AIRAH thanks the NSW Productivity Commission for the opportunity to provide feedback on the New thinking on continuing professional development discussion paper.

Our primary aim is to develop the competence and skills of industry practitioners so that they can better meet society’s evolving health, safety and environmental demands, and the challenges of a rapidly changing world. AIRAH encourages world’s best practice within the industry through continuing professional development, accreditation programs and technical publications.

Our members include both mechanical engineers, who are required to complete continuing professional development (CPD) under the NSW Design and Building Practitioners Act (and in many cases also under the CPD requirements of Engineers Australia), and HVAC&R technicians, who are licensed through NSW Fair Trading and currently are not required to complete continuing professional development.

AIRAH’s position is that CPD is necessary to create an Australian building industry that is highly skilled and professional, safe, sustainable and environmentally effective.

AIRAH would welcome the chance to be involved in ongoing consultations on this topic.