EXPLANATORY NOTESON REGISTRATION

Registration period and renewal

Initial registration will be to 30 June. Registration renewals are due between 1 April and 31 May each year. Ongoing registration is for a 12-month period, 1 July to 30 June.

Providing evidence of assessment

After completing an assessment through a BPEQ approved assessment scheme, applicants will need to provide a copy of a letter/notification from the assessment entity to BPEQ confirming they have been assessed as being eligible for registration.

Applicants with a CASA Instrument of Authority will need to provide a certified copy of a current Instrument of Authority.

Current RPEQs applying for registration in an additional area of engineering, or changing to another area of engineering, will need to complete an assessment through an approved scheme. After completing the assessment, a copy of a letter/notification from the assessment entity must be provided to BPEQ.

NB: A migration skills assessment does not meet the requirements for registration.

Fees

Applications for RPEQ practising received from 1 July 2018 - 24 December 2018 must include the application fee ($61.65) plus the annual registration fee ($227.65). For non-practising professional engineers, the application fee ($61.65) plus the annual non-practising registration fee ($113.80) is payable. Successful applicants would then be registered to 30 June 2019. Applications for RPEQ practising received from 25 December 2018 - 31 May 2019 must include the application fee ($61.65) plus the six-month registration fee ($114.55). No six-month concessional fee is available for non-practising. Successful applicants would then be registered to 30 June 2019.

Applications for RPEQ practising received from 1 June 2019 - 30 June 2019 must include the application fee ($61.65) plus the full annual registration fee ($227.65). For non-practising professional engineers, the application fee ($61.65) plus the annual non-practising registration fee ($113.80) is payable. Successful applicants would then be registered to 30 June 2020.

Applications for adding additional areas of engineering to an existing registration must include the application fee ($61.65). Successful applicants will have this detail added to existing registration information and be registered to end of financial year.

Fees are GST exempt.

Updated 17 July 2018

Non-practising professional engineer

The category of non-practising professional engineer has been established for professional engineers who are retired or on a career break (e.g. maternity leave).

Non-practising professional engineers must not carry out, or be responsible for the carrying out of, professional engineering services in Queensland or for Queensland. RPEQs wanting to change to non-practising professional engineer should notify BPEQ.

To change from a non-practising professional engineer to RPEQ practising the applicant will need to demonstrate that they have maintained competency in the area of engineering they are registered in. This may include evidence they are Chartered member (or similar) with one of BPEQ’s approved assessment entities or evidence of at least 150 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) over the past 5 years.

Signature

The registration application is a legal document and BPEQ must receive the document as an original (i.e. by post or delivered in person to the BPEQ office – documents cannot be emailed or faxed) with a wet ink signature.

Fitness to practise declaration

Engineers must complete a fitness to practise declaration when applying for or renewing their registration. The fitness to practise declaration informs BPEQ whether the applicant/RPEQ is a fit and proper person to practise engineering.

If an applicant/RPEQ answers ‘Yes’ to any of the fitness to practise questions, they must provide the documentation as requested on the application form. Declaring a fitness to practice issue (by answering ‘Yes’ to any of the fitness to practise questions) does not necessarily mean an applicant/RPEQ will be denied registration.

Notification

BPEQ will notify the applicant by writing whether registration was granted, with or without conditions, or postponed or refused. The notice will include a statement of the reason for the decision (and if requested by the applicant, additional information on which the reason was based).

Appealing BPEQ decision

An applicant may apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) for a review of a BPEQ decision(i.e. conditions, postponement, refusal or registration). BPEQ conditions will apply pending the outcome of any review.

Updated 17 July 2018

Definitions

Contact details - place of business

BPEQ requires a street address for your contact details, shown as “place of business”. A post office box is not sufficient and renewals without a street address will not be accepted. The PE Act provides that your place of business address is made available to the public.

What is a ‘spent conviction’?

A spent conviction means a conviction for which the rehabilitation period under the Criminal Law (Rehabilitation

of Offenders) Act 1986 has expired and has not revived under that Act.

What is ‘subject to bankruptcy action’?

• you are bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Act 1966 orthe law of an external territory and you have not beendischarged from that bankruptcy; or

• you have the status of an undischarged bankrupt underthe law of an external territory or the law of a foreigncountry; or

• any of your property is subject to control under section50 or Division 2 of Part X of the Bankruptcy Act 1966or a corresponding provision of the law of an externalterritory or the law of a foreign country; or

• you have executed a personal insolvency agreementunder Part x of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 or thecorresponding provisions of the law of an externalterritory or the law of a foreign country and you havenot fully complied with the terms of the agreement.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONVisit www.bpeq.qld.gov.au or contact BPEQ atadmin@bpeq.qld.gov.au or call 07 3210 3100

What is an ‘executive officer’ for a corporation?

• you are a director of the corporation; or• you are an executive officer of the corporation; or• you are concerned with or take part in the corporation’s

management.

What is ‘control action’ for a corporation?

• the corporation has executed a deed of companyarrangement under the Corporations Act 2001; or

• the corporation is the subject of a winding-up underthe Corporations Act 2001; or

• the corporation is the subject of an appointment of anadministrator, liquidator, receiver, or receiver and managerunder the Corporations Act 2001.

Who is an ‘executive officer of a corporation affected by control action’?

• you were an executive officer when the corporationbecame affected by the control action; or

• you were an executive officer within 1 year beforethe corporation became affected by the control actionif 5 years have not elapsed since it became affectedby the action.

Contact BPEQ’s Legal, Compliance and Investigations Unit at legal@bpeq.qld.gov.au or on 07 3210 3100 if you have any questions about a declaration regarding bankruptcy or insolvency or other fitness to practise concerns.