Rpeq CPD Requirements
Rpeq CPD Requirements
Rpeq CPD Requirements
Issue 74 2020
E-NEWS
A word from the Chair
25,000th RPEQ registered
COVID-19 accelerates structural shifts in
infrastructure use: Infrastructure Australia
Revised Continuing Registration
Requirements Policy
Local government engagement 2021
Queensland Budget 2020-21
The Spirit of Queensland tourist train heads north, passing the Glasshouse Mountains. Image courtesy of Queensland Rail.
Protecting the
public and setting
the standard of
engineering.
A word from
the Chair
The year 2020 will be remembered for its many challenges. – Burdekin Falls Dam, Gladstone Liquefied Natural Gas
As a profession, engineers have risen to these challenges projects, Queensland-New South Wales Interconnector, the
and will be instrumental as Queensland and Australia Tilt Train.
emerges from the coronavirus recession.
In the year that BPEQ celebrated its anniversary and these
Rather than dwell on the negatives of this year I would like great people, companies and projects we also registered
to highlight the many great RPEQs, companies and projects the 25,000th RPEQ. Congratulates to Darren Alcock (RPEQ#
written about in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the 25,000 – Civil) who was registered in December. As I write
Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland. this there are 15,983 RPEQs registered.
In the 90 years Queensland has had the Professional There are two accomplishments this year that I want to
Engineers Act and the registration system, many imminent mention specifically: amendments to the Professional
engineers have carried the protected title RPEQ, including: Engineers Act 2002, to expand BPEQ’s investigative and
compliance functions, and the development of a new
• Three knights Strategic Plan for 2020-24. Included in the plan is the
• 11 Imperial or Australian honours holders, such as strategic opportunity to lead the discussion regarding a
OAMs national professional engineering registration scheme.
• Two university chancellors BPEQ’s position, and something we will be working toward,
is that each Australian state and territory recognises the
• And many more award recipients and leaders
importance of engineers and has a registration scheme for
Sir John Kemp’s ‘great gifts and extraordinary versatility’ engineers that protects the public and upholds professional
helped make Queensland what it is today. standards. I believe these changes will frame BPEQ’s
operations and objectives in 2021 but the work has already
Clifford Calder’s legacy lives on the great work done by started – earlier this month BPEQ made a submission to
Brandon and Associates in the Darling Downs, South West, the Western Australian’s Government’s consultation on
and Central Queensland. a registration scheme for engineers in that jurisdiction.
Nicole Morgan carved out an impressive career in We hope to be able to work with the Western Australian
engineering and aviation. In 1981, more than 50 years since Government going forward.
the establishment of the RPEQ scheme, she became the first This will be the final e-news issue for the year. As much as
female RPEQ. possible we try to include information that helps engineers
Then there is modern day great RPEQs like Dr Marlene Kanga to comply with their legal obligations and be model
who led the push to declare 4 March as ‘World Engineering professionals. BPEQ always welcomes your suggestions
Day’, the first international day for engineering, celebrated for e-news topics, so if you do have ideas contact
for the first time this year. engagement@bpeq.qld.gov.au.
Or Duncan Gilmore who has pioneered research and Please be aware that the BPEQ office will close from midday
development into emissions reduction technology and 24 December until 4 January and registration applications
renewable energy projects since the 1980s. made between now and the new year will be held off for
processing until 4 January.
At the same time many world leading engineering
companies were founded right here in Queensland. The I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
likes of Downer, Mount Isa Mines and Thiess have helped
build and develop our state. DAWSON WILKIE
Chair and regional representative
RPEQs and some of these companies have been behind
some remarkable feats of engineering in Queensland
structural shifts in Online sales grew five times the annual growth recorded in
infrastructure use:
2019 seeing waste generation, such as paper and plastic
packaging, spike. The 20 per cent rise in municipal waste
Infrastructure Australia
because of Covid-19 comes at the same time as the waste
and recycling industry is dealing with China’s foreign waste
and recycling ban.
The Australian Infrastructure sector responded well to the Metropolitans have flocked to the regions with a 200 per
challenges of Covid-19 but several trends will impact on cent increase in net migration from capital cities to regional
future infrastructure delivery and demand, according to a areas putting pressure on housing stock, roads and other
report from Infrastructure Australia (IA). local infrastructure. Along with people making sea and tree
changes, state lockdowns have resulted in increased tourist
Infrastructure beyond COVID-19: A national study on the numbers to regional centres.
impacts of the pandemic on Australia was requested by the
Commonwealth Government to help the development of Whether these trends continue is uncertain, but most are
the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan. Demand and use expected to last at least until a vaccine is widely available
of transport, telecommunications, digital, energy, water, and introduced to the Australian population. It is, however,
waste, and social infrastructure has changed dramatically realistic to think demand for urban transport and office
since the coronavirus outbreak which must be understood to accommodation will diminish or remain static and the
plan, fund and deliver future infrastructure. demand for broadband network and housing stock in
regional areas increase in coming years.
People’s willingness to use public transport has dropped
significantly, by between 10-30 per cent in most cities. This The report finds that governments and infrastructure service
means more private vehicles on the roads and local traffic providers responded well to the changing infrastructure
congestion. Traffic data shows that road transport is nearly demand, namely in digital service delivery and local and
back to pre-Covid-19 levels after initial reductions in traffic regional built environment infrastructure.
on major arterial corridors.
Infrastructure construction continued during the worst of the
An extra 4 million people (30 per cent of the workforce) pandemic and helped soften the economic and employment
have been working at home since March 2020. A third of slowdown.
these works prefer to remain working from home adding to
broadband network demand, energy and water consumption To read the report in full visit infrastructureaustralia.gov.au
BPEQ has developed a revised Continuing Registration b. undertake a minimum 75% (112.5 hours) of the 150
Requirements (CRR) Policy for engineers applying for hours as technical CPD;
renewal or restoration of their registration.
c. undertake a maximum of 25% (37.5 hours) of
CRR are requirements that, if satisfied, demonstrate that the 150 hours as non-technical CPD (e.g. project
an applicant for renewal or restoration of registration has management, law, communication);
maintained competency in their area/s of engineering and d. undertake as a minimum, 1 hour of non-technical
within their area of competence for which the applicant is, CPD covering ethics; and
or was, registered.
e. undertake as a minimum, 1 hour of non-technical
The policy sets out: CPD covering risk management.
a. the framework on the nature and extent of continuing CPD for multiple areas of practice
professional development (CPD) to be undertaken by If you are registered for more than one area of engineering,
the applicant; you must record as a minimum at least 50 hours of technical
CPD for each area of engineering. You must also continue
b. the framework on the nature and extent of research,
to meet the minimum requirement of 112.5 hours overall of
study or teaching, relating to engineering, to be
technical CPD.
undertaken by the applicant; and
c. the framework on the nature and extent of For example, if you are registered for mechanical and
administrative work, relating to engineering, to be electrical engineering, you must undertake a minimum of
performed by the applicant. 50 hours of technical CPD related to both mechanical and
electrical. Some technical CPD activities may overlap and in
RPEQs registered with an assessment entity for this case, you can label the activities as both mechanical-
participation in CPD related and electrical-related CPD.
If the applicant is registered with an approved assessment
entity for participation in the CPD of the entity, the applicant The diagram below illustrates a situation where 15 hours of
is to comply with the requirements of that entity. technical CPD is related to both mechanical and electrical.
The RPEQ in this example complies with the minimum
Assessment entities can provide notifications to the Board requirement of 112.5 hours of technical CPD, and the
on applicants who fail to meet the CPD requirements of that minimum requirement of 50 hours per area of engineering.
assessment scheme and would therefore not comply with
BPEQ’s CRR Policy.
Short courses, workshops, seminars and There is no limit to the maximum number of hours you
2 discussion groups, conferences, technical can claim.
inspections and technical meetings.
3 Structured learning activities in the workplace A maximum of 75 hours of you total CPD may be claimed.
that extend competence in the area/s of
engineering.
4 Private study which extends knowledge and A maximum of 18 hours of your total CPD may be
skills*. claimed.
5 Service to the engineering profession. A maximum of 50 hours of your total CPD may be
claimed.
engagement
corrupt conduct.
BPEQ staff will contact the following councils to arrange seminars and
meetings on the PE Act and RPEQ system on the dates listed below.
2021 Further dates to meet with councils not listed will be advised. Councils can
request a seminar on the PE Act and RPEQ system as needed.
For further information or to request a seminar contact
engagement@bpeq.qld.gov.au.
North West
Queensland
Central
QLD Central
QLD
Sunshine
and Burnett 6
South West
Queensland Darling
Downs
QUEENSLAND
Queensland’s 2020-21 Budget was handed down on
1 December 2020 and includes allocated spending for
infrastructure and capital works worth $14.8 billion.
BUDGET 2020-21 To read the learn more about the Queensland Budget 2020-
21 visit budget.qld.gov.au/budget-papers
BPEQ extends a warm welcome to the following engineers who recently became registered:
Don’t forget BPEQ is on LinkedIn and Twitter. To keep up to date with the
latest news and events from BPEQ or to start a discussion on registration
or engineering issues generally, click FOLLOW.
www.bpeq.qld.gov.au
admin@bpeq.qld.gov.au
This newsletter is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice and should not be taken or relied
upon as such. If you have any questions or concerns about your compliance with the Professional Engineers Act
2002 (Qld) or your general legal obligations as an engineer, you should obtain appropriate legal advice. The Board
accepts no legal responsibility or liability for any loss you may suffer as a result of reliance upon the information
contained in this newsletter.