Practice
Charter
The principles that govern how Plico Advisory works — with clients, with collaborators, and within the broader built environment profession.
Preamble
Architecture and heritage advisory carry obligations that extend beyond any individual project. This charter sets out the commitments Plico Advisory makes to clients, the profession, and the communities in which we work. It is not a marketing document — it is the standard we hold ourselves to.
Our commitments to clients
We communicate clearly. Fee proposals, scope descriptions, programme milestones, and technical advice are written in plain English. We do not hide complexity in professional jargon or obscure risk in ambiguous language.
We tell clients what is realistically achievable — not what they want to hear. If a site has constraints that limit development potential, we say so clearly and early. Our value is in accurate assessment, not in telling an optimistic story that a project will later fail to deliver.
We agree scope in writing before we start. If scope changes, we discuss it before we proceed — not after. We do not expand work and then charge for it retrospectively. Variations are proposed, agreed, and documented before they are undertaken.
We acknowledge all client communications within one business day. We provide substantive responses to project queries within two business days. Where a matter requires more time, we say so and provide an expected response date.
Client information is held in confidence. Project details, site information, financial parameters, and strategic intentions shared with Plico Advisory are not disclosed to third parties without explicit consent, except as required by law or as necessary to engage specialist subconsultants under confidentiality obligations.
Professional obligations
Plico Advisory operates under the professional obligations of the Architects Act 1991 (Vic) and equivalent interstate legislation, and the Australian Institute of Architects Code of Professional Conduct. The following commitments reflect those obligations as they apply to our practice.
All architectural services are provided under the oversight of Angus Wallace ARBV 17684, a registered architect in Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia. Registration is maintained current. We do not practice beyond the limits of our registration or expertise.
Principals maintain CPD obligations under the relevant Architects Acts and keep current with changes to the National Construction Code, planning policy, and heritage legislation that affect the services we provide.
We hold current professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Certificates of currency are available to clients on request. We do not provide services for which we are not adequately covered.
We disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest before accepting an engagement. Where a conflict cannot be managed, we will not accept the commission. We do not accept undisclosed commissions, referral fees, or financial benefits from third parties in connection with client engagements.
Heritage & community
Heritage work carries an obligation beyond the client relationship. The buildings and places we assess exist within a community and carry significance that extends beyond the interests of any single owner or project. We take this seriously.
Significance-led advice. Heritage assessments and impact statements are prepared on the basis of genuine significance assessment — not shaped to reach a predetermined outcome convenient for the project. Where the evidence supports a finding that significance is affected, we say so, and we work to find solutions that genuinely respond to that significance.
Community consultation. Where heritage assessments engage with community heritage values, we commit to genuine consultation — not token process. Community views are documented accurately and considered in our assessment, even where they differ from the client's position.
How we work