevented you from meeting your CPD requirements and be sent via email to registrar@arbv.vic.gov.au.  

The ARBV has the power to immediately suspend registration (followed by an inquiry by the Architects Tribunal) if architects fail to meet CPD requirements, however it is clearly preferable that architects comply with their obligations rather than having such serious action taken.

More information regarding CPD requirements can be found on the ARBV website, and a CPD record template is available to assist you to record your CPD activities.

Professional conduct case study 

Architects should exercise caution in providing general comment or informal guidance and make it abundantly clear that this is the context in which it is given, and it is not to be relied upon, or presented to others, as professional advice.

Recently the ARBV carried out an investigation about an architect allegedly providing professional advice in relation to a dispute about roof repairs.

The complainant in this case lived in a property designed by and previously occupied by the architect approximately 14 years ago. The property was a duplex that had a single roof with a unified stormwater and guttering system, which was in a state of disrepair. The complainant and the adjoining neighbour became involved in a dispute about the repairs required to fix the issues with the roof drainage system.

The adjoining neighbour telephoned the architect, who formerly lived next door in the duplex, and they spoke about the roof drainage issue that had arisen with the passing of time. The architect made a suggestion about how the issue could potentially be addressed. In the architect’s mind, they were simply providing a possible option for consideration to address the problem, based on their knowledge of the roof as its designer and as a former resident of the property. The architect did not believe that they were giving professional advice and believed that they were having an informal conversation about how the roof drainage issue could potentially be resolved.

Unbeknownst to the architect, the adjoining neighbour wrote to the complainant, referring to the architect and the architect’s firm as having provided them with advice about how to rectify the issues with the stormwater and guttering system.

The complaint to the ARBV alleged that the advice was outside the scope of the architect’s practise or expertise and that, as the architect had not inspected the property in over 14 years, they were not able to provide advice about how the issues with the roof drainage system should be addressed. The complainant also alleged that as the architect had designed the property, it was a conflict of interest for the architect to have provided the advice.   

The ARBV accepted the architect’s evidence about the nature of the telephone conversation with the adjoining neighbour and was of the view that, in the circumstances, it could not reasonably be held to have amounted to the provision of professional services.

While the ARBV determined not to take any disciplinary action against the architect in relation to the complaint, this case highlights the risks that architects face when having informal or even passing conversations about architecture-related matters or issues. The risk is that the person receiving the information from an architect may interpret it as professional advice and rely on it and/or represent it as such to others when this was never intended by the architect.

Architects should exercise caution in providing general comment or informal guidance and make it abundantly clear that this is the context in which it is given, and it is not to be relied upon, or presented to others, as professional advice. By doing so, the architect will minimise the possibility of a dispute arising about whether professional advice was provided for which the architect is subject to professional obligations and is accountable. It may be open to the architect to provide professional advice (unless there is a conflict or perceived conflict of interest) but this must only be provided where a client architect agreement has been entered into.

Terminology for graduates and students

The ARBV often receives queries from graduates and students about acceptable titles. Below is a graphic of compliant terminology that graduates and students can use.

Professional Practice Awards

Congratulations to the Architects Registration Board of Victoria Professional Practice Award recipients for 2025:

• Evie Cassidy from Deakin University
• Tara Nosko-Malberg from the University of Melbourne
• Calvin Lo from RMIT University
• Chelsea Fisher from Monash University
• Ellen Tobin from Swinburne University

The University of Melbourne and Deakin University will be holding their award ceremonies in May 2026. The award ceremony for Monash University was held on 20 November 2025, and the Swinburne University ceremony was held on 10 March 2026.

The Professional Practice Award is awarded to students at Victorian Universities for academic excellence in a subject that demonstrates specific knowledge, skills and industry preparedness related to architectural practice. 

Image below: Ellen Tobin (Swinburne University award recipient) and Fiona Gjoni (ARBV Deputy Registrar)

APEN Symposium

The ARBV is proud to be partnering with the Architectural Practice Educators Network (APEN) for the Symposium in April 2026.

APEN was established in mid-2023 by Associate Professor Melonie Bayl-Smith (BIJL Architecture, UNSW) and has grown rapidly to include educators in Professional Practice from all Australian and New Zealand Schools of Architecture. Members meet regularly to share knowledge and support the ongoing development of innovative, quality pedagogy regarding architectural practice, and to strengthen links to other subject areas within the broader architectural curriculum.

On 17 April 2026 Monash University and RMIT universities will jointly host the second APEN Symposium.  This Symposium will focus on being 'Practice Ready' and will canvas the future-readiness of architecture workers, from new graduates to experienced practitioners. 

For more information, check out the APEN website.

Regional Architecture Association 'Power of Community'

The Regional Architecture Association (RAA) held a successful 'Power of Community' event over 12 to 14 March 2026 in Yarrayne/Guilford.

The ARBV’s Principal Advisor Architect, Isabel Legge and CEO and Registrar, Dr Glenice Fox attended the event on 13 March 2026. An ARBV update was provided covering legislative changes to the registration renewal process, pending amendments to the Architects Regulations, and resources available for architects.

A founding principle of the RAA is to support and build community in the regions through architecture. The RAA's first event in Victoria was well attended and well received by all those taking part.