PIA NEWS
ADAPTING TO CHANGE AND ENGAGING INDUSTRY: PIA reflects on 2021 and looks towards 2022 The 2021 PIA AGM took place online in early November, allowing Members to attend from across the country from their offices or at home, no matter what restrictions were in place in their state or territory. While the year did not go as planned, attendees were able to hear about some of the successes and activities that did happen, and plans to resume to more in-person meetings and training in 2022.
T
he PIA reported that while COVID-19 continued to have an impact on some activities over the course of 2021, it has continued to successfully liaise with government and other organisations on items of interest to the industry, and membership has continued to grow, putting the Association in a good position for 2022.
Industry engagement
Due to ongoing restrictions making it difficult to organise in-person events for most of the year, the PIA was only able to hold one Technical Meeting and one Pumps and Systems training course. The Pumps and Systems training course took place in Melbourne in late March, with 21 people to date having completed the course. As there are a number of competing training courses across the country, the PIA will look at ways to increase interest in the nationally-recognised course in 2022. In April, a Technical Meeting was held in Perth at Tsurumi Australia with over 30 people in attendance. Attendees heard from PIA President, John Inkster, and Tsurumi Australia Managing Director, Michael Woolley, before hearing a presentation about Tsurumi Australia and taking a factory tour. At the time of the AGM, there was an online seminar scheduled for late November on Energy Efficiency of Pipelines. The seminar was taken by Rob Welke, Managing Director at Tallemenco, and looked at energy optimisation of pipelines and pipeline performance degradation. A second online seminar is planned for Q1 on flow metering for onsite pump testing. The PIA has also been busy undertaking other activities to engage the industry, and provide support and assistance where needed. A key engagement has been with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), following a request made for more clarity on works being
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pump industry | Summer 2022 | Issue 38
Jason Cunningham
undertaken that are covered by the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 so companies could ensure compliance and avoid fines. Discussions with the QBCC were initiated in July regarding the licensing of PIA Members for work covered by the Act. The case was tabled in early October with the Services Trade Council (an instrument of the QBCC) and was under consideration in November with the PIA awaiting a formal response. The PIA aims to get a better understanding as to what needs to be done so that regulations aren’t broken by the many small to large companies that are based or do work in Queensland.
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