Australia’s current patchwork of state-based engineering registration schemes has long created friction for the profession. Following the Treasurers Productivity Roundtable, the opportunity has presented itself to collaborate for a single national system to unlock mobility, productivity and consistency.
Engineers Australia, Consult Australia, Professionals Australia and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia have jointly submitted to a federal review of occupational licensing, making the case for a single, harmonised registration scheme.
At the heart of the proposal is a simple principle. Engineers should be able to “register once, practise anywhere” across Australia, in a model comparable to a driver’s licence.
The submission argues the current state-based approach creates duplication, inefficiency and barriers to moving skilled engineers where they are most needed. There are more than 450,000 engineers in the workforce, with more than 240,000 working directly in engineering, many of whom work across jurisdictions. These constraints are increasingly at odds with the demands of major infrastructure programs, energy transition and national security priorities.
Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO FTSE HonFIEAust EngExec said reform is overdue.
“Our joint submission outlines how current, inconsistent registration requirements across jurisdictions create significant inefficiencies, increase costs and limit workforce mobility,” she said.
“This fragmented system also contributes to regulatory gaps and constrains the effective deployment of engineering expertise at a time when Australia faces growing infrastructure, security and skilled workforce demands.”
Despite existing mutual recognition schemes, the peak bodies argue these arrangements have failed to deliver meaningful mobility due to inconsistencies between jurisdictions. Differences in how engineering disciplines are defined, how schemes are applied and who qualifies for recognition continue to limit their effectiveness.
Instead, the submission points to engineering’s strong foundation of internationally recognised standards as a ready-made platform for national alignment.
“Engineering already operates within well-established, internationally-recognised professional standards, providing a strong foundation for a nationally harmonised registration framework aligned to Australia’s needs,” Madew said.
The economic case is also significant. Consult Australia estimates millions could be saved by reducing administrative duplication for engineers working across borders.
“With the ambition of AUKUS, the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and an expansive public infrastructure pipeline unfolding across the country – now is the time to make it easier to engineer,” said Consult Australia CEO Jonathan Cartledge.
“Across our membership, we estimate that more than $54 million could be saved just by helping our existing registered engineers do what they do best irrespective of the state or territory they find themselves in.”
From a delivery perspective, inconsistent registration is also affecting how engineers are deployed on projects. The submission highlights cases where workforce allocation is influenced by licensing constraints rather than technical capability, leading to inefficiencies and delays.
Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia CEO David Jenkins said a national system would better reflect how engineers actually work.
“From a public works and infrastructure perspective, this reform is long overdue. Engineers need a system that reflects how they work, across borders, across jurisdictions and across sectors,” he said.
“National registration will provide greater consistency, strengthen public confidence and ensure we can deploy engineering expertise where it is needed most.”
Professionals Australia CEO Sam Roberts emphasised the implications for safety and fairness.
“As the union for engineers, our members carry enormous responsibility for public safety, yet the regulatory framework hasn’t kept up,” he said. “A single national registration scheme, built on well-established international standards, is the logical next step.
“Workers should not be punished for crossing a border to do their job. A national engineering registration scheme means engineers can register once and work where they’re needed, without needless red tape or cost shifting to individuals.”
With governments increasingly focused on productivity and workforce mobility, the peak bodies argue the timing is right to resolve what it describes as decades of regulatory fragmentation. A national scheme, it says, would not only streamline compliance but also strengthen public trust, improve consistency in professional standards and ensure engineering expertise can be deployed quickly in response to national priorities.
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