POLICY & ADVOCACY

The Policy And Advocacy Work Of The Institute

A core activity of the Institute is to contribute to the public policy debate and to influence public policy development and change. Policy and advocacy activities occur at a state/territory and federal level. Many issues at a state or territory level can cross jurisdictions. National issues also impact states and territories. The Institute engages with local government collectively and individually on specific policy matters.

A KEY TASK FOR THE INSTITUTE IS TO CONSIDER A MULTITUDE OF EVIDENCE AND VIEWS, AND ARRIVE AT POSITIONS WHERE THE INSTITUTE SPEAKS WITH ONE VOICE ON ISSUES.

Policy and advocacy activities frequently go hand in hand but are separate processes. The policy work is shorthand for policy analysis, evidence gathering, formal and informal research, literature review, and member and expert consultation. This concludes as policy advice.

The advice is manifested as developed position statements, issues and recommendations in submissions, and key messages when communicating with politicians or government officials. The Institute from time to time also releases its own initiated reports or even bespoke outputs such as industry codes or guidelines.

Advocacy involves communications, media statements and engagement, messaging, and relations to influence stakeholders to understand and adopt Institute advice.

The Policy And Advocacy Team

The policy and advocacy team consists of five part-time and full-time staff. They are based in Canberra, Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia.

In 2023 the team internally restructured responsibilities to apply its resources to manage national issues and support all eight chapters more equitably. The team now allocates team members to work with a chapter on specific issues rather than there being one single team member.

A triage process has also been established to enable issues to be prioritised for a response as well as periodic meetings with chapters to review their current priorities. The team has developed a register / or database.

Analysis

Indicates

The team engages with many Institute committees, external committees, and associations (eg the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Australian Construction Industry Forum, Green Building Council, government architects, Planning Institute of Australia, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Engineers Australia), and government reference groups at local, state and national levels.

A small example of the advocacy and policy work undertaken in 2022 includes:

A major campaign in Victoria during the second half of 2022 to prevent amendments to the Architects Act that would have removed from the legislation and minimum requirement for architects to be on the registration board.

A concerted response to a major cut in core funding to the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. Development of Climate Action and Sustainability Taskforce positions, focusing on embodied carbon and the eradication of gas from general applications (heating, hot water and cooking) in buildings.

A nationwide advocacy campaign in support of the introduction of higher energy standards and raised accessible standards for new homes in the National Construction Code 2022.

Assisting NSW members to link policy with practical implementation of the DBP Act & Regulation through oneto-one, group, and event consultation, and the creation of the Compliance Declaration Toolkit.

A strong and highly visible campaign on the revocation of the NSW Design and Place SEPP and associated planning principles.

The successful scrapping of the proposed introduction of capped daily rates for all NSW government contracts for architectural services.

Submissions on government consultations in WA in respect of Local Government Act reform, Planning Reform and Building Reform.

— Submissions on government consultations in SA in respect of planning review and heritage protection.

Submissions on government consultations in NT in respect of planning reform and architectural registration review.

Submissions on government consultations in Tasmania in respect of progress payments to builders and home warranty insurance.

State and federal budget submissions. Federal, Victorian, and South Australian government election campaigns.