Security of payment in Victoria
Victoria’s scheme is the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002. It gives people who carry out construction work, or supply related goods and services under a construction contract, a statutory route to claim progress payments and have disputed claims adjudicated.
The Act is amended from time to time. When we checked the version history on Victorian Legislation it listed versions in force from 15 April 2026 and 24 June 2026, so read the current authorised version rather than an older summary. Whether a particular design engagement is covered depends on the contract and the Act’s definitions; we have not found an official Victorian statement on that point, so we don’t make one here.
Who registers building designers
Building practitioners in Victoria are registered by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), which took over from the Victorian Building Authority. Its building designer category (the old “draftsperson” category) has three classes: Building Design (Architectural), Building Design (Interior) and Building Design (Services).
That matters for split billing because a Victorian job can carry several registered or licensed people at once, each invoicing their own scope. DrafterShare doesn’t check registrations; it simply keeps each party’s line separate so the paperwork stays honest.
Planning in Victoria
Planning is run under the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Every municipality has its own planning scheme, and each one is built from the Victoria Planning Provisions, a statewide template of zones, overlays and particular provisions. A Melbourne job in one council area can therefore face different local policies from the same design a few streets away in another.
For fee schedules, that is a reason to split “planning drawings” and “response to further information” into separate stages rather than one lump sum.
Example: a Melbourne extension
- Stage 1: concept and planning drawings (designer)
- A$3,850
- Stage 2: structural design (engineer)
- A$2,200
- Stage 2: energy rating (energy assessor)
- A$660
- Stage 3: construction documentation (designer)
- A$4,400
- Client pays per stage
- A$11,110 total
In DrafterShare the client would see one schedule. As each stage is approved, one invoice goes out and the payment is split to the people who did that stage. Payment processing is planned, not live.
Using DrafterShare in Victoria
This page is general information drawn from the official sources listed below, not legal advice. Check the current law, and get advice on your own contract.
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Questions
Is a Victorian “draftsperson” still a registration category?
The BPC now calls the category building designer, with architectural, interior and services classes. Check the BPC page in the sources for current requirements.
Does DrafterShare prepare Victorian payment claims?
No. DrafterShare is planned as fee and payment software. It does not prepare or serve payment claims under the 2002 Act.
Sources
Official pages we relied on, checked 27 October 2026. Laws change; always read the current version.
- Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) (opens in a new tab) · Victorian Legislation
- Building designer registration (opens in a new tab) · Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria)
- Planning schemes: guide to Victoria’s planning system (opens in a new tab) · Planning Victoria