With a slew of new initiatives and campaigns underway, Australia’s premier not-for-profit cooperative supporting small- and medium-sized architecture practices has had a busy start to the year.

ArchiTeam and RAA join forces

Kicking off 2026 ArchiTeam has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Regional Architecture Association (RAA) to further assist regional architects working across the country. The MoU formalises a long-standing relationship between the two bodies and underlines their shared commitment to looking after the interests of those practitioners working in small and sole studios outside of Australia’s capital cities.

The shared focus will give greater emphasis to coordinating CPD (continuing professional development) event calendars, aligning their programming and sharing opportunities. Of special interest to members of both organisations is the reciprocal member benefits and eligibility for shared offers that will be ensue.

This includes the upcoming Power of Community event, organised by the RAA and scheduled for 12 to 14 March.

Standing up for the little (and not so little) guys

For the last four years, ArchiTeam has been participating in consultations led by the Victorian Government around the issue of reviewing the state’s Architects Registration Board (ARBV). And, for the last year, ArchiTeam’s CEO, Phoebe LaGerche-Wijsman, and recent chair John Liu have been part of separate consultation processes alongside the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Consulting Architects (ACA) reviewing the Architects Regulations 2015, while also taking into consideration the Architects Act 1991.

The upshot of all this consultation and reviewing is a Regulatory Impact Statement, released by the Victorian Government at the end of 2025. While agreeing with many proposals and updates arising from the reviews, especially those aimed at improving ARBV operations, ArchiTeam was alarmed by a so-called ‘important note’ proposing to effectively abolish the ARBV, and hand its regulatory powers over to the Business Licensing Authority (BLA).

This would require substantial amendments to, if not a complete rewrite of, the Architects Act 1991.

Dismayed at the zero consultation with architectural bodies on the proposal, ArchiTeam has submitted a formal response to the Government, stating its opposition to such a move. Further details of the proposal and ArchiTeam’s strong stance on the issue can be found on its website.

Further submissions

ArchiTeam has also lodged a submission to the Australian Government Treasury, responding to a proposed project to modernise the National Construction Code (NCC). The organisation’s response drew from a member meeting convened by ArchiTeam last month, in which practitioners, working directly with the Code, were invited to share on-the-ground experience of its application and to identify practical, implementable reforms that would improve regulatory outcomes while maintaining safety and performance.

The submission outlines seven key reform areas:

• reducing complexity and improving the usability of the NCC through clearer drafting and
  user-centred digital design
• removing unnecessary state-based variations to restore national consistency
• making Australian Standards freely accessible
• strengthening and de-risking performance solution pathways to support innovation and
  adaptive reuse
• clarifying the distinction between Deemed-to-Satisfy and performance solutions
• enabling digital and AI-assisted compliance through machine-readable code structures, and
• aligning NCC reform with Professional Indemnity insurance realities.

Core business

All this advocacy and strategic thinking has been taking place alongside ArchiTeam’s regular operations – looking after the interests and wellbeing of small and medium practices across Australia, offering peer support, insurance, legal services, business documents, state-based forums, research, conferences, the Breakfast Club and its prestigious 17-year old program The ArchiTeam Awards. Its work includes:

• providing high-quality CPD events online and face to face
• offering competitive Professional Indemnity insurance to its members utilising the power of a cooperative approach and a group policy, and
• issuing an extra three months membership free of charge, depending on when you sign (membership runs annually from 31 May to 31 May the following year).

For more information on all of ArchiTeam’s recent endeavours and ongoing operations, visit the website.

Top image: Yarraville Peak by Weaver + Co Architects, winner of the Residential Alterations and Additions over $1 million in the 2025 ArchiTeam Awards.