Description of Conduct

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) has lodged an application for revocation of authorisation A58 and its replacement by substitute authorisation A90946. Authorisation A90946 is in relation to
- RAIA's code of professional conduct
- RAIA's memorandum and articles of association
- RAIA's regulations and by-laws
- RAIA's client and architect agreements and user guides relating to those agreements
- guidelines for RAIA endorsed architectural competitions
- authorisation for RAIA to issue, from time to time, guides to assist architects and users of architects' services to negotiate appropriate fee arrangements for architectural services.

In July 2005 the ACCC issued a draft determination proposing to deny authorisation to RAIA's application as the ACCC was not satisfied that the public benefits likely to result from the proposed conduct, in its current form, would outweigh the potential anti-competitive detriments of that conduct.

The ACCC noted that if Standards 2.5, 4.3, 4.5 and 4.6 of the RAIA's proposed code of conduct were removed or appropriately amended and the fee graphs were severed from the authorisation the proposed conduct would be more likely to produce a net public benefit.

Granted substitute authorisation A90946 for the RAIA and its current and future members to engage in conduct provided for in the RAIA's:
- Code of professional conduct
- memorandum and articles of association
- regulations and by-laws
- guidelines for RAIA endorsed architectural competitions and
- standard form client and architect agreements and related documents.
Authorisation granted for 6 years.

Applicant(s)

  • Royal Australian Institute of Architects

Authorisation number(s)

  • A90946