A snapshot of the Australian Institute of Architects member support available to you

COVID-19 has presented the most pressing and rapid changes that many in our community, industry and nation will experience in their lifetime.

Across the country staff and volunteers are working hard to assist Institute members and the industry with the immediate and ongoing impacts to our industry as a result of the pandemic. We are working hard to:

  • Support and secure the incoming pipeline of work
  • Provide pragmatic business advice to help firm continuity
  • Communicate with clarity regarding the rules, regulations, changes and support available for firms

We’ve promptly shifted our face to face services into a digital environment, to provide our members with ease of access and continuity to member services.  

Photographer: Wes Hicks

A numerical snapshot of our response

  • Since March, members have accessed our crisis response services and information over 45,000 times
  • Member usage of HR + has increased by 100% since March
  • Every hour, over 40 practices lean on the Institute for support
  • Each day, over 300 individuals utilise the Institute’s COVID-19 resources
  • We are communicating crisis response updates to our members every three -four days on average
  • Across the nation we’re sharing your concerns with Government weekly

As a member organisation we are eager to increase the number of firms and individuals accessing our COVID-19 response services. For quick reference hyperlinks are provided below. Please help us spread the word by sharing  these with your team and get in touch if you have a suggestion of how we could better assist.

Accessing the Institute’s COVID-19 Assistance

The Institute’s Business advice to support your firm’s continuity

Member Lean Ins 

Lean Ins are one-hour live-streamed interviews and presentations featuring subject matter experts from across the country. Held twice a week since March (and moving to once a week in September), we’ve held over 40 sessions to date which have been accessed over 16,000 times. This service is provided complimentary for members, with playback available for most of the sessions for those who are unable to attend the live events.

The Institute’s Business Continuity Guidance Material

The following videos and articles can be accessed through the Member Portal:

  • Video: JobKeeper Architects Microlearning
  • Video: Covid-19 Architects Microlearning (16 Mar 2020)
  • Coping with Community Crisis or Natural Disaster
  • Mental health in the profession (publicly available)
  • Administering contracts: COVID-19 considerations
  • COVID-19 Update: JobKeeper and Fair Work Act Amendments April 2020
Photographer: Fabian Irsara

Online CPD

In July we launched 51 new online training courses, covering a broad range of topics such as safety in design, risk, contracts, colour psychology, BIM, community engagement, urbanism and much more.

2020 Virtual Chapter Architecture Awards

We know the Chapter Architecture Awards Program is important to our members. To ensure the awards could continue we moved the event series online. This decision not only enabled us to recognise the outstanding achievements of our members but also increased the inclusivity of the awards program, allowing over 30,000 people to see one or more of the events.

Victoria Architecture Awards Live Winners Announcement

Guidance regarding Government rules, regulations, changes and the support available

News Updates – Issued weekly via multiple sources

Regular updates are shared with our members via the following methods of communication email, online, LinkedIn and Instagram. Our COVID-19 news page has been viewed over 14,000 times since March. If you are not receiving email communications from our team, please check your junk mail and confirm your mailing address via membership@architecture.com.au.

Acumen Practice Notes – COVID-19 Regulatory Guidance Material

The Institute’s Economic Stimulus and Financial Support Guide

  • The Institute has created a National Guide to COVID-19 Government stimulus packages – it can be accessed online here.
  • Relief for Commercial Tenants – Further information
  • Questions for business.gov.au? Call the business hotline – 13 28 46

Supporting your incoming pipeline of work

Our policy and media experts across the nation are working directly with Government and the media to communicate the needs of our members during COVID-19. A sample listing of our COVID-19 related policy submissions is provided below, and further information can be found by viewing our full submission library here.

  • Submission: March 2020 Stimulus Package
  • Submission: April 2020 Economic Stimulus
  • Submission: Letter to Ministers, Planning stimulus and measures for evaluating public benefit, April 2020
  • Submission: Letter to Premier, State making infrastructure initiatives for immediate impact and positive legacy, April 2020
  • Submission: Letter to The Hon Rob Stokes, living streets – improving green infrastructure and public domain to support human and environmental health, May 2020
  • Submission: Letter to The Hon Rob Stokes, Managing public space, transport and vehicles in support of physical distancing measures, May 2020
  • Submission: Re/create space program, share your ideas for projects in NSW that can deliver public and environmental benefit, timely economic stimulus and importantly jobs for architects and the industry
  • Submission: CBOS, Director’s Determination & Progress Payments, 2020
  • Submission: Minister for Building & Construction, Stimulus Response, 2020
  • Submission: Tasmania Chapter COVID-19 Member Survey, May Results, 2020
  • Submission: Stalled Projects, 2020
  • Submission: Devonport Draft Local Provisions Schedule Submission, 2020
  • Submission: Tasmania Chapter COVID-19 Member Survey – April Results, 2020
  • Submission: Tasmanian Government Stimulus Suggestions, 2020
  • Submission: Coordinator General, JobKeeper, 2020
  • Submission: Coordinator General, Impacts of COVID-19 on the Architecture Industry, 2020
  • Submission: Board of Architects of Tasmania, APE, 2020
  • Submission: The Treasury Buildings, 2020
  • Submission: Minister for Planning, Statutory Timeframes, 2020
  • Submission: Minister for Building & Construction, JobKeeper, 2020
  • Submission: Premier of Tasmania, COVID-19 Industry Support, 2020
  • Submission: Stimulus Package – COVID-19 2020

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