On this page there is information about
- complaints about architects, and
- complaints about people who are not architects holding out as architects – scroll down to Complaints about non-architects “holding out” to be architects (Breach of Title) below.
Complaints about the Professional Conduct of Architects
Section 18 of the Architects Act 1991 (“the Act”) provides that the Board, “on its own initiative or on the complaint of any person, may inquire into an architect’s fitness to practice or professional conduct”.
The Architects Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) contains the Victorian Architects Code of Professional Conduct that is binding on architects.
If you are considering complaining about an architect or wish to discuss compliance procedures please read the information on this page and then phone the Board and ask to speak to the Compliance Consultant.
How complaints are handled:
The procedure followed by the Board when a complaint is received is explained in detail in this document: Information on Complaints Procedures. This document can be found in “Compliance Resources” (located in the drop-down menu under the “Compliance” tab on this website).
In summary, the process followed is that when a complaint is received, the Board notifies the architect and asks for a response, two Board members (an architect and non-architect) review the matter and report to the Board, and the Board decides whether or not to refer the matter to an Architects Tribunal inquiry.
The Board has a Policy to assist it in determining matters for referral to Tribunal: ARBV Policy on Referral to Inquiry by Architects Tribunal (PDF). This document can be found in “Compliance Resources” (located in the drop-down menu under the “Compliance” tab on this website).
The Act (section 42 (2)) provides for a person to apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for review of a decision by the Board not to refer a matter to an Architects Tribunal inquiry.
Complainants should be aware that it may take several months for a decision to be made regarding a complaint.