Engineering New Zealand Welcomes Regulatory Change

Engineering New Zealand welcomes the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s announcements on changes to the way engineers are regulated. The introduction of mandatory registration and licensing will assure the public that all practicing engineers are appropriately qualified and performing services with professional care and skill.

Engineering New Zealand President Rosalind Archer says, “The profession has been calling for strengthened regulation for many years. This is a very positive development.”

In the future all practicing engineers will need to be registered. Engineers working in practice fields that pose a higher risk to life, health, property, economic interests, public welfare or the environment will also need a licence.

The current Chartered Professional Engineers register, which is a voluntary mark of competence, will be phased out within six years after the new legislation comes into force.

MBIE consulted on proposals for occupational regulation in May 2021. As administrator of the current system, Engineering New Zealand submitted on these proposals after wide consultation with the engineering profession. The decisions released this week support Engineering New Zealand’s calls for an occupational regulation system that is simple and works for the whole profession, wider industry and public.

Many of the details of the new system are still to be worked through, including decisions on who will manage the new regulatory services. These decisions aren’t expected to be made until after the primary legislation is passed.

Dr Archer says, “Today’s decisions provide a level of certainty, which the profession has long asked for. More importantly, the new regulatory framework will give the public increased confidence that engineers are appropriately qualified, are working within their competency, and can be held to account if things go wrong.”

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