This was published 9 years ago
Government: Building surveying is a growth industry
Business is booming for building surveyors, with many practitioners now approaching retirement.
By Carolyn Rance
Australia is experiencing a shortage of building surveyors across all states and territories, the profession's peak body reports
The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) says the situation could continue for some time, with a large number of current practitioners nearing retirement age, says spokesperson Wayne Liddy.
Fraser Orr, acting municipal building surveyor at Latrobe City Council, graduated in civil and environmental engineering during the global financial crisis.
Building surveyors work in state and federal government, where they develop building codes and legislation; in local government, enforcing local laws and building standards; as private sector consultants, certifying buildings for construction; and as building sector employees helping developers deal with design issues and project compliance.
Entry to the profession is through TAFE and tertiary courses but some practitioners come in from other disciplines and careers.
Fraser Orr, acting municipal building surveyor at Latrobe City Council, graduated in civil and environmental engineering during the global financial crisis, when engineering jobs were in short supply. He successfully applied for a building surveyor intern position at the council and studied part-time for his graduate diploma qualification.
He has not looked back, gaining registration and promotion in a relatively short time, and enjoying the proactive approach of the council to building design and safety.
His engineering knowledge often comes in useful: "Building surveying is a challenging and interesting career. I never get bored."
Gaining Ground Group managing director Wayne Liddy says the shortage of building surveyors exists in both the public and private sectors. Employment opportunities have broadened in recent decades as the Building Code of Australia and state and local legislation has expanded to address energy efficiency and fire safety.
"Tertiary qualified buildings surveyors are responsible for making sure that buildings are safe, accessible and energy efficient. They have an impact on the design, planning and functionality of buildings and are able to detect and diagnose problems with design, construction techniques and materials," Liddy says.
Practitioners can choose to specialise. Some work as building permit consultants, issuing permits and undertaking mandatory inspections. Others specialise in inspecting, conducting mandatory inspections on projects, and preparing reports for purchasers or people involved in building disputes. Others opt to work in fire safety -sometimes for emergency services - or legal consultancy with law firms, using their knowledge of building codes and legislation to settle claims and provide expert testimony in court cases.
Liddy says Australian building surveyors are well thought of internationally and opportunities exist to work in both developed and developing countries in Asia and beyond.
Orr is happy working in the community where he grew up and where his work does not confine him to a desk.
"A typical day can involve site inspections - it might be auditing compliance of a barrier to a backyard swimming pool and advising how safety can be increased or it might be checking a commercial or public building for fire safety or a construction project for compliance with its permit. I report to the council on applications for permits. Work in local government offers a lot of variety and a broad range of tasks," he says.