MEDIA RELEASE
23 June 2026
Victorian Architects Urged to Act on New Architect–Client Agreement Regulations
ArchiTeam is calling on Victorian architects to take immediate action in response to recent changes to the Victorian Architect–Client Agreement regulations, which have introduced significant unintended consequences for small practices, sole practitioners, and architects undertaking limited-scope consultancy services.
While the regulations have now been enacted, there remains a critical opportunity to seek change.
Because these changes were introduced through regulation rather than legislation, there is a limited window until 9 September 2026 during which the regulations may be disallowed by Parliament. This process requires only one Member of Parliament to move a disallowance motion. To support such action, decision-makers need to understand the scale and practical impact of the issues being experienced across the profession.
ArchiTeam has been working behind the scenes to develop an advocacy campaign highlighting the concerns arising from the regulations and the lack of sufficient industry consultation prior to their introduction. The campaign also seeks to encourage the Victorian Government to voluntarily amend the regulations in response to feedback from practitioners.
To support this effort, ArchiTeam is asking every Victorian member to contact their local Members of Parliament and share their experiences.
Members are encouraged to:
- Send the provided advocacy letter to their local MPs.
- Personalise the letter with examples from their own practice where relevant.
- Email both their Lower House representative and the five Upper House MPs representing their region.
- Copy the Minister for Housing and the Premier into each email.
- Share the campaign with Victorian architects who are not currently ArchiTeam members.
Supporting resources have been prepared, including a template letter and instructions on how to identify and contact local MPs.
The objective is simple: demonstrate the breadth of concern across the profession and ensure that Parliament understands the practical implications these regulations will have for architects, clients, and small businesses throughout Victoria.
The template letter also includes a request for a meeting with local MPs. Should members be offered an opportunity to meet with their elected representatives, ArchiTeam is available to provide support and briefing materials to assist with those discussions.
"We appreciate that practitioners are busy and that advocacy activities often compete with project commitments," said ArchiTeam Director Karen Erdos. "However, a small investment of time now could have a significant impact on the future regulatory burden placed on architects. If successful, this campaign could help avoid unnecessary processes, paperwork and costs for practitioners and their clients."
ArchiTeam encourages all Victorian architects to participate and help ensure that the profession's voice is heard before the parliamentary review period closes on 9 September.
Please click here download the template and guide.
For further information, advocacy resources, or support in meeting with your local MP, please contact ArchiTeam.