NZ Plumber February-March 2023

OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES

Volume 75, Number 1

MAGAZINE TEAM

CEO Greg Wallace

EDITOR

Beverly Sellers 0272 923 923 bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz

PRINT Blue Star

81 The Esplanade, Petone Wellington 6141

DESIGN

SCG Senior Designer – Julian Pettitt SCG Senior Account Director – LauraGrace McFarland scg.net.nz

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Never assume

Have you ever formed a first impression of someone that proved totally wrong?

Each edition of NZ Plumber, our design team at SCG put the newly laid up pages on the office wall to see how the magazine looks before it goes out to readers.

In a recent edition, we ran an article entitled “Would you hire a woman?”. It caused a stir in the SCG office, where a high proportion of the designers and account managers are women. For them, the question seemed an insult—of course you’d hire a woman!

Pūkenga also sees a new column from Te Pūkenga in NZ Plumber, starting this edition. Turn to page 77 for an introduction to their new EarnLearn division. We hope this column will help keep readers up to date on developments in this space.

NZ Plumber is the official magazine of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc. Contact details for the Master Plumbers board, staff, branches and associations are available at www.masterplumbers.org.nz

©NZ Plumber 2013. Registered as a Newspaper, GPO, Wellington, ISSN 0111-4379. NZ Plumber is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘Not for Publication’. Views expressed in articles in NZ Plumber magazine are not necessarily those of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc, or of the Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication, the publisher and the Editor take no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance on this information. Publication of advertising material implies no endorsement of either a product or service.

But for the plumbing industry, the numbers of women (particularly on the tools) have only recently started to grow from a very low base, and some employers still have their reservations. Which is why I particuarly enjoyed having a yarn with Phoebe Coers, who has set up her own Rotorua-based business, Rose Line Ltd, at the age of 27. Phoebe, who features on our cover, has a fair bit to say on the subject— including the importance of not making assumptions about people of whatever age, gender, ethnicity or learning style.

Turn to page 28 for the article on Phoebe, which includes some awesome messages from two of her good friends, who are also plumbers in the region. The transition of PGD apprentice training delivery from Skills to Te

Beverly Sellers Editor, NZ Plumber, bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz

PS: As this edition went to print, New Zealand was bracing for the worst from Cyclone Gabrielle. This, after flash floods in the upper North Island just weeks earlier. Many months of remediation work lie ahead and we wish all our readers well.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata! What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!

COVER

People at the top of a business have a moral responsibility to establish a respectful, inclusive culture, says Phoebe Coers. Phoebe, who features on our cover this edition, set up her own Rotoruabased plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying business last year—and is quick to acknowledge all the support she’s received along the way. No matter what gender, ethnicity, religion or learning style, everyone should feel welcomed into our trades and be given the same treatment, she says. Turn to page 28 to read Phoebe’s thoughts on how our industry can become more inclusive.

Unfortunately, the upper North Island has had a very rough start to 2023, with torrential rain, flooding, and damage to property and infrastructure. As this edition went to print, Cyclone Gabrielle was also set to hit our shores and wreak more damage. These are significant events and highlight the need for better infrastructure across our major cities.

As per usual, we think there is a lot of opportunity for the industry this year and, with an election later in the year, it’s going to be interesting to see how the political landscape plays out.

Although there are some signs of an economic slowdown, there is still a massive shortfall of construction workers to deliver the current workload, so we are confident that the year will still be strong for the sector.

A couple of priorities for Master Plumbers will be making sure the training delivery changes that have been occurring with the transition to Te Pūkenga are industry led—and that outcomes for apprentices, particularly now that training fees have recommenced, meet the satisfaction of apprentices and employers.

As we spoke about last year, Master Plumbers is very pleased with MBIE’s decision regarding changes to lead level requirements for plumbing products. We would like to see suppliers being proactive

in making these changes as quickly as possible to ensure products available to consumers are safe for use.

We responded to the consultation on proposals for change to the DrinkingWater Standards for New Zealand by water services regulator Taumata Arowai late last year and we expect to see decisions on this in the first half of this year. It is our strong

consumers with carbon neutral gas fuels for the future. Master Plumbers is working collectively with our counterparts at Master Plumbers Australia to ensure we have a joint Standard and training regime that is practical and aligned, which will provide efficiencies for both.

We are confident that the gas sector will remain strong and vibrant into the future, and that it will meet the government’s climate change requirements.

cities.”

expectation that drinking water suppliers across Aotearoa will eventually need to ensure pipes and fittings supplying water to households are lead free.

Master Plumbers has also been working with Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health, who are in close alignment with our view that New Zealand should be lead free from source to point of use from a public health perspective.

You’ll see from page 42 that there is a great deal of work happening in the gas sector in regards to providing New Zealand

You will see that we have launched the 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Conference website and registration. We are making some changes to the conference format this year, including more group forums to discuss key issues. We will be putting out a state of the nation survey prior to the event, so we can address key industry issues during the conference. We are very keen for all members and Business Partners to complete the survey on its release.

In the meantime, here's to a successful 2023 and we look forward to seeing you in Ōtautahi Christchurch in May.

Greg Wallace, CEO Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ

Me mahi tahi tātou mo te oranga o te katoa We must work together for the wellbeing of all

“These are significant events and highlight the need for better infrastructure across our major

Do

GASFITTERS &

DRAINLAYERS JOIN PLUMBERS ON GREEN LIST

Master Plumbers’ advocacy work has helped ensure gasfitters and drainlayers have been added to the recently expanded immigration Green List of hard-to-fill roles.

Plumbers are already on the list. As of this March, overseas gasfitters

What s’ up

and drainlayers have access to the 2-year Work to Residence pathway.

All applicants will be able to count time on a work visa from 29 September 2021 towards their work to residence requirement. However, they must have an

employment agreement with an Accredited Employer and meet other requirements, such as English and age.

AN INDUSTRY NEWS ROUND-UP FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023.

International bathroom trends for 2023

“In March 2023, the ISH in Frankfurt will become the biggest bathroom showroom on the planet,” claims German Bathroom Sector Association Managing Director Jens J Wischmann. He is, of course, talking about the international trade fair for HVAC and water, which takes place from 13-17 March.

The Sustainable Bathroom will be among the four top trends on show, combining water- and energy-saving products, eco-friendly production, sustainable materials, lasting design and zero waste.

Other trends include the Tiny Bathroom for urban homes, which is prompting innovative bathroom solutions for small spaces. “Its distinguishing characteristics are a simple aesthetic, new scaleddown product categories, smart solutions, comfort

and convenience, as well as a high degree of customisation,” says ISH, adding that tiny bathrooms call for meticulous planning and workmanship.

The Wellbeing Bathroom is also trending, with homeowners wanting to turn their bathroom into a private spa for time out and a bit of luxury. Bathtubs, whirlpools, saunas or programmable showers are all part of this trend, along with therapeutic lighting products and multimedia features. “A bathroom for wellbeing is a place where all the senses come alive—with water as the key element,” says ISH.

The fourth trend is for the Emotional Bathroom, as a feel-good, lifestyle space based on colour, light and sensory appeal created through the sanitaryware and behind-the-wall programmable technology.

REDUCTION IN PGDB DISCIPLINARY AND OFFENCES LEVY

The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) has advised that it has reviewed the disciplinary and offences levy and decided to reduce it by $25 to $275 per practitioner in the 2023/24 licensing year.

It has been able to do this, it says, because the Covid pandemic saw the

number of complaints almost halve— and there was also a 12% increase in tradespeople finishing their qualifications and becoming registered with the Board, so the numbers of practitioners paying the levy increased.

The PGDB will also absorb the 2.4% credit card bank surcharge on all

licence, registration and disciplinary levy payments, rather than passing the cost on. The levy funds all investigations and disciplinary actions resulting from complaints.

It’s time to renew your practising licence with the PGDB for the 2023/24 licensing year, starting 1 April. Do it online at www.pgdb.co.nz

PEOPLE

Nick Fleckney has taken up the role of Chair for the New Zealand Chapter of the Association of Hydraulic Services Consultants Australia & New Zealand (AHSCA). He replaces Peter Downey, plumbing industry guru and foundation Chair of the New Zealand Chapter, following Peter’s retirement.

The association serves as a forum for the interchange of information, rules, regulations,

methods and procedures among members and other associated professions with a common interest in providing the best in hydraulic services.

“With Covid disruptions well behind us, the NZ Chapter is now working hard to further develop a central point of excellence for hydraulic services consultants in New Zealand,” says Nick.

Contact AHSCA with any queries at www.ahsca.org.au/contact-us

9 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BUILDING SUPPLIES REPORT

“It needs to be easier for new building products and new methods to be introduced into New Zealand, and for competing suppliers to be able to expand their businesses—that is the essence of competition,” said Anna Rawlings, outgoing Associate Commissioner at the Commerce Commission, on the release of the final report from a year-long market study into residential building supplies.

The final report, released in December 2021, contains nine recommendations to improve competition for the benefit of homeowners and the construction industry. They are to:

1. Introduce competition as an objective to be promoted in the building regulatory system

2. Better serve Māori through the building regulatory system

3. Create more clear compliance pathways for a broader range of key building supplies

4. Explore ways to remove impediments to product substitution and variations

5. Establish a national system to share information about building products and consenting

6. Establish an education and mentoring function to facilitate a better co-ordinated and enhanced approach by BCAs to consenting and product approval processes

7. Develop and implement an all-ofgovernment strategy to coordinate and boost offsite manufacturing (OSM)

8. Promote compliance with the Commerce

Act, including by discouraging the use of quantity-forcing supplier-to-merchant rebates that may harm competition

9. Consider the economy-wide use of land covenants, exclusive leases and contractual provisions with similar effect. The Government is now considering the recommendations, with a response expected this March. Shortly before the report’s release, Fletcher Building announced that Winstone Wallboards had already informed its merchant customers that it would discontinue use of quantity rewarding rebates and move to a tailored, flat pricing model based on volume. Winstone Wallboards holds the lion’s share of domestic manufacture of plasterboard, which was in critically short supply in 2022.

PROPOSED BUILDING ACT AMENDS TO TAKE ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS

The construction industry can expect to be asked for feedback in 2023 on proposed changes to the Building Act. The proposed amendments will make it clear that the building and construction sector has a core responsibility to consider the impact of climate change and the resilience of buildings.

The proposed changes will:

Make it mandatory for new and existing public, industrial and large-scale residential buildings (eg, multi-storey apartments) to hold energy performance ratings

Require those intending to undertake certain building or demolition work to have a waste minimisation plan

Change the principles of the Building Act to clarify that climate change is a key consideration.

KEEP IT DECENT GUIDELINES RELEASED

It’s a sad fact that discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying are still common workplace behaviours. Close to a third of people working in the construction sector in the last five years have experienced at least one form of sexual harassment and around the same amount have experienced racial harassment, according to new Keep it Decent Guidelines from Trade Careers.

When it comes to bullying, 17 percent of people working in construction sector have ‘often’ or ‘always’ experienced at least one workplace bullying behaviour in the last 12 months—and men accounted for 73% of those identified as the perpetrators of bullying.

NEW BUILDING BUSINESS PODCAST SERIES

Looking to start or grow a business? The new Methven Caroma Short Podcast Series Building Business covers pitfalls to avoid, tips on how to win and grow, and health and safety. Darryl McDonald, Roger Panton, and Bruce Turfrey, who have combined industry experience of 140+ years, share what they’ve learnt.

Catch the podcasts at https://open.spotify.com/ show/5VACYqXqIMeyyjYlK2DlWy

The new guidelines, which are supported by Workforce Development Councils Waihanga Ara Rau and Hanga-Aro-Rau, provide a baseline for expected behaviour in our industries to make sure there’s a workplace culture where everyone feels welcome. According to the guidelines, keeping it decent means:

Being our best

Calling it out

Bringing out the great in others

High five the good stuff.

With information for both employers and employees, the guidelines lay out what a safe and respectful workplace looks like, and where to get hold of support and resources.

Download the Keep it Decent guidelines and a workplace poster at www.tradecareers.co/guidelines

Graham McPhail of Marley

NZ competed at the New Zealand Masters Track & Field Championships in December 2022, striking Gold in the 60m sprint, Silver in the shotput and Bronze in the discus! Previously a top-level Rugby and Sevens player/coach, Graham is Marley NZ’s Lower North Island Territory Manager.

Meanwhile, Dux Industries’ Auckland and Northland Territory Manager Byron Jollivet—top order batsman and part time off-spin bowler—was preparing for retirement from premier cricket but has been selected for the Over 40s New Zealand A-squad to play in two games against Australia in Christchurch this February. These will be two of the first official international over-40s matches in the world.

Congratulations Graham and Byron!

Methven and Caroma’s annual CARC event was held in the Bay of Islands in late 2021, with members competing in a series of challenges to raise money for their 2022 chosen charity, Child Cancer. “In true CARC tradition, members demonstrated comradery, charity and competitive spirit to raise $55,000 for Child Cancer,” they say. This photo shows CARC representatives proudly presenting Child Cancer CEO Monica Briggs and Fund Raising and Growth Manager Chris Key with the donation. Peter Allan, a Scottish plumber, came across a message in a 135-year-old whisky bottle in the exact spot where he was cutting a hole in the floor of a house to find pipework when replacing an old radiator. The homeowner waited until her two children got home to open the note inside, written by the two men who had laid the original floor and dated 6 October 1887. It read: “James Ritchie and John Grieve laid this floor but didn’t drink the whisky. Whoever finds this bottle may think our dust is blowing along the road.” According to BBC Scotland, the family had plans to put another bottle in the same spot, with a transcript of the original note plus a new message of their own.

Florida homeowner Shaina Day was reunited with her lost engagement ring after 21 years when her in-laws decided to have their toilet replaced as part of some home improvements, reports news.com.au. The plumber found the ring lodged inside their toilet bowl and the couple gave it a good clean up before gift-wrapping it as a surprise present for a tearful Shaina on Christmas Day. Apparently, she and husband Nick had searched high and low for the ring when it was lost, even going through their own home’s septic tank, before giving up and replacing it with another.

This edition’s feelgood snippets.

Scarlett Boswell, daughter of Foleys Oamaru Branch Manager Sam Boswell, looking super cute dressed as a poop emoji for her school book dress-up day!

TRAINING & EVENTS

Industry activities and courses to get along to.

Gasfitting Refresher Workshops

1 MAR – AUCKLAND 17 MAY – HAMILTON

2 MAR – WHANGAREI 22 MAR – CHRISTCHURCH

8 MAR – TAURANGA 23 MAR – QUEENSTOWN

15 MAR – NEW PLYMOUTH masterplumbers.org.nz/training

Allproof

2 MAR – AUCKLAND masterplumbers.org.nz/events

Rinnai Infinity A Series –Installation & Trouble Shooting

6 MAR – AUCKLAND (THREE SESSIONS)

This is the first date for the roadshow, which will travel to 12 locations nationwide. Full details: masterplumbers.org.nz/events

Backflow Prevention

28-30 MAR – WELLINGTON

18-20 APR – HAMILTON

nzetc.wsp.com/w/courses/362backflow-prevention-2023

2023 New Zealand Plumbing Conference

3-5 MAY – CHRISTCHURCH plumbingconference.co.nz

Backflow

Refresher

31 MAR – WELLINGTON

21 APR – HAMILTON

nzetc.wsp.com/w/courses/363backflow-prevention-refresher-2023

1-2 AUG – AUCKLAND

For upcoming Master Plumbers training and events in 2023, go to www.masterplumbers.org.nz/events

Backflow Conference 2023

waternz.org.nz

2023

Industries Factory Tour

Prevention

MICO TRADE

Place orders for delivery or click and collect View orders and their status

Manage team access and permissions

Plus more!

For more info talk to your Mico team today!

Download the app today

With flash floods likely to become more frequent around New Zealand, good infrastructure planning and management is critical.

CYCLONE GABRIELLE

As NZ Plumber went to print, Cyclone Gabrielle was heading to New Zealand, with more regions set to be significantly affected by flooding. Master Plumbers will provide resources for floodimpacted properties at www.masterplumbers.org.nz. We are thinking of all our readers at this difficult time.

When West Auckland plumber Dale Lovell drove to work early on a rainy Friday 27 January, one side of the road was already closed due to surface flooding.

“The maintenance just hasn’t happened,” says Lovell. “We had flooding two years ago and the council hadn’t cleared out the creeks, which were blocked by slip debris, willows and rubbish. Gutters and cesspits were full of leaves and gravels.”

At around 5pm that same day, flash flooding quickly closed the whole road, rising to dangerous levels. Lovell was still at work when the downpour came and had to make his way home by another route along higher ground.

The phone had already started ringing with customers hoping for help with plumbing emergencies but with so many West Auckland roads flooded or closed by slips, help was impossible.

In the aftermath, Lovell’s Heron Plumbing business has been swamped with calls for repairs, mostly to leaking roofs.

Scenes from the recent states of emergency for Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel shocked New Zealanders and the clear up will take years. NZ Plumber looks at what this means for plumbing and drainage businesses in the region— and why this country’s infrastructure must be prioritised.

PHOTOGRAPH: NZ HERALD/HAYDEN WOODWARD

The main issue, however, has been in the civil infrastructure arena, he says. “Customers’ drains backed up and manholes popped because there was nowhere for the water to go. It’s like emptying a swimming pool into a teacup.”

Those devastating flash floods were followed just weeks later by the arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle, set to wreak havoc in the same upper North Island regions— particularly the Coromandel—just as NZ Plumber went off to print.

Workload pressures

There is likely to be years of work for plumbing and drainage businesses to deal with in the upper North Island once property owners have cleared up the worst of the damage, made insurance claims and had their properties assessed.

This, says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace, is going to add even more pressure on trades businesses already struggling to fulfil workloads due to all-high building consents and a critical lack of qualified tradespeople.

“Member businesses are already stretched to the max due to the estimated shortfall of 3,500 plumbers. We simply don’t have the workforce capacity to deal with the normal workflow, let alone natural disasters.”

Protecting key infrastructure

With New Zealand inevitably facing more extreme weather events as a result of climate change, maintaining

and protecting critical infrastructure is absolutely essential, he notes.

“The recent images of travellers knee deep in water at Auckland International Airport struck me with horror,” says Wallace. “Surely New Zealanders have a right to expect that our airports, hospitals and other key infrastructure are built and maintained to a level that protects against events of this kind.

“Good stormwater and wastewater infrastructure planning and management is essential—and there simply hasn’t been sufficient investment.”

Planning for the future

Housing demand is leading to intensification plans for our cities, and increasing numbers of subdivisions.

Infrastructure must be given priority at the planning stage, not be considered as an afterthought, says Wallace.

“Singapore’s rail network, for example, is given priority before any residential development begins. In New Zealand, we see the opposite strategy. One building goes up and before you blink, 1,000 more appear in a new subdivision without proper analysis of the infrastructure needed to support it.”

New Zealand must have a long-term vision for how our infrastructure will cope with extreme rainfall events, such as this one. As Lovell says, Kuala Lumpur has protected its population from flash

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Messages of support for affected residents and our hardworking trades have helped lift spirits in the regions. Rheem have also put out information for homeowners with flood-affected water heaters at https://rheem.co.nz/support/ flood-affected/ Rinnai have a flood support cashback offer for impacted consumers on Rinnai appliances at www.rinnai.co.nz

floods since 2007 with its 9.7km SMART (Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel), which includes a two-tier motorway within the stormwater tunnel.

In the event of a major storm, the motorways are closed, and the tunnel is used to divert the floodwaters.

New Zealand faces challenges ahead. In the meantime, basic stormwater mitigation measures are crucial.

Contaminated water filled people’s properties as the wastewater and stormwater network was overwhelmed.

PHOTOGRAPH: NZ HERALD/DEAN PURCELL

In a giant leap for the public health of New Zealanders, new tapware products available for sale must be ‘lead free’ from September 2025—but what’s happening beyond the toby? NZ Plumber reports on developments.

All residential plumbing products that may come into contact with drinking water must comply with Building Code Clause G12 Water Supplies. To demonstrate compliance, such products must be tested to joint Standard AS/NZS 4020:2005 Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water, which is referenced in Acceptable Solution G12/AS1.

Amended G12/AS1

The current allowable lead content limit for these products under G12/AS1 is 4.5%, but this is being significantly reduced.

An amendment to Acceptable Solution G12/AS1 will introduce a lead content limit of 0.25% for all new plumbing products that contain copper alloys and are intended for use in contact with drinking water.

The transition period will last until 1 September 2025, which aligns with timings for equivalent requirements coming into force in Australia.

Affected products include:

Copper alloy pipe fittings

Stainless steel braided hoses Valves, including backflow prevention

Taps and mixers

Water meters

Pumps for use with cold and heated water services

Water heaters

Residential water filtration equipment

Water dispensers.

Showers, washing machines, dishwashers and sanitary fixtures are not included.

The amended G12/AS1 will also clarify that all copper alloy water supply system components must be dezincification resistant to minimise premature corrosion. This change will have a transition date of a least one year from publication of the amended G12/AS1 in November 2023.

“By announcing this decision prior to the publication of the revised Acceptable Solution, our aim is to provide certainty and direction to the sector and give manufacturers and suppliers additional time to implement the required changes to the affected plumbing products,” said MBIE in its consultation outcome summary.

Industry support

This move towards ‘lead-free’ plumbing products comes after public consultation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation

Decisions to amend lead in plumbing product compliance requirements in G12/AS1 were announced by MBIE in November 2022. The revised G12/AS1 will be published this November. and Employment (MBIE) in mid-2022 on several proposed amendments to G12/AS1.

The proposal received resounding support, with 92% of the 40 submissions in favour— among them Master Plumbers, which has led the way in lobbying the government to remove lead from plumbing products.

DIDYOUKNOW?

THE PROBLEM WITH LEAD

Lead has traditionally been used in copper alloys, such as brass, to make them malleable (ie, to help shape them). Many types of plumbing products contain copper alloys—and therefore also lead.

Lead is toxic, particularly to children. At high levels of exposure, it attacks the brain and central nervous system and can result in death.

No level of exposure is safe, however.

“At lower levels of exposure that cause no obvious symptoms, lead is now known to produce a spectrum of injury across multiple body systems,”

says the World Health Organization.

“In particular, lead can affect children’s brain development, resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment.

“Lead exposure also causes anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible.”

In its submission, Master Plumbers also highlighted the need for guidance, information and awareness campaigns as well as labelling of relevant plumbing products for easy identification.

Beyond the toby

Drinking water can become contaminated with lead at various stages of its journey from source to consumer, as national drinking water regulator Taumata Arowai notes.

“There is potential for elevated lead levels in drinking water from the dissolution of pipework and solders containing lead—which may be present in a drinking water reticulation network and brass fittings in homes and buildings. The amount of lead dissolved can change over time and is dependent on variable drinking water characteristics including pH, temperature, stagnation time and water hardness.”

MBIE regulates New Zealand’s building system, including plumbing, under The Building Act 2004 and Building Code.

Beyond the property’s toby/water meter, Taumata Arowai regulates New Zealand’s drinking water supplies under the Water Services Act 2021 and Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand.

When the 2022 Drinking Water Standards were published and came into effect on 14 November 2022, the MAV (the maximum acceptable concentration of lead in water supplied by drinking water suppliers) was 0.01mg/L.

However, following MBIE’s consultation on lead in plumbing products, Taumata Arowai has carried out a cost benefit analysis and engaged with stakeholders on options for retaining the status quo or reducing the Maximum Acceptable Value (MAV) for lead in the Drinking Water

Plumbers get their name from plumbum, the Latin term for lead, which was used to make water pipes and cooking vessels back in Roman times. Some historians think that lead poisoning contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire.

Since August 2021 the whole world has abandoned leaded petrol, with Algeria the last to phase it out.*

As of 30 June 2022, 45% of countries have confirmed they have legal controls on lead paint, including New Zealand.**

*Source: United Nations Environment

**Source: WHO

Standards from 0.01 mg/L to 0.005mg/L over a timeframe.

Taumata Arowai will use the feedback received to provide a paper to the Local Government Minister. Any resulting proposal for change to the current MAV will go out for public consultation. Watch this space.

The general relationship between the Water Services Act 2021 and the Building Act 2004. Diagram: Taumata Arowai.

Drinking water supplies

Drinking Water Standards

Private plumbing Building Act 2004 Building Code

Water treatment plant

Surface waters and aquifers used for drinking water

Distribution system Toby/ water meter

PLATINUM PARTNERS

Our Partners

Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Partners for their support:

GOLD PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

7 WAYS TO SAVE

Master Plumbers

CATCH UP ON NEWS FROM MASTER PLUMBERS, INCLUDING POSITIVE RESULTS ON OUR ADVOCACY WORK AROUND APPRENTICE TRAINING FEES.

Significant win for apprentice training advocacy

Te Pūkenga has reintroduced apprentice training fees for all plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentices. This comes following the closure of the government’s temporary Targeted Training and Apprenticeship fund (free trades training), which was put in place in 2020 to help a variety of in-demand industries with Covid recovery.

Training fees were due to apply from 1 January 2023 but, thanks to Master Plumbers’ advocacy work, Te Pūkenga agreed to cover the first month and postpone their reintroduction until 1 February.

Master Plumbers also argued that it would not be fair for training fees to apply to apprentices who should have completed their qualifications before the funding ended but have gone over duration through no fault of their own (eg, lack of block course availability).

For this group, who started the 2023 year over their programme duration, Te Pūkenga have agreed they will not be charging 2023 fees. If an apprentice goes beyond the expected end date of their programme during 2023, their Direct Debit payments will be stopped from the date they go over duration.

Master Plumbers has worked to clarify programme durations with Te Pūkenga to ensure over-duration apprentices have their Direct Debits stopped at the appropriate time. They are:

Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying = 60 months

Plumbing and Gasfitting = 48 months

Gasfitting = 36 months

Drainlaying for Registered Plumbers = 12 months

OTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Apprentice employers can receive up to 24 months of support, at up to $500 per month, through the government’s Apprenticeship Boost scheme. Payment is made directly to employers to help them keep and take on new apprentices. This scheme finishes on 31 December 2023.

Find more information at www.workandincome.govt. nz/apprenticeship-boost

Some apprentices will be eligible for the Government’s Fees-Free scheme in 2023. Find more information at www.feesfree.govt.nz

Master Plumbers has advocated for fair training fees for all PGD apprentices in 2023.

Board profile: CRAIG FOLEY

Master Plumbers Board Chair

Craig Foley is a director of Foleys, a plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying and electrical company in 13 locations around New Zealand.

Foleys was founded by Craig’s grandfather Albert Foley in 1934 and has been a member business of Master Plumbers for more than 85 years.

The company employs more than 260 people and works on a broad range of residential and commercial jobs, including Otago University’s School of Dentistry and Te Rangi Hiroa College accommodation.

Craig joined the Master Plumbers Board in 2013, becoming Chair in 2016. He is also a member of Otago Polytechnic’s Tech Group and sits on its Permanent External Advisory Committee.

He is a staunch believer in the advocacy work Master Plumbers carries out for the industry. “The industry is in good heart, but we can still improve it,” he says. “The big thing is for us to be the

masters of our own destiny as far as our training goes. The value is in working together as one voice. By putting our best foot forward, we can look after the public.”

Craig sees getting more people into plumbing as one of the big challenges for the industry, both now and in the years to come. Key to this is pushing the significance of training to all plumbing businesses. Foleys is committed to apprentice training, with 25 apprentices currently working towards their qualifications. Craig’s own son Nathan, the fourth generation of the Foley family, is a qualified plumber and gasfitter at the firm.

Craig brings leadership skills to the Board table and a willingness to expand Master Plumbers for the good of its membership.

A MO-MENTOUS MOVEMBER

A fantastic $8,714 was raised for the Dux and Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Industry Challenge in support of Movember.

All the money raised over the month of November funds health projects across prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention—1,250 projects and counting.

Congratulations to our Best in Show moustache winners, who each won a Chuffed Discover Experience Box for two, worth $159:

Best Regent: Chris of Clyne & Bennie/Walton Plumbing in Ōtautahi Christchurch

MASTER PLUMBERS PARTNERS WITH MATES

Master Plumbers is delighted to announce a partnership with MATES in Construction. MATES has one simple but ambitious aim: to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide in our construction industry.

The industry is losing nearly one person every week to suicide, and 98% of those we lose are men.

The MATES programme takes a community-based approach to helping people across the industry to provide an environment that encourages positive wellbeing.

MATES engage with workers through on-site training. They provide those identified as at risk with case management support that connects them to suitable professional support. MATES Field Officers are trained in suicide intervention skills and have experience with the building and construction industry.

Find out more at https://mates.net.nz

Need help now? Call MATES on 0800 11 315

Getting a move on

The Movember challenge also included running or walking 60km over the month, for the 60 men lost to suicide every hour across the world. Congratulations to Sarah Pavlovich of Clyne & Bennie/Walton Plumbing for notching up a prize-winning 144km.

Top team

Together, the Clyne & Bennie/Walton Plumbing team raised a mammoth $3,436, putting them firmly at the top of the leaderboard. Well done to the team, who are shouted a $500 team event by Dux and Master Plumbers!

Master Plumbers GM Luke Pirie stayed true to his promise of getting his head shaved if he managed to raise more than $500 by growing a mo and running the Queenstown half marathon (he raised a whopping $2,060 thanks to help from family, friends and the business community!).

Best Handlebar: Steven of McBeth Plumbing & Gas in Taupō

Best Slug: Clyde of Laser Plumbing Tauranga Central.

The winning Clyne & Bennie/Walton Plumbing team.

YOU ARE INVITED!

Book your place now for the 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Conference, 3-5 May at Te Pae in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Online registrations are open now at www.plumbingconference.org.nz

There’s so much value to be gained from attending—for personal growth, business advice, and industry knowledge. Network with your peers, share, learn and be inspired.

Keynote speakers for the 2023 event are:

Jason Gunn—TV personality and communications coach

Dr Michelle Dickinson—Nanogirl, innovator and adventurer.

All conference sessions and activities are included in your registration, plus morning teas, afternoon teas and lunches in the trade exhibition space. Registration also covers the evening social events:

Mico Welcome Night at the Christchurch

Transitional Cathedral

Marley and Dux Fun Night

New Zealand Plumbing Awards Night, sponsored by Plumbing World.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME*

Note: This year's event sees a format change, with the Master Plumbers AGM at 10am on the Wednesday.

Wednesday 3 May

8.30am Conference registration desk opens

9:30am Morning Tea

10am-12pm Master Plumbers Annual General Meeting

New Zealand journalist and storyteller Jehan Casinader will MC the conference sessions.

WHEN: 3-5 May 2023

WHERE: Te Pae Convention Centre, Ōtautahi Christchurch

COST (EX GST): $995 Master Plumbers member rate; $1,095 Business Partner rate

BOOK: www.plumbingconference.org.nz

Thursday 4 May

8:30am Opening Karakia

8:45am Keynote Speaker: Jason Gunn

10am Master Plumbers update from CEO Greg Wallace

10:30am Morning Tea & Trade Exhibition

11:15am 'State of the Sector’ Discussion Panel

12:30pm To be confirmed

1:15pm Lunch & Trade Exhibition

2:15pm 'Sustainability’ Discussion Panel

3pm Growing the Industry Discussion Panel

4pm Afternoon Tea & Trade Exhibition

6:30pm Marley and Dux Fun Night at Wigram Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Friday 5 May

8:30am ‘Future Fuels’ Discussion Panel

9:30am Keynote Speaker: ‘Nanogirl’ Dr Michelle Dickinson

10:45am Morning Tea & Trade Exhibition

11:15am 'Women in Plumbing’ Discussion Panel

12:15am Trade Exhibition Prize Presentations

12:30pm Lunch

1pm Afternoon Leisure Activities: International Antarctic Centre Golf Driving Range Competition

6:30pm 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World – MC Hilary Barry

*SUBJECT TO CHANGE

There'll be laughs, sipping and painting at Pinot & Picasso for the Partner Activity Programme.

The Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner will take place at the fabulous Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

Popular TV presenter Hilary Barry will MC the 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Night.

With views out to the Ōtākaro Avon River and all around to Cathedral Square, the new Te Pae Convention Centre is the world-class venue for the 2023 New Zealand Plumbing Conference and Awards.

TV personality and communications coach Jason Gunn will entertain and inspire as a Keynote Speaker.

Keynote Speaker ‘Nanogirl’ Dr Michelle Dickinson MNZM believes the best way to predict the future is to create it!

Get to know the Master Plumbers team with our quick Q&As.

RoVE, and the dreaded C****-19. Not to mention the plumbing industry plays such a crucial role in preserving public health!

What people do you enjoy being around? People that are passionate about what they do but don’t take themselves too seriously, are kind and have a great sense of humour.

Who inspires you?

NEW MEMBERS

A very warm welcome to new Master Plumbers member businesses:

NAME: Jason Goei

ROLE: Operations Manager

What does your role entail?

Working with our amazing team on the development and delivery of our professional services and resources keeps me busy! My role is centred around assisting with the delivery of the Master Plumbers’ strategy through products and services for members, our training department, the administrative team, events, complaints, and key stakeholder relationship management.

What part of your role do you relish?

Getting to work with such amazing people!

Why Master Plumbers?

Master Plumbers is at the forefront of supporting the PGD industry through critical issues, such as the adoption of future fuels,

Very cliché, but regardless, my dad inspires me. He grew up in severe poverty in Bandung, Indonesia, having to rely on scholarships to further his education and find his place in the world. Now he’s happily retired after a career in the oleochemical industry.

What’s your happy place?

My current happy place is in the ocean on a glassy day and 7+ meters of underwater visibility (with preferably heaps of crayfish around).

If you could invite round any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Would have to be Anthony Bourdain!

What would you give them to eat?

Would have to be a classic nasi goreng from the street food cart outside where my grandparents used to live in Bandung.

What’s a perfect weekend?

A weekend of cooking, eating and drinking with friends and family—preferably somewhere warm and by the ocean.

BE IN TO WIN BIG ON WORLD PLUMBING DAY

Milwaukee have risen to the occasion once again, with a fabulous $9,000-worth of prizes to give away to celebrate World Plumbing Day on 11 March 2023! Winners will be drawn on 13 March and are in to win:

FIRST PRIZE:

$4,000 RRP tools of your choice

SECOND PRIZE: $3,000 RRP tools of your choice

THIRD PRIZE: $2,000 RRP tools of your choice.

How to enter

For details, visit www.masterplumbers. org.nz/membership/world-plumbingday-competition

Be in to win Milwaukee tools of your choice with the Master Plumbers World Plumbing Day prize draw to acknowledge the indispensable work plumbers that plumbers do all around the world!

Allround Plumbing and Gas – Auckland

New Era Plumbing and Gas Fitting – Auckland

Tradespec NZ Ltd – Auckland

Williams Drainage and Civil Ltd – Auckland

Redi Plumbing Ltd – Waikato

Bishop Plumbing and Gas – Bay of Plenty/Coromandel

Premier Heating – Taranaki

Clearwater Plumbing –

Wellington

V Plumbing – South Canterbury

WANT TO JOIN?

Master Plumbers is here to support all businesses in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry. Members are Quality Assured and backed by the Master Plumbers Guarantee. We offer a wide range of business resources, health and safety, HR & technical support, plus training and member discounts—and we advocate for our members as a collective industry voice. Get in touch today!

Alana Fourie 021 985 894 afourie@masterplumbers.org.nz

Or contact 0800 502 102 admin@masterplumbers.org.nz

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

The plumbing industry has made big progress towards becoming more diverse and inclusive, but there’s some way to go yet, as Phoebe Coers of Rose Line Ltd tells NZ Plumber.

hoebe Coers has achieved a lot in a short time. At 27, she has become a Certifying Plumber, Drainlayer and Gasfitter, and set up her own business, Rose Line Ltd in Rotorua.

Between times, she has fitted in an OE, spent a year doing three-month plumbing maintenance stints in the Pacific Islands in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and taken her mountain bike racing to an international level.

True to her friendly, honest and open style, Phoebe is quick to acknowledge all the support received along the way. “People ask me why I say ‘we’ whenever I talk about my company, even though I’m the sole owner.

“‘We’ is my mum, who loves to help with things like sorting out my website and signwriting, and chasing up admin. It’s my partner, who brings me dinner if I’m working late in the office or tosses ideas around with me for quotes. It’s the friends I ring for advice, the merchants I deal with. No one does it on their own. We all need support. If we don’t have that, we don’t have anything.”

Having started her training at Foleys in Dunedin at 17, straight from school, Phoebe also acknowledges her employers for setting the tone for her whole apprenticeship.

“On my first day, Brian Foley called everyone in, sat them down and introduced me. He told them to treat me like their sister, and that Foleys wouldn’t tolerate anything else. It drew a line in the sand, giving everyone a benchmark to work to, leaving me knowing my workmates had my back and supported me. If anyone on site wasn’t acting as they should, my workmates would deal with it.”

People at the top of a business have a responsibility to use their power to establish a respectful, inclusive workplace culture, she believes. “Brian had the power to change the entire culture in the room in a sentence—and potentially my whole future in this industry. He led from the top and it went down the whole line.”

Breaking stereotypes

Employers are also in a position to open doors for others and to open people’s minds, says Phoebe. “There are some really good role models who are pushing for diversity and I want to thank them. Our industry is making good progress and collectively we can make this progression faster and smoother. As someone who hates change, I understand how deep a lot of people have dug to adapt.”

And among those much-maligned ‘stale pale males’ are some of the biggest champions for diversity in the workplace,

Phoebe Coers with her support crew: partner Daniel (bottom left) and friends from other Rotorua-based businesses. Clockwise from top left: Caelum Warena of 100% Plumbing & Gas; Dave Hodgson of Hodgson Plumbing and Gas; Harpreet Singh and Ben Howie of Foleys Rotorua (formerly The Lewis Plumbing Company).

PHOEBE’S TIPS FOR AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE

Lead from the top in setting the tone for the workplace

Don’t make presumptions or put people in a box

Consider a person’s CV by merit, not by age, gender or ethnicity

Shake a person’s hand, say g’day and let them tell you who they are

Treat everyone the same

If you’re not sure you’re getting it right, ask them—they’ll be 100% grateful you want to learn

Introduce the person to the rest of the team and set expectations from the start

Be patient and take time to understand the people who work with you.

she says. Prejudice can be shown by anyone, of any age, not just so-called ‘boomers’.

“Humans naturally want to fit people into a box. People are so quick to judge and we should make a conscious effort to fight that. When meeting someone for the first time, take half a second and try not to have any presumptions. Say g’day and let them tell you who they are, not the other way round.”

Phoebe is speaking from experience, having found she’s often not in the handshake line-up on site. “People sometimes don’t know how to approach me, being a woman on the tools.” She has also discovered she can be overlooked at plumbing industry events—assumed to be the partner of a plumber, rather than a business owner in her own right.

people from other cultures just want to be treated the same as everyone else.”

And that starts from the initial job application. “I know a guy whose second language is English and his wife told him never to use his real name on his CV, or he’d go to the bottom of the pile. I love my name and I can’t imagine having to hide it to get my foot in the door.”

Good life choices

Phoebe says she couldn’t have asked for a better company than Foleys to do her apprenticeship. Respectful and inclusive, they also supported her in her mountain biking goals—understanding the importance of a good life balance and allowing her to take unpaid leave to participate in national and international events.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on women in the trades right now, which is great, but we’re not as far progressed as I had thought,” she says of these situations. “Women and

“As an apprentice, you can decide what kind of company you want to work for and be in charge of your own narrative. If you’re working for someone who wants to dictate how your life goes, that’s fine. But if you want to take charge of your own destiny, you’re better to walk away than get caught up with the wrong crowd, even if it means you have to spend a couple of months

“Have a think, be honest— can you think of a time when you might have been subconsciously biased?”

Phoebe set up Rose Line in June 2022.

looking for another job. There are so many open-minded employers now, or usually someone in the company who is.”

Shoulders to lean on

Having been in business since June 2022, Phoebe has long-term plans to grow her company and is also looking to redirect to civil drainage to suit her self-confessed love of big diggers and trucks.

“I have kept a good relationship with Fulton Hogan from a brief stint working there before setting up Rose Line, and I still contract back to them on projects,” she says. “They’re a good company—very progressive, future driven and invested in employee development.”

Registering the business was the easy part, she says, but the massive pre-Christmas workload knocked her for six. “I was doing silly hours on the tools, on the computer

A MESSAGE FROM PHOEBE’S FRIENDS

Caelum

Warena

My experience getting into the plumbing trade was very difficult. I grew up in an environment where making it big in the trades was becoming a scaffolder and moving to Australia. Nothing else was an obtainable option other than working in a factory/mill making just over the bare minimum wage for the next 20 years, because not many Māori people were in the trade. Getting in was all about who you knew and not so much about what you can do.

Six months of applying and 15 different companies, where I feel my family name played a big part in not being shortlisted

and I’ve never been so tired in my life. It was mentally consuming—I was waking up and going to bed thinking about work.”

Having experienced a bout of depression in her apprentice years when trying to combine a full working day with a punishing mountain bike training schedule, Phoebe has learnt how important it is to listen to her body and to know when enough is enough.

“Learning to prioritise and delegate are the hardest things to do, as I want things done how I would do them, but I know you can’t do stuff when you’re tired. You’ve got to stop and recharge—take a lunch break, sit outside and stare at the grass, or collapse in front of Brooklyn Nine-Nine at the end of the day!”

Joining Master Plumbers was also a no-brainer for getting good business support, she says. “It’s one of first things I did. They’ve got really good resources and protect our industry. Everyone needs to be

to get an interview, but eventually someone gave me a shot.

For me a massive part of my motivation was to show that people of my background are capable of being a part of this trade and we can do well. Starting out in this trade was a massive culture shock. A lot of things were different, from the greetings to the way we dress and even the topics of conversation.

It took a while to adapt. Now after seven years in the trade I’ve learnt a lot about different walks of life and people’s journeys of how they got to where they are. It has given me a better understanding and respect of where people come from.

Dave Hodgson

“I’ve been in the plumbing industry for eight years. I started my apprenticeship with a local company and now I own my own business, Hodgson Plumbing and Gas.

“I’m local to Rotorua and grew up on the farm. My practical thinking mind started at a very young age, helping Mum out on the farm since the day I started walking. I live for being outdoors and working so it was no surprise school wasn’t for me.

“I left at the age of 16 knowing that was the best decision for my path in life. Before I left I had teachers tell me I wouldn’t make it far in life. Now those same teachers are my clients and I’ve also been asked to talk to the students at my old high school about a career in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trade.

part of something like that if they’re going to be a legitimate business. They filter out the cowboys and grow our reputation as an important, respected trade.”

Having the support of her mum, dad and partner behind the scenes helps keep the show on the road, as do the many friends Phoebe has made through her work and mountain biking.

“I’d always had this thing for Rotorua, which has great mountain bike trails. I have lots of friends here, including Dave Hodgson of Hodgson Plumbing and Gas, who has been a massive part of helping me in Rose Line with advice and a listening ear, Julian Parker at 100% Plumbing & Gas, and Ben Howie, Manager at Foleys Rotorua.

“We all lean on each other, lending tools, labour and a hand on a job when needed. It’s a helpful and sharing vibe, supporting each other. We love it.”

“So you could say I made the right decision all those years ago.

“To all the young kids out there like me who might have struggled at school and with academic class work, know that there are other paths out there. I struggled a lot with my exams and study as I find it hard to sit down and concentrate on things like that. I got there in the end after focusing and putting my mind to it.

“You can do anything you want when you put your mind to it and focus your intentions. Find a career you love and don’t look back.”

This photo of Dave and partner Dora was taken on a New Year trip to the Grand Canyon in 2020—they celebrated their wedding this January! Dave won a Plumbing World Scholarship in 2019 and was twice winner of the Master Plumbers Volcanic Plateau Top Masterlink Apprentice award.

Caelum Warena won the 2022 Most Outstanding Gasfitter Award at the Master Plumbers Volcanic Plateau Awards.

OUT & ABOUT

Connection is what the local Master Plumbers branches and associations are all about, as these latest events show.

Money for MATES

The Master Plumbers Wellington and Hutt Valley/ Wairarapa Branches raised a truly awesome $26,675 for MATES in Construction at their Wellbeing Charity Dinner. Master Plumbers Membership Services Advisor Henry Cassin (left) was delighted to join Master Plumbers Wellington President Dave Norris in handing over the cheque to Hayden Griffiths of MATES.

Celebrating in Canterbury

Master Plumbers Canterbury and Business Partner representatives got together at the Retropolitan Bar in Christchurch for some Christmas celebrations. Shown here, from left, are Rhonda de Gouw, Holly Timms and Sam Squire.

Gisborne coffee catch up

Enjoying a Master Plumbers Coffee Catch Up in Gisborne towards the end of 2022. More events are planned around the motu in 2023.

Wellbeing on the road

These photos show recent Master Plumbers Wellbeing Toolbox Talks. The roadshow will continue in 2023.

New president for South Canterbury

Having been a member of Master Plumbers for many years, Mike Hubbard felt the time was right to step into the South Canterbury President's role when it came up. Mike took over from long-standing President Jack Rate, who he did his initial apprenticeship with back in 1995!

Operating rurally, in the Mackenzie District, Mike finds that the communication, training and networking available through Master Plumbers is invaluable for keeping current in the trade. He has taken on this role as an opportunity to participate further within the organisation. Mike hopes to keep promoting the importance of Master Plumbers and to engage more members throughout South Canterbury.

Award winners for Volcanic Plateau

McBeth Plumbing and Gas in Taupō (pictured) took out four awards at the Master Plumbers Volcanic Plateau Awards in January—including the top Volcanic Plateau Master Plumber of the Year! Robert Bruell won Most Outstanding Plumber, Chris Davis Most Outstanding Drainlayer and Emma de Salis Best Second Year Apprentice. The prized Volcanic Plateau Apprentice of the Year Award went to Logan Hirst of Advanced Plumbing. Logan looks after many of the company’s high-end house builds in the region and is the lead tradesperson at the new Taupō Airport upgrade.

To find out what branch and association events are coming your way, visit www.masterplumbers.org.nz/events

PULL OUT YOUR MASTERLINK DIARIES AND NOTE SOME ENTRY DEADLINES YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS!

BE IN QUICK: OUTWARD BOUND SCHOLARSHIP ENTRIES CLOSING SOON

“I’m a much better person. Much more confident and now know what I want to achieve in life.”

That’s what Hamilton plumber Quintin Trott had to say after his Masterlink Outward Bound Scholarship experience. If you’re a Masterlink apprentice and would like the chance to go on this year’s fully funded 16-day Outward Bound Building Leaders course, there’s still time to apply! TEN Outward Bound Scholarships are available through this Masterlink partnership with Methven Caroma. Selected participants will join other construction industry trainees on the Marlborough Sounds course, which runs from 28 June to 13 July inclusive (12 working days). Up for the challenge?

Apply today at www.masterlink.co.nz/scholarships-outward-bound

YOU KNOW THE DRILL!

A reminder that Masterlink apprentices who complete all the Masterlink online Health & Safety modules receive an awesome Makita Cordless Hammer Driver Drill Kit in recognition of their learning. Shown here are some of the most recent recipients—ka rawe!

Calling all Masterlink apprentices! Apply now to be considered for one of 10 Masterlink Outward Bound Scholarships.

Masterlink apprentices around the motu have been presented with Makita Cordless Hammer Driver Drill Kits to acknowledge their completion of Masterlink’s online Health & Safety modules.

ARE YOU THE NEXT YOUNG PLUMBER OF THE YEAR?

Masterlink is a sponsor and massive supporter of Plumbing World’s Young Plumber of the Year—this industry’s flagship event for showcasing and rewarding the best and brightest in the plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting industry.

The branch, regional and national competitions recognise excellence in our trades, celebrate industry training and acknowledge the support of the amazing employers and suppliers that keep the wheels turning.

In 2023, hundreds of contestants will once more be battling it out for a spot in the national final at Claudelands, Hamilton. There’ll be great prizes up for grabs, personal development opportunities and— for those who make it to the national final—a whole lot more.

NOMINATE A MATE!

Know someone who’d make an excellent plumber, drainlayer and/or gasfitter?? Be in to WIN a $100 Prezzy Card* by nominating a mate to Masterlink.

Talk to your Regional Manager or enter online at www.masterlink.co.nz

Or just email recruitment@masterlink.co.nz

*T&Cs apply

GET TO KNOW THE TEAM Danny Ledwith

REGIONAL MANAGER

OTAGO/SOUTH CANTERBURY

Danny Ledwith is the new point of contact for Masterlink hosts and apprentices in the Otago and South Canterbury regions. “As a Regional Manager, I support apprentices through their apprenticeship, carrying out quarterly appraisals with apprentices and hosts for full transparency on how their qualifications are progressing.”

Danny says he loves the relationship building side of the job. “Being able to mentor and support people through a life-changing journey is something I am passionate about and seeing them come out the other side with their qualification is really cool!”

Danny wants to see apprentices work hard and enjoy the journey. “It’s five years of learning and gaining experience that will be invaluable in the long run, so do it with a smile on your face!” he says.

He also looks to build strong working relationships with hosts. “I want our hosts to feel they are investing in their business and are positive about working with Masterlink.”

Originally from Ireland, Danny is now a permanent New Zealand resident. “I came to New Zealand for six months in 2016 and I’m still here! I have a house, fiancée and dog here in Dunedin and this is now home for me.”

Before joining Masterlink, Danny worked as the Federation Development Manager for Football South in Dunedin. “I am a sport fantatic and love being active through sport. I am desperately trying to reduce my golf handicap at the moment but we won’t go into that....”

When not working or playing sport, Danny enjoys relaxing with friends and family or mowing his lawns!

Enter the 2023 Young Plumber of the Year competition for your shot at making a good name for yourself in your chosen trade!

Enter at youngplumbersclub.co.nz/young-plumber-of-the-year when registrations open on 3 April.

Masterlink milestones

WELCOME

Nau mai haeri mai to the Masterlink whānau to our new apprentices— and big thanks to their host employers.

Mason Tombleson

CF Reese Plumbing, Hamilton

Kavan Rondell

CF Reese Plumbing, Hamilton

Alex Watkins

D4 Drainage, Christchurch

Tarn Nuttall

Aquacraft Plumbing, Christchurch

Paige Samuel

Tauranga Hardware & Plumbing, Katikati

Rylan Brough

Advantage Plumbing Christchurch

Levi Czepanski

Illingworth Plumbing, Auckland

Rory Read

Hardy Plumbing & Gas, Wanaka

Chance Boyd

Jets Plumbing and Pumps, Auckland

Mark Sutherland

Jason Brown Plumbing & Gas, Lower Hutt

Tian Potgieter

BR Turfrey, Hastings

Sam Baldwin

100% Plumbing and Gas, Rotorua

QUALIFIED!

Completing a Level 4 New Zealand Certificate is a major achievement. Huge

congratulations to:

Gabriel Brighouse in Plumbing & Drainlaying

Hamish Kennelly in Plumbing & Drainlaying

Raukawa Paama in Plumbing & Drainlaying

Darren Kippen in Drainlaying

Zechariah Osborne-Taylor in Drainlaying

Raukawa Paama’s whanau gathered to celebrate her plumbing and drainlaying qualification completion this January. RM Russell Walsh was there to present her with her Masterlink Certificate of Completion.

Raukawa began her apprenticeship in 2018 as a 30-year-old mother of two at Plumbing & Gas Works in Hamilton, and completed it at JT Plumbing and Drainage in Tauranga. A creative and practical person, she is keen to encourage other women to learn a trade. "I see plumbing as an art form. It’s a great feeling to take pride in quality work you have achieved. If you really want to go into the industry just do it—think of your reason why and never give up.”

Shown here is Darren Kippen being presented with his New Zealand Certificate in Drainlaying by Masterlink GM Rhys Nimmo. Darren is in the final year of his plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprenticeship hosted by Scott Garvie and the team at Scotties Potties in Wellington.

IN TOUCH

For almost 60 years, Plumbing World has been delivering the goods and guidance you need to create inspirational spaces. Now we’ve taken things a step further, with Plumbing World Helps.

Meet Rob Teina, owner of Supreme Plumbing and a certified plumber for over 15 years. Rob’s passionate

Totally for you

Meet Rob Teina, owner of Supreme Plumbing and a certified plumber for over 15 years. Watch his video series here for some handy how-to’s when it comes to anything plumbing!

about his work, always demands the best, and loves a good yarn too – as you’ll discover.

Rob has been working with us to create some useful videos for you and your customers. Scan the QR code to watch Rob’s videos at Plumbing World Helps – for all the advice, tips and tricks you need on your next project.

Watch Rob’s video series at plumbingworldhelps.co.nz

HEIGHT SAFETY

Edge protection helps prevent falls from a roof— and must be installed properly and safely.

Two businesses have been prosecuted in recent months for health and safety failings involving falls from height.

Fatal fall—no edge protection

Tragically, a 56-year-old man died in February 2021 after falling 4.5m from a flat, one-storey roof while doing painting work as a subcontractor for Canterbury business Dan’s Renovations.

In its investigation, WorkSafe found there was no safety plan or edge protection in place.

“Lead contractors owe all workers onsite duty of care, whether they’re subcontractors or your own staff,” said WorkSafe’s Head of Specialist Interventions, Dr Catherine Gardner.

On the tools

At the sentencing, the judge described the death as having a “devastating and multidimensional impact…felt across generations” for the victim’s family.

Dan’s Renovations were fined $37,500 last November and ordered to pay reparations of $261,695.

Severe injuries from fall— improperly installed guardrail

In a second incident, a 54-year-old worker fell 3.6m onto concrete while replacing a roof at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Glenfield Intermediate School in 2020.

He had tried to steady himself by holding a guardrail, but it gave way as a result of improper installation.

The man was lucky to survive, said WorkSafe. He sustained a

hematoma by his left eye, two fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, fractured vertebrae, and multiple pelvic bone fractures. He spent 10 days in hospital and didn’t fully recover for more than a year.

WorkSafe found TPL Access Ltd should have ensured the roof edge protection was installed in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines and industry standards, by ensuring it was safe and fit for use.

“This case is a clear example that everyone has responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act, including businesses upstream from the work itself,” said WorkSafe’s Area Investigation Manager, Danielle Henry.

TPL Access Ltd was fined $100,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $43,000.

Make sure you and your workers follow WorkSafe’s Good Practice Guidelines for Working on Roofs: www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/working-at-height/roofs/working-on-roofs-gpg

Pipe Masters have reduced running costs by two-thirds at the Oropi water treatment plant by replacing the electric elements with heat pump renewable energy.

ENERGYEFFICIENT WATER TREATMENT

AUTHOR: LOIS OLDEHAVER

After successfully completing a job at the Te Mana sewage treatment plant, Mount Maunganui-based plumbing, gasfitting, drainage and heating business Pipe Masters were contacted once more by the Tauranga City Council—this time for help with a much larger job.

“Happy with the results we had delivered at Te Mana, we were then asked to come up with a more efficient way to heat their warehouse full of industrial-sized water filtration tanks at the Oropi water treatment plant,” says Pipe Masters director Paul Knight.

The plant runs on Continuous Membrane Filtration (CMF) technology that uses a microfiltration membrane to remove the contaminants in water. Periodically— around every week, depending on town water usage—acidic and caustic solutions held in Clean-in-Place (CIP) tanks are pumped through the pipe network to clean the filters, which are then disposed of and re-batched with new water to start the next round of treatment.

It was taking up to 14 hours for the 36kW elements to heat each new batch from ambient water temperature to the required 36°C for use. This meant, in addition to high running costs, there wasn’t the

opportunity to clean the filters as often as the Council would have liked.

They wanted to see if there was a way to reduce the time spent heating and rebatching by coming up with a more energyefficient solution.

Heat exchange methodology

“I’d never been in a water treatment plant before,” says Paul. “My approach was to understand how the current technology worked and then work backwards to find different solutions.”

On his first site visit, seeing the warehouse full of pipes, Paul started asking questions based on his experience with domestic and commercial heating.

“The challenge was to find an energy source to heat both tanks, without crossing water over. I used the same heat exchange methodology we would use for heating a residential pool, with the adaption on a much larger scale in terms of energy resources.”

He first calculated the size of the potential heat pump they would need based on the size of the tanks, the volume of water they would need to heat, and how much energy would be required to reduce the time down significantly to around half the current outputs.

Local and international talent came together for the recent design of a heating system for Tauranga City Council’s Oropi water treatment plant.

“Heat pumps use a similar amount of energy to the elements that were heating the tanks already, but the conversion rate is much better because they require significantly fewer inputs to get the desired temperature result,” he explains.

Monitoring and control

With many different skill sets needed for the task, Pipe Masters enlisted help from far and wide. German heat pump manufacturer Stiebel Eltron proved to be the linchpin for the project, working with Pipe Masters to recommend a suitable product from their range.

“I basically took my plan to one of the Stiebel Eltron engineers, Bhawesh Singh, based in New Zealand, said what my solution was, and asked if they had a product that could do the job. They’ve been instrumental throughout the project from start to finish.”

Once the size of the heat pump and design methodology was chosen, Tauranga City Council brought in engineering support from 2E Consultancy to map out each part of the process and, importantly, to connect the programme to SCADA—the control system that collects data from equipment and controls the thermostats and pipes.

By working off the controls provided by Stiebel Elton and syncing them to SCADA, the heat pumps could be monitored and controlled 24/7, based on the stage of the water filtration cycle.

Renewable energy futures

Running both to schedule and budget, the project, taking just over 12 months from design to build, is now in the final testing phase with a go-live date of March 2023.

The new heat pump system can draw on 64kw of renewable energy to heat 24,000 litres of the acidic and caustic solutions for water treatment. This means they are achieving a similar amount of energy as before but with a far better conversion rate of 1:3.5.

The final result? The water can be rebatched in half the time and at less than a third

of the cost, using a renewable energy source. For Paul, this is the exact direction he wants his business to head in and sees as an emerging part of the trade.

“In our industry, it’s important to look at ways to reduce energy consumption, and what alternatives there are to fossil fuels,” he says. “To be able to have a team capable of doing projects like this is really great.”

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT

PIPE MASTERS

Matt Wright: Site Foreman

Levi Moller: Tradesman

Tom O’Brian: Apprentice

STIEBEL ELTRON

Bhawesh Singh

Jason Kerr

TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL

Juan Martinez

2E CONSULTANCY

Eddie Wall

“In our industry, it’s important to look at ways to reduce energy consumption, and what alternatives there are to fossil fuels.”

PAUL KNIGHT Director, Pipe Masters

Opposite: 1. 50mm copper flow and return lines between the heat pump and buffer tank.

2. Two Stiebel Eltron WPL 57 heat pumps.

3. Installation of the 1,500 litre buffer tanks pre insulation.

4. Acid flow and returns lines via a heat exchanger.

Right: A close up view of the 50mm copper flow and return lines running between the buffer tanks and heat pumps.

AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE

The volume of renewable gases being piped into homes and businesses is set to increase considerably over the coming decade.

GasNZ, the peak body for companies in the sector, expects the transformation to include a move from natural gas and LPG to renewable natural gas made from landfill and agri-waste, and chemically identical to their fossil-fuel counterparts.

Renewable natural gas and natural gas can also be blended with hydrogen, and at up to 20 per cent hydrogen, the blend is expected to be immediately compatible with New Zealand’s existing infrastructure.

Janet Carson, Chief Executive of GasNZ, says cooking, heating and hot water will be the three main uses for renewable gas, although there will ultimately be scope to produce enough to use it for generating electricity and for making products that have traditionally used natural gas.

“Everything you can use gas for now is possible with renewable gas. If you look at bioLPG, for example, it has the same composition as regular LPG; likewise renewable natural gas is identical to natural gas,” she explains.

The transition to a lower carbon future for the gas sector is gaining traction. NZ Plumber takes a look at the latest developments.

A blessing is given at the official opening of the Ecogas Reporoa Organics Processing Facility in October 2022.

“Our pipes and appliances are already set up to use renewable natural gas. Kiwi homes will eventually be able to use renewable natural gas just by switching on the stove.”

Investment is imperative

Carson says the main challenge to accelerating the uptake of greener gases is supply—and it is imperative that investment is made now in order to meet the expected future demand.

She describes it as like “trying to build it before they come”, and according to Carson the right regulatory signals from politicians are encouraging the necessary investment to occur.

“The government is talking about renewable gases being part of the energy transition and that will give confidence to investors that it’s worthwhile pursuing renewables.

“Globally, we are seeing rapid development in terms of appliance research and testing and investments in renewable gas products and technologies. Production investment still needs to pick up pace in New Zealand, and around the world, to produce the quantities we want in the future.

“We believe that we’re going to see material quantities of renewable gas in the system by 2035. That feels a long way off but that’s what it will take to get that material amount in the system.”

However, she adds there will be a notable increase in the availability of renewable gas over the next two to five

CASE STUDY 1

TAPPING HYDROGEN’S POTENTIAL

H2X is one of the newest members of GasNZ and its small team are drawing on their past experience in the oil and gas industry to provide solutions for the manufacture, transport and storage of hydrogen. Director Thomas Wiseman says hydrogen is currently in a similar space to what solar energy was in 2012, with it beginning to be commercialised as a product, but yet to achieve mass production levels.

“The cost hasn’t started to come down yet, but it is set to through 2023 for our products and we hope to soon have a competitive hydrogen offering with renewable gas,” he adds.

“The government decided to ban offshore oil and gas exploration and we started looking to the future and identified hydrogen as a likely area we could use our skills and have built an offering that can be scaled up to meet commercial or domestic gas demand.

“I’m positive there’s going to be a great niche of hydrogen use cases in New Zealand but at the same time it’s not going to be just one energy source out there.”

Wiseman says the company’s vision is interconnected energy and gas infrastructure, using green hydrogen to supplement up to 20 per cent of a biogas and natural gas mix.

“This will increase the renewable gas supply to Kiwi households and businesses, offering versatility for the entire energy network.”

He believes key challenges to the uptake of green hydrogen will be regulations and political will, with a gas transition plan currently being formulated by government officials.

“We don’t have certainty renewable gases will be seen as the way New Zealand is going to go. It’s highly likely it will be, but we have no certainty around that yet,” he notes.

“It’s a chicken-and-egg scenario. We have access to make hydrogen relatively cheaply but we’re waiting on use cases to pop up and for regulations to be formed, so it’s still early days.”

years as companies start producing more and the commercial and environmental opportunities are better understood.

The use of blends of renewable and fossil gas is also set to rise in the short term, which in turn should help drive further investment in the sector.

“Gas is changing and it will take a mix of gas energy to get Aotearoa to net zero carbon,” notes Carson.

Making the transition

The government’s forthcoming gas transition plan considers transition pathways for the fossil gas sector, such as renewable gases, Carson says. “GasNZ is focused on these opportunities, while ensuring natural gas and LPG remains available to the millionplus direct gas users as we make the switch.”

She says while current infrastructure does not require upgrading to start

“Our pipes and appliances are already set up to use renewable natural gas. Kiwi homes will eventually be able to use renewable natural gas just by switching on the stove.”

JANET CARSON Chief Executive, GasNZ

Thomas Wiseman, Director of H2X.

An electrolyser at H2X used for producing green hydrogen.

TURNING WASTE INTO ENERGY

Ecogas is preparing for its biogas plant at Reporoa to become fully operational this year and planning is underway to create similar facilities across the country to help support New Zealand’s decarbonisation efforts.

The Waikato facility takes organic waste that would normally head to landfills and uses it to create biogas and organic fertiliser.

Alzbeta Bouskova, General Manager at Ecogas, says the Reporoa plant will eventually be able to supply around 9,000 homes with net carbon zero gas, biomethane.

“We plan to replicate this across the country, with our plants processing organic waste and supplying homes, vehicles, and industry with renewable gas energy,” she explains.

“We’re working on projects in Canterbury and Manawatu and hope to have three more plants open in the next five years to help the wider community deal with food waste and energy security.”

The plant at Reporoa is designed to take 75,000 tonnes of organic waste—a combination of household food scraps and preconsumer food waste, along with industrial waste from the food processing industry.

Ecogas has a contract to secure two-thirds of the waste it needs from Auckland Council over the next 20 years.

Bouskova says the operation benefits the waste sector by diverting organic waste from landfill; the energy sector by creating renewable energy; and primary industries by providing renewable fertiliser for the farming sector.

Besides “closing the loop” by recycling food waste products, she notes biogas is a good substitute for natural gas and can be piped through existing infrastructure. The biomethane produced at the site will be injected into the natural gas grid in Reporoa.

“Once fully operational, we will generate electricity and heat for our own purposes so the plant will be self-sufficient,” says Bouskova.

“Some excess gas will help produce renewable heating for the neighbouring glasshouses to grow tomatoes. Finally, the remaining portion of biogas will be upgraded to biomethane and renewable CO2, with the former being injected into the natural gas grid.

“It’s a straight injection of the biogas because the quality of the biomethane is largely the same as natural gas. A portion of the renewable CO2 will be supplied to the tomato growers.”

She notes First Gas has negotiated approval from WorkSafe to inject the biogas and work is underway to produce a biomethane standard to inject gas into the national grid.

“There’s enough potential to replace all natural gas with biomethane but it needs government direction and support. We’re working through a gas transition plan at the moment and putting a biogas roadmap in place.”

Alzbeta Bouskova, General Manager at Ecogas.

The digester at the Ecogas facility in Reporoa, where food scraps will go to be transformed into biogas and organic fertiliser. The facility is due to become fully operational this year.

using renewable gas, plans are afoot to offer specialised training for plumbers and gasfitters about the emerging energy supplies.

“Master Plumbers is already looking at models to train fitters on renewable gas and hydrogen. This is about to commence in Australia and we’re in conversations with them about what their training looks like.

“We work really closely with Australia on trading standards and gas standards and there’s a lot we can learn from them.”

Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace says taking a transTasman approach makes good sense for the trades and from a cost delivery perspective.

“We are working with our Australian counterparts to develop joint standards for hydrogen and biomethane, with the goal of then incorporating an aligned gasfitter training regime.

“The Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland is at the

forefront of launching a new hydrogen training programme and we are in discussions around acquiring this programme for New Zealand.

“However, if we are to go ahead with this significant investment, we must first have absolute commitment from the current government that this is the future direction for the gas industry.”

FUTURE SURE WEBSITE

The new Future Sure website is now live and a consumer campaign is also underway. This digital campaign is designed to raise interest in and awareness of renewable gas and to provide assurance that gas will keep flowing as New Zealand makes the transition.

Visit Future Sure at www.futuresure.co.nz

A fertiliser pasteuriser is part of the set up at Reporoa.

Times are changing for gas industries the world over. A combination of climate change and the ongoing war in Ukraine has accelerated the pace of change internationally.

Here in New Zealand, the gas industry is grappling with the challenge of how to lower the carbon content of the current gas supply, whilst also establishing a pathway towards carbon neutral gas fuels for the future.

Outlined below is some of the work afoot at Rinnai to support these changes.

1. Hydrogen and natural gas blends (H2/NG)

One of the concepts for New Zealand is to blend a percentage of hydrogen with the current natural gas supply. Put simply, this lowers the carbon content of natural gas whilst retaining its characteristics. It allows combustion of the hydrogen/natural gas mix in an existing natural gas appliance without any changes to the appliance.

To ensure this mix remains within the same range as pure natural gas on the Wobbe Index, the hydrogen content is limited to a maximum 20%. To see how these hydrogen and natural gas blends performed in current and older appliances, Rinnai ran a series of tests on water heaters, gas hobs, gas space heaters and flame effect fires. This tested for:

ignition performance

complete combustion

flame stability

combustion noise

flame colour

light back.

Rinnai ran the tests with a variety of hydrogen and natural gas mixes, up to and including a 25% mix, and did not note any abnormal performance. Whilst this testing is not exhaustive, it does illustrate the feasibility of running a H2/NG blend from an appliance perspective.

2. 100% hydrogen appliances (H2)

To showcase what can be achieved, Rinnai Japan has been working on the technology required to run a water heater on 100% hydrogen. Taking an existing N series water heater—which uses a very different burner and gas valve set up from a traditional Infinity—they modified the appliance to combust 100% hydrogen.

Before 100% hydrogen appliances can become available on the New Zealand market, the safety standards and infrastructure must first be put in place for the production and distribution of hydrogen.

3. Dimethyl ether and LPG blend (DME/LPG)

Dimethyl ether (DME) is an organic compound that can be mixed with LPG. DME produced from biomass has a lower carbon footprint, so the blend lowers the carbon content of LPG.

Rinnai has been reviewing the large amount of DME research and testing being carried out in Europe. Getting hold of DME gas blends here in New Zealand has proved challenging, with DME needing HSNO approval.

With this approval now in place, Rinnai has imminent plans to conduct a test series using varying blends of DMG/LPG. Testing will include how the DME impacts rubber components in the appliance.

Significant initiatives are underway at Rinnai, both internationally and here in New Zealand, to meet gas industry changes.

AUTHOR: RINNAI NEW ZEALAND

Rinnai has conducted a series of tests to see how hydrogen and natural gas blends perform in current and older gas appliances.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST INNOVATIVE PRODUCT RELEASES FOR THE PLUMBING, GASFITTING AND DRAINLAYING TRADES.

MultiSafe – a new level of protection from costly water damage

MultiSafe Leak Detector Control Valve by Reliance Valves provides ultimate leak detection and intelligent water management by constantly measuring water flow rate, pressure, temperature, and hardness.

When unusually high usage is detected or water is running for a long period of time, the isolating valve automatically shuts off the water supply and sends an instant alert by text or email. Even the smallest leak is detected, thanks to microleak testing at regular intervals.

Features and benefits

Constantly monitors water usage to safeguard plumbing and heating systems

Automatically closes isolation valve and sends an alert when a leak is detected

Settings can be adjusted to suit individual requirements

Includes temperature monitoring for frost protection

Monitor, control and change settings via a free user-friendly app

Compatible with copper pipe.

Contact Reliance Worldwide Corporation for more information on 0800 800 523; sales.nz@rwc.com or visit www.rwc.com/brands/multisafe

New DualPex Clip from Aqualine

Introducing the new DualPex Clip from Aqualine Products. New to the market in early 2023, the DualPex Clip features a flexible tongue that allows one clip to fit both 16mm and 20mm PEX pipe. Comes in both DualPex to suit PEX pipe and DualBute to suit PB pipe. With a strong concrete nail included, the DualPex clips onto the pipe and stays in position until the nail is driven in. Save money by stocking fewer types of clip

Save space in your nail bag

Save time sorting out clips.

The DualPex and DualBute clips are two clips to rule them all. For more information and to secure a sample, please contact your local Aqualine Territory Manager: www.aqualine.co.nz or call 0800 889 914.

Dux expands AdjustaPit® range

Already one of New Zealand’s most innovative silt pits, the AdjustaPit® range from Dux has been expanded with the introduction of the AdjustaPit® Basic 250mm. Featuring the same innovative adjustable riser, this product is paired with a basic pit base to provide an entry level option to the AdjustaPit® range.

The AdjustaPit® Basic 250mm offers increased flexibility for different installations. There are two pit options—one with no outlet, and one with a fixed outlet; two grate options—aluminium and cast iron; and two finish options—square or round.

New Zealand’s original height adjustable silt pits are faster to install than traditional pits. A few quick turns of the Dux AdjustaPit® patented screw system enables fast fine tuning to the finished ground level, reducing the need for pit adjustment call backs.

Check out the range at www.dux.co.nz/adjustapit

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Drain Snake

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Drain Snake (M18FDCPF8-0C) with Cable Drive

Locking Feed System represents the next level in performance for handheld machines, and is the first to bring brushless motor technology to the drain cleaning industry. Redlink Plus Intelligence ensures maximum performance under load and improves control throughout the entire process. The RedlithiumIon battery pack powers through multiple jobs on a single charge, delivering cordless mobility, safety, and power supply to the drain cleaning industry. The Cable Drive Locking Feed System maintains the selected feed speed, and its twist lock design auto-adjusts to all compatible cable sizes for the best cable grip when feeding and working the clog. The M18 Fuel Drain Snake has a fully enclosed drum to ensure the best protection and mess containment.

To book a visit from your local Milwaukee Job Site Solutions rep, visit www.milwaukeetool.co.nz/jobsite-solutions

Active bra for women in trades

With the growing number of women entering physical roles in the construction industry, the way bras are designed and worn is changing.

Lingerie specialists Rose & Thorne have created an Active Bra, especially engineered for women working in trades and other physically demanding professions. Unlike sports bras, the active bra is fully wired and has been designed to be worn throughout the day to support and not compress.

In the past women in these roles have had to rely on a sports bra, which compresses the bust and features a racer back. Regardless of how well engineered these bras are, they are not designed to be worn for long periods of time.

The Rose & Thorne Active Bra is available in six colours and costs $59. Premium Support options are also available. roseandthorne.co.nz

Rinnai Demand Rapid

Quick recovery storage system

Range expanded to include larger, lower cost enamel storage cylinders.

Grant EZ-Fit Flue

Leading heating technology manufacturer Grant is providing its easily installed flues to plumbers and installers throughout New Zealand. Grant’s EZ-Fit flue works seamlessly with the range of Grant Vortex condensing diesel boilers and reduces installation time with its unique clamping system and quick-fit connection arrangement that ensures a perfect seal every time.

The Grant internal high level vertical balanced flue system is white powder coated and is extendable as standard. It is adjustable in height from 800mm to 1200mm and can be used where the flue is required to be terminated at a higher level including through the roof. (It is important always to review building regulations before installing a diesel boiler.)

To learn more about Grant’s EZ-Fit flues and the Grant Vortex condensing diesel boiler range, which is available in outputs of 46-70kW, contact the team at Waterware on 09 273 9191 or visit waterware.co.nz

Dual, active/standby primary pump available. Manifold 2 or more for larger applications.

Available with all of the Rinnai INFINITY commercial range: HD49, HD56, N56.

Suitable for:

• Large residential homes with ring mains and spa baths

• Accommodation with up to 40 people 1

• Laundromats

• Sports clubs where gas supply is limited

1 Auckland/Northland with 40 litres per person at 60 °C

rinnai.co.nz |

0800 RINNAI

The future of home comfort is all-electric

STIEBEL ELTRON offers solutions that can help to drastically reduce energy consumption. The use of intelligent, energy efficient technology, in combination with renewables, allows us to become futureproof.

BUSINESS GROWTH: BUYING & FRANCHISING

Business smarts

AUTHOR: NICK WALKER

In the previous edition of NZ Plumber, we ran a case study on selling a plumbing business (page 63).

Now, with the help of two plumbing businesses, we consider the flip side of the coin—growing a business by purchasing other operations.

Foleys has a network of 13 New Zealand plumbing businesses, from its stronghold in the lower South Island to Putāruru and Rotorua in the North. The business started in Dunedin in 1934 and has grown to employ around 270 staff working across plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying, electrical and mechanical services.

One of the key aspects of its growth has been purchasing other businesses. General Manager Bruce

Muldrew says the businesses they have bought are wholly owned rather than franchises.

Meanwhile, Straight Flush has slowly built its operation from the lower North Island. It’s been running for 16 years, and Director Ngaire Mansfield says they’ve bought four other businesses in that time. She and husband Jeremy began the business with an eye to making it franchisable from the start.

Both Ngaire and Bruce see significant advantages in purchasing an existing business compared to growing and expanding organically. “You bring on skilled staff, an established customer base and a recognised brand,” says Bruce.

If your plans for growth include buying another business or franchising, there are several factors to consider for a successful process. We talk to two companies with first-hand experience.

Ngaire and Jeremy Mansfield have bought four other businesses since starting Straight Flush Plumbing in Wellington 16 years ago.

It’s also a neat way of getting around staffing and capacity issues that tend to come with growing a business from the ground up, as Ngaire explains.

“We have a team lead, who looks after a team of five or six people. When we’re doing up to 150 maintenance jobs a week, that’s about the limit one person can handle. If we get beyond that number of jobs, it’s too much for one person to handle, but if we bring on another team lead, there isn’t enough work and it’s not as financially viable.”

While purchasing a business certainly comes with its challenges—customers and staff can be wary of a new owner, for example—both Ngaire and Bruce agree that the pros outweigh the cons if you get it right.

Going about it right

So how to make a success of a business purchase? Ultimately, it depends on who you are and what you’re hoping to achieve.

Bruce and Ngaire are quick to note that each purchase is unique in some way, and there’s no set way to go about it. There are some parallels and guidelines, but mostly it’s about assessing the individual circumstances of the business you’re looking to purchase and figuring out if you can make it work.

“We look at things including profitability, people, location and marketplace,” says Bruce. “The business needs to

be financially viable, the location is somewhere we don’t already have a business, and there are a number of factors around the environment.”

There are individual aspects of a business that make it well suited to Foleys, he adds. For example, businesses already on a tech platform are typically better suited, because staff don’t need quite as much training.

Ngaire has 11 points she works through— many of which are specific elements of the factors mentioned by Bruce. For example, she looks at revenue trends, charge-out rates and team culture. She says all points are important, but the cold, hard financials are worth thorough examination, because this is where some of the hooks can be.

“Most businesses go on the market at around three times their earnings, which means it takes the new owner three years to get their money back,” she explains. “But it needs a closer look, because you might see that drawings have been high in the lead up to the sale, which inflates the earnings.

“You need to factor in things like vehicles. If you have to replace them straight away, then that has to be reflected in the price.”

Many of her other points relate either to the performance of the business or its suitability for Straight Flush. The ideal situation is being able to take over the business seamlessly.

“Minimising change is ideal. The more change it requires, the more risk involved and the more it costs. So, if you’re bringing people across to new software, you lose productivity.”

Getting good advice

Doing your due diligence on a prospective acquisition takes time, and it can take up to several months to go through the entire process.

“Generally speaking, we’ve figured out a due diligence process that works for us,” Bruce says. “We have quite a bit of documentation around that process that we put in front of the business, and then there’s things like working through it all with the bank.”

If you haven’t purchased a business before, it pays to have good advice from people like accountants and lawyers you trust. In fact, Ngaire says having an accountant in the know is a good first step to make it known that you’re in the market to purchase a plumbing business.

“Accountants know other accountants, so if someone’s looking to sell that’s how they get the word out there. We’re at the stage now where most people know we’ll have a look at a business that’s for sale, so we get contacted directly fairly often.”

Bruce says Foleys also get approached by people who know they’re a business open to purchasing others. They also have relationships with agents and keep an eye on public listings.

Top tip for businesses

Interestingly, Bruce and Ngaire echo each other with one of their biggest pieces of advice… and it’s not for those buying businesses, it’s for potential sellers. They both say it’s crucial for business owners to prepare to sell well in advance.

“Anyone who’s thinking of selling or retiring needs to be thinking five years ahead of when they want to do it,” says Ngaire. “If something happens and you’re forced to put the business on the market at short notice, you won’t get a premium result.”

“We often see older business owners looking to sell and they haven’t thought about succession,” says Bruce. “Or they have, and it hasn’t worked out.

“For a business owner who’s looking to retire, selling is a great opportunity to realise a payout for all the good work they’ve done. It also helps them to look after their staff by making sure the new owner prides themselves on a good company culture, rather than just winding things down.”

Foleys General Manager Bruce Muldrew says they have developed a comprehensive due diligence process for business purchasing.

A

warm welcome to the latest in our

Rinnai INFINITY® residential range.

The Rinnai INFINITY® EF26 provides a condensing hot water solution for residential applications, using 11% less energy* and weighing 30% less**.

* When compared to the A26

** When compared to the EF24

Introducing the Rinnai INFINITY® A28i. This is the first A Series unit for internal applications, and has an output of 28 L/min.

Engaging with your employees

Lisa Duston lays down an HR challenge for plumbing businesses in 2023...

I am a massive believer in businesses looking after their people, whilst also ensuring all parties are getting the most from the employment relationship.

As part of the Master Plumbers HR service, we can help our member businesses carry out employee engagement surveys.

I want to challenge our members to check in with their people in 2023 and ask those tough questions around how they feel about their role, what challenges they face, and how they think their employer is doing. Sadly, I often hear there is no time to do this—but, if you can make the time, I am sure you’ll see the benefits!

In late 2021, we assisted Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas (MPG) with an employee engagement survey. Their management team wanted to know how they were

performing as an employer and if there were any issues bubbling away that they weren’t aware of.

Over the past year, MPG worked hard to make some changes highlighted by the survey and, although further improvements can always be made, it has definitely led to positive changes in their culture.

MPG Operations Manager David Whitfield, the main driver of this process at the business, told me they now have a Wellbeing Champion, who offered to assist in the wellbeing space and is available to talk if anyone is struggling.

The business has also implemented job management software to move away from doing everything manually. This has been a huge success, with the operations team and other employees really noticing the benefit.

Since the initial survey, MPG have checked in again with their team and the feedback is positive. They have happy employees, who appreciate the work the business has done to improve things. Well done MPG!

If your business could benefit from an employee engagement survey, please be in touch. Lisa Duston from the Master Plumbers HR team is available to Master Plumbers members to discuss any employee situation. Contact Lisa on 021 245 1704 or email lduston@masterplumbers.org.nz

DON’T OVERTHINK IT!

Did you start the New Year full of determination to change something in your life for the better? Usually, it’s concrete things like giving up smoking/vaping, exercising

more, or cutting back on the booze. These are all great things to aim for and worth doing.

But what about also making some changes in your thinking that may help you better handle life’s day-to-day stresses and worries?

We often spend our mental energy worrying about things—money, relationships, work, family issues etc. A good, proactive way to approach your worries is not to overthink it, and apply the following test:

Whatever you’re worried about, is there something you can do about it?

If not, then try not to worry because it’s not going to achieve anything

If you know there is something that can be done about it, stop worrying and go ahead and do it.

By applying this thinking, you may realise your worrying is futile and it may help you put the problem into perspective. I’m not an overly religious person but this is an approach to problem solving that is used in Buddhist philosophy and one that really works for me.

Most humans tend towards negative thinking and spend a lot of time

sweating the small stuff. By getting a bit of perspective around some of life’s challenges and thinking positively, your mental attitude will be strengthened, and little things are less likely to get you down.

I’m back on deck at Master Plumbers and Masterlink, so feel free to reach out and connect if you need a yarn.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Need to talk? Master Plumbers members and their teams can get in touch with registered social worker Kereama Carmody on the 0800 Wellbeing Number during normal business hours. Details in the member log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz (under Wellbeing on Tap).

wellbeing on tap

KEREAMA CARMODY Master Plumbers Wellbeing Guy

Ditch the fads

Looking for the ultimate diet in 2023? Keep it real, advises Kelly Hyland

A New Year often brings about that ‘new me’ attitude. The most popular New Year resolutions? You guessed it—diet and exercise. And why wouldn’t you want to follow the latest fad diet? The industry gets a 10/10 for their marketing. They have the slogans, the before and after photos, celebrity promotions, and often fast results. However, many dieters soon fall back to their old habits—and some may even see a gain in weight.

Well, there is some good news for those not wanting to get sucked into another diet this year. A review paper aimed at answering the million-dollar question of what diet is best for health compared several popular diets, including: low carbohydrate, low fat, low glycemic, Mediterranean, mixed-balance, paleo and vegan diets. The verdict please…

There is no winner when it comes to following a strict eating regime. However,

.

potatoes instead of potato chips. And choosing food that is mostly plant based. The emphasis here is mostly plant based. For example, aiming for a plate that is half full with colourful vegetables, quarter protein, and quarter carbohydrate shifts the focus to be more plant-based, without completely giving up the animal foods you may love.

At the end of the day, no one wants to follow a strict set of eating rules. If health is your focus for 2023, ditch the fad diets and opt for some realistic, daily habits that you can see yourself sticking to. Very simply, from the words of US author and journalist Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

there are obvious dietary patterns that clearly benefit our health—patterns you are all likely to agree on, no matter what ‘diet camp’ you may sit in.

These patterns include eating real food. For example, nuts instead of a nut bar,

Kelly Hyland (NZRD) is the Administrative Manager for Alex Hyland Plumbing Ltd. She has a Masters in Dietetics, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, and is passionate about ensuring a healthy working environment in the trade industry. Kelly worked as a registered dietitian and as a science teacher before buying the plumbing business with her husband Alex.

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Business coach Daniel Fitzpatrick from Next Level Tradie looks at how you can use Key Performance Indicators to stay in control.

AUTHOR: DANIEL FITZPATRICK, NEXT LEVEL TRADIE

There’s never been a more important time to use KPIs. Because doing business is hard right now. Material and wage costs are increasing. Construction costs for new homes have risen by 9.6% over the last 12 months, according to RNZ.

Disruption of schedules, jobs being shifted around all the time, downturn in the market in areas, a shortage of good

staff, your existing team having more time off, and expecting more leniency. All these things add pressure to your profits, cashflow, and day-to-day running of the business.

KPIs give you the ability to keep a firm handle on all important aspects of your business. Without having to be involved in every detail.

Truth is, tracking your performance numbers and your progress is the only way to make sure all your hard work will be worth it.

Let’s jump in:

1Use KPIs to make difficult conversations with staff easier

Ever had a team member who wasn’t performing, had a bad attitude, or was making too many mistakes? It’s easy for these issues to get kicked down the road. But the longer it goes on, the worse it gets.

The best thing about KPIs is… It’s not personal. It’s just about what the business needs to be successful. When standards have been set, everyone knows what’s expected. And it’s clear if they are meeting the mark—or not.

For example, I once worked with a building company that needed more jobs. The sales rep was not getting the results. It was awkward, there were lots of excuses and the owners were almost resigned to accepting poor performance, even though it was hurting their business.

We worked together on putting KPIs in place. Suddenly it was much easier to have those sales conversations. Combined with the right support, the focus shifted to meeting targets. Tracking how many new enquiries this week, how many quotes completed, followed up.

Conversion rates increased from 22% to 35%, which everyone was happy about— including the rep who was on commission.

2Use KPIs to get staff into an accountability mindset— and fix underperforming

How to get your team to perform at their best? It’s one of the hardest things about being in business. Unfortunately, if you don’t provide the right structure and direction, even your star players won’t be able to deliver.

Does your team know if they are winning or losing each week? Is their definition of success the same as yours? Developing KPIs with your team will get everyone on the same page. The trick is: KPIs only work if your team owns them. To get buy-in, it’s most effective to get your staff to come up with their own performance goals.

A drainlayer I have been working with recently had a lot of issues in his team of seven. Jobs were taking too long, gear was being forgotten, a lack of accountability when things went wrong.

He’d tried motivating them before without success, so was skeptical about KPIs. But he brought it up at the next team meeting and gave each guy the responsibility of coming up with their own KPIs (with a little guidance).

KPIs ranged from the apprentice turning up on time through to the foremen committing to finishing jobs on schedule. Results were starting to happen. Then one day he overheard his guys comparing their individual targets and how they were going to go about achieving them. That was when he knew it was really working.

Remember to only measure your staff on stuff they have influence over!

3

Don’t overcomplicate your KPIs—only use the ones you really need

I’m a fan of Xero and job-tracking software. But be careful with being overwhelmed with lots of complicated reports.

KPIs are most effective when they are kept simple. In each part of your business, you should only have a few key things to focus on. For example, if you want to improve cashflow, then the main KPI to watch is how much cash you have in the bank after all bills are paid.

The numbers you’re tracking must be identifiable. So you can use them to make smarter decisions. If not, what’s the point?

When I work with tradies to improve their profits, I put all their most important KPIs into one dashboard. Then it only takes around 20-30 minutes a month to see how we’re tracking. And gives them laser focus on where to concentrate to get the best results.

This dashboard is a quick check. All the numbers are in one place. The last thing you need is to be hunting out info all the time!

One company I’ve been working with for the last eight months has gone from significant losses to now making 10k-20k every single month. This success is mainly down to using the dashboard. Consistency is key.

4

Never base your KPIs off what others are doing

A word of caution: Don’t look at what others are doing and think you should be doing the same. And definitely don’t measure success by how big your team is compared to theirs. Take it from me: A bigger team does not automatically mean a bigger profit.

KPIs will vary depending on what stage you are at in your business.

When deciding your sales target this will depend on where your break-even point is, your gross margins, and how much money you want to make for the year. It’s individual to you and always will be

A builder won’t be getting the same margins as an electrician. If you complete high-end work your margins should also be higher than others in the same industry. It’s important to get crystal clear on where your margin should be specifically for your business.

Wouldn’t you rather base your pricing and margins off concrete numbers that are right for you and your overheads? So you know that you’re making money on every job and know exactly where you’re winning and losing?

5

Use KPIs to avoid expensive mistakes

By now you’ll have realised that not having really solid KPIs is costing you more than you thought. Lost margins, lost profitability, lost focus. Knowing exactly what you are aiming for will help you avoid mistakes (or at least see things in time to make adjustments when needed).

You can avoid pricing incorrectly (usually this happens if you don’t know where your target margin should be) and avoid leaking profits by tracking jobs well throughout.

You can avoid booking too many jobs (if you haven’t worked out exactly how much work is optimal for your team). This also means no burning out your team (and reputation) with too much work and crazy deadlines.

You can avoid constantly not having money in the bank when you need it and sleepless nights with cashflow worries because you haven’t created a cash buffer or know what that should be. These mistakes all cost you time, stress, and money.

Bottom line? Running a business without tracking your performance is like being the captain of a ship in the dark of night during a storm. Trying to avoid the rocks. Without a lighthouse to guide the way.

Need some help to get your business tweaked for optimal results? It’s time we had a chat. Book here: https://nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS: HOW TO RECRUIT & RETAIN

Top tips on recruiting and retaining a skilled international workforce to help grow your team.

AUTHOR: ZINNY CHENG, WORKING IN

After a year jam-packed with immigration policies and changes, here’s a guide for employers looking to hire and retain skilled international workers in 2023.

Become an Accredited Employer

With the implementation of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), employers hiring skilled international workers must be accredited. Employers who apply for their first accreditation by 4 July 2023 will be given an automatic 12-month extension, bringing the total validity to 24 months. So, it’s a good idea to get underway if you haven’t already.

Depending on your business structure, there are different types of accreditations to apply for. Our recommendation would

be to forecast your workforce needs for two years and apply for the appropriate accreditation. If your business holds Standard Accreditation and utilises all five Job Tokens, then an upgrade application must be submitted.

Help with settling in

As an Accredited Employer, there are minimum standards you must meet to assist with an international worker’s settlement into the country, including providing them with the necessary settlement information, and allowing them time during paid work hours within their first month of employment to complete the Employment Learning Modules.

While the requirements above tick immigration boxes, here are some examples of additional things you can do to help create a positive first impression:

Create a welcome kit

Arrange someone at work to meet with them and act as their buddy or mentor

Take them through their job description and responsibilities

Give new employees a background and history of the business

Organise accommodation and transportation.

Create a supportive work environment

Many migrants do not have family or friends in New Zealand and must build their network from scratch. Having a supportive ‘work family’ and company culture will help create a sense of belonging and community. Take time to understand the values and work styles of your new employee’s culture. This will also help with engagement and bringing out their strengths in the workplace.

Ensure you are market competitive

We know the market is competitive. Making sure your offering aligns with market rates will reduce wondering minds. Schedule and plan for annual salary reviews.

Be aware of your employees’ visa conditions

Ensuring employees and their managers understand visa conditions will help prevent non-compliance.

In addition, make sure you are up to date with employees’ visa expiries. Close to an expiry, have a chat with them so they know you are aware and that you will support them with the renewal process. This gives employees peace of mind and may prevent them from considering other employment opportunities.

Employers hiring skilled international workers must be accredited.

Keep abreast of residence pathway information

In 2022, the Skilled Migrant Category reopened and new residence categories such as the Green List were created.

Great news is that as of March 2023, Gasfitters and Drainlayers have been added to the Green List ‘Work to Residence’ category, with a two-year pathway to residence.

Suitable candidates will start looking at New Zealand as a destination of choice. As well as having your Accreditation, ensuring you have Job Check tokens will allow you to make offers and have candidates apply straight away.

Ensuring your international workers are well and accurately informed with regards to their visa conditions, options and pathways will also help with recruitment and retention. Accessing information from the right source, such as a Licensed Immigration Adviser, can provide clarity and direction.

Assist with language upskilling

Something practical you can do to support your workers is help them improve their English language skills. Although English isn’t a requirement for most temporary visa categories (eg, the AEWV), it’s mandatory for many residence visa categories.

Most applicants who aren’t from English-speaking countries will need to take an English language test if they’re planning to apply for residence. The sooner they pass, the sooner they can put more focus and energy into their job. We can help set up teachers who run English lessons in your workplace.

To have a chat with Working In regarding any visa, immigration or recruitment assistance, please email Zinny at zinny.cheng@workingin.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Zinny Cheng is a Licensed Immigration Adviser at Working In—the trusted partner of hundreds of Kiwi employers for almost 25 years. Their Recruitment, Immigration and Settlement teams attract, screen, relocate and retain skilled overseas workers, filling skill shortages for NZ businesses and leaving no stone unturned. To get upto-date immigration information, register for the Working In newsletter, with updates regarding policy in an easy, digestible format that relates to your business and workers: https://workingin-visas.co.nz/register-now

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Straight to the point

AUTHOR: KIT WATSON, SIDEKIT

Consumers have the world at their fingertips and are increasingly savvy in their research. With so many choices on hand, it’s become easier to seek out services to suit our specific needs—and decisions are often made quickly.

To cut through the online noise and attract the right clientele, plumbing businesses need to ensure their marketing messages focus on the right areas. For service providers and suppliers, there are three areas that matter most. It’s a good exercise to consider these and weigh up what your business wants to highlight.

TRUST

If exceptional customer service is your focus, trust is likely to be your highest marketing priority.

There are many ways we can build trust with potential customers through marketing. A few examples are building up positive and relevant reviews and testimonials, project and job case studies, cause-related marketing (eg, supporting a favourite charity), and personal branding. Membership of a trusted association, such as Master Plumbers, also falls within this category.

PRICE

If your business is running lean to offer best pricing, this is likely to be your focus.

If, on the other hand, your pricing is premium, marketing efforts should emphasis quality and/or trust. Remember, not every customer is for you. Some people may be willing to forfeit great service to get a good deal, and that may not align with your business model—that’s perfectly OK.

A few tips for pricing are offering transparency, packages, promotions, and calling people to action to book a free quote or a no-obligation call to discuss their job.

QUALITY

Are you looking for high-paying clients who want the best finish? If yes, then quality is your key marketing focus.

High quality imagery, videos, branding, online experience, and reputable project examples are crucial here.

Being recognised with awards also fits in this category.

Keep an eye out for more marketing advice and insights in our next issue to help you improve your marketing throughout 2023 and beyond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kit Watson is the Founder of SideKit, a New Zealand-based virtual marketing management and assistance business supporting businesses across the country. If you’re interested in speaking to a marketing professional, visit sidekit.nz

Whether you like it, love it, or avoid it at all costs... marketing is a necessary part of your business. In the first of this new series for 2023, marketing specialist Kit Watson has advice on nailing your key messages.

Showing job case studies and photos in your marketing helps build customer trust.

Photograph: Mains Plumbers

What to ask your ACCOUNTANT

10 questions to ask your accountant to help you get the most value from them in 2023.

AUTHOR: BRETT CROMBIE, STRAIGHTEDGE ACCOUNTING

Maintaining a great working relationship with your accountant can be a rich source of business confidence. Asking the right questions is one way to maximise the value of this relationship.

BEFORE THE TAX YEAR ENDS

Q1. When do you expect to file my tax returns?

The current tax year ends on 31 March 2023, so your tax returns will be filed sometime after this date. Businesses with an accountant have until 31 March the following year to file, but in practice you will want your accounts completed and tax returns filed well before this.

Before the end of the tax year, ask your accountant for a rough indication of when they expect to complete your work. From your point of view, the sooner the better as far as knowing how much income tax your business owes.

Q2. What information do you need from me?

Often around the tax year end, your accountant will send you a questionnaire listing all the information they need to prepare the accounts. This will usually be things like bank statements, vehicle logbooks, home office details and any documentation around large or unusual transactions. Getting hold of this questionnaire as soon as possible will give you plenty of time to complete it.

Q3. When do you need the information by?

With a due date locked in well in advance, there will be no last-minute rush or delays in providing the information. From the accountant’s point of view, receiving this information on time will speed up the accounting process and may even result in lower accounting fees.

ONCE YOUR ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED

Q4. What is my income tax bill, and will I need to pay provisional tax?

There are two questions here, but the first probably goes without saying, as it is likely to be the question you are most interested in. Provisional tax is a system of progress payments towards the following year’s likely tax bill. It can be confusing and for business owners it often feels like a double hit of tax. If you are subject to provisional tax, understanding when these payments are due will assist cashflow planning and help avoid any missed payments and penalties from the IR.

Q5. How is depreciation being applied to my business assets? Business owners who understand how depreciation flows through to profit (and tax) are better placed to make decisions around asset purchases. For example, the decision of whether to buy or lease a business asset is closely tied to depreciation. It is useful

to ask your accountant to talk you through your business’s Asset Schedule, including depreciation rates and methods used for different assets.

Q6. How has my home office been treated?

If you use a home office, your accountant will probably have asked you a series of questions around how much of your house it takes up and your household expenses. A closer discussion with your accountant about this will help ensure you are claiming the maximum legitimate amount as a home office expense. Many trade business owners also use their home’s garaging or storage space for their business, which should also be factored into the deduction calculation.

Q7. How has the use of my personal vehicle been treated?

If you use your personal vehicle to do any business-related running around, you will be able to claim a deduction. Talk with your accountant about how this has been calculated and what documentation you need to support it.

Q8. Are any year-end GST adjustments required?

When preparing the annual accounts, your accountant will complete a GST reconciliation. This will show up any GST filing errors that occurred during the year. As a result, an adjustment may be required to bring the GST filings back into line. Talking though any GST filing errors will help avoid them in the future, as well as make you aware of any adjustments coming up that will impact cashflow.

Q9. What is the balance of my shareholder current account?

If your business has a company structure, chances are you have a shareholder’s current account. This is a tricky concept to get to grips with. It can be thought of as a bank account that the shareholder has with the company, keeping a running balance of the amount the company owes the shareholder, or the amount the shareholder owes the company.

Ideally your current account will be in ‘credit’, which means there is a net loan from the shareholder to the company. Problems occur when the current account becomes overdrawn, meaning the shareholder has taken more money out of the company than was put into it. This is treated as a loan from the company to the shareholder, which becomes problematic. If this is the case, a thorough conversation with your accountant about the implications is required.

Q10. Are there any other tax deductions I can apply?

From time to time the government comes up with some limited time offers. For example, in 2020 around the time of Covid, there were short-term changes to the asset values that could be writtenoff (it rose from $500 to $5,000 before dropping back to $1,000). It is worth asking your accountant if they are aware of any special deductions or rule changes that could help you save tax.

Going along to your accounting meeting with these questions is likely to result in you gaining a lot of valuable information. There is a good chance you will find the meeting more interesting and you’ll be best placed to maximise your tax savings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: About the author: Brett Crombie is a trade specialist accountant at Straightedge Accounting. For assistance developing a business plan, or for tax and accounting services, contact Brett on 021 301 022 or email brett.crombie@straightedge.nz

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Striking a balance

Getting and maintaining a lifestyle balance.

All work and no play isn’t sustainable, says Tracy Pleasants of Foleys. strong pull to provide emergency service to your hard-earned loyal customers.

It’s a tough one…. or is it? Hopefully you’ve enjoyed a decent break over the summer months. I suspect, however, that for many the phone kept ringing, and there was a

It’s a trade off, isn’t it? You need a break. Families need time together to make holiday memories. Yet we can’t control

when a hot water cylinder decides to leak… and if it’s when we’re rightly taking a welldeserved break, and our phone and emails are turned off, those loyal customers may go elsewhere to get their problem fixed.

The reward for not doing these emergency jobs is getting a decent break and coming back refreshed for the new, busy year ahead. The risk, however, is that your customers call their new plumber the next time they need work done.

While you’re on holiday, there will also be customers who text or email with non-urgent jobs. So, inevitably the first few days back are spent scheduling, prioritising, phoning, replying… back to the day-to-day grind with the break soon becoming a distant memory.

Balance is important. All work and no play is not sustainable. There are plenty of ways to ensure the loyal customer who had an emergency comes back to you the next time they need you.

Find a way to make contact with your loyal customers. Give them a coffee voucher on a card with your contact details. Drop them a magnet with your contact details. Pop a handwritten note in their letterbox. Something to let your customers know you’re back on board when they need a plumber.

Short Podcast Series BUILDING BUSINESS

Darryl McDonald, Roger Panton, and Bruce Turfrey, with combined industry experience of 140+ years, share their learnings.

Covering pitfalls to avoid, tips to win, and health and safety.

ON SPOTIFY

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Career starters

Nelson apprentice Jed Haymes has impressed his clients and boss with his enthusiasm, communication skills and diligent approach. NZ Plumber talked to him about his work ethic and goals for the future.

AUTHOR: JE T’AIME HAYR

Jed Haymes, 28, is a third-year Masterlink plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentice at Plumbing Services Nelson.

Three years ago, when Jed and his nursing student fiancée Courtney were newly engaged, they sat down to make a plan for their immediate future. They had two choices: get married sooner or put their careers ahead of tying the knot. They chose to put all their focus into their studies.

Now in the third year of his plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprenticeship, Jed loves every minute on the job, and Courtney has just one year left of her nursing studies.

It’s little surprise that Jed had always wanted to be a tradie—a career path that runs in the family, with one brother a builder and the other an electrician. “Since my brothers ticked off the other trades, I decided to one-up them and pick the best trade,” he jokes.

It would appear he really has settled into the right career, as 28-year-old Jed brings a winning attitude towards his apprenticeship, with mentors, clients and peers describing him as mature and hardworking, a good communicator and a team player with plenty of initiative and determination to succeed.

He credits his parents for instilling a strong work ethic. “Both my parents work hard. I worked alongside my dad for a year in a factory, and he put his all into the job. I think that rubbed off on me,” he says.

Passion, pride & positivity

Jed is also known for his positive outlook, which he says is easy as he loves everything about his apprenticeship at Plumbing Services Nelson. “I work with an awesome crew—everyone is positive and eager to teach me. I try to come to work with a smile and bring good vibes to the team.”

Jed’s passion for learning means that Plumbing Services Nelson owner Glyne McLean feels confident Jed can take on challenges. “Although he hasn’t had much experience, I never worry he will make a hash of a job. If he’s not 100% sure how to do something he will get me on a video call to get it right,” Glyne says.

For Jed, it comes down to his desire to strive for success. “I want to learn how to do everything correctly so I am pretty picky. I do hold myself to a high standard, but giving my best to the job means I can feel proud of my work. I always aim to do better than last week,” he says.

No two jobs the same

So, what appeals the most about his training and trade choice? “I enjoy being on different sites and working

with other trades. Every day is different, with a variety of work to do, so it’s never boring,” says Jed. “If you think about it, builders are often on the same site for a few months, but after a couple of days, we move on to new jobs with different challenges. So far, I’m enjoying the plumbing the most, but am looking forward to learning more about gasfitting.”

Recently, Jed worked on an early childhood centre in Richmond, with lots of miniature-sized toilets—a very different brief from the houses he’s often working on. He’s also been involved in a large architectural high-spec build, which required multiple fire sprinklers and had highly detailed bathroom plans.

As a business owner, Glyne appreciates that Jed is one of those people willing to go the extra mile. “He’s happy to help out over the weekend as needed,” he says. “And as a former health and safety rep, he stepped up to lead our weekly health and safety meetings.”

“Masterlink has been tremendous”

Jed was the first Masterlink apprentice for Plumbing Services Nelson, and Glyne says he’s set the bar high. “The experience boosted our confidence to add another Masterlink apprentice, Ben, to the team recently. Masterlink Regional Manager Sam Timlin has been tremendous in helping us to find the right fit for the team.”

Jed has made an impression on Sam too. “Jed was one of the three winners of a Plumbing World Scholarship at the 2022 NZ Plumbing Awards and has also just passed his registration exam for Plumbing with a great score of 81!”

By all accounts, Jed has a bright future ahead of him and big goals to match. “I’d like to have my own company one day,” he says. “That’s why I want to learn all aspects of plumbing—to expand my knowledge and not be one-dimensional.”

And, of course, eventually, he and Courtney will get that wedding they’ve been dreaming of too.

“I do hold myself to a high standard, but giving my best to the job means I can feel proud of my work.”

Jed credits his parents for instilling a strong work ethic. “I worked alongside my dad for a year in a factory and he put his all into the job.”

Trades training FOR MARAE

A new trades training facility at a marae in West Auckland is providing the local community with a pathway to enter in-demand careers.

AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE

A cohort of students at the NZMA Trades West Campus learning plumbing skills.

NZMA has partnered with Hoana Waititi Marae in Glen Eden, Auckland, to create a purpose-built campus that can cater for about 80 to 100 students.

The Trades West Campus, which welcomed its first intake of students in February 2021, offers trades training to people living in the marae community and the wider west Auckland area.

Programmes on offer include NZ certificates at level three in carpentry, painting and decoration, and plumbing and gasfitting, with the latter accommodating 20 students and lasting 22 weeks.

Kylie Wilson, NZMA’s Chief Executive Officer, says the campus was launched to support the growing demand for trades training in New Zealand.

“The first intake for plumbing and gasfitting had a full class of students enrolled,” she says.

“The on-location vocational campus rounds out the marae’s existing education offering of early childhood, primary and secondary education—providing a skills-based tertiary learning opportunity for its youth and the wider west Auckland community.

True worksite environment

“In addition to the curriculum learning taking place on a true ‘worksite’ environment, students are also provided with career and employment advice, pastoral care support and goal-setting opportunities.”

As part of the three-year partnership, NZMA will renovate four existing prefabricated classrooms on the marae grounds.

It will also build permanent campus classroom structures and a carving workshop (whare tapere), which will

become the property of Hoani Waititi Marae Trust on completion of the work.

The build of the campus is being undertaken by students as part of their practical learning components.

Hands-on learners

Wilson notes literacy and numeracy can be a barrier to entering formal tertiary study for some learners but says NZMA aims to

make its courses accessible to all and offers plenty of practical experience.

“NZMA programmes all have literacy and numeracy embedded into the curriculum so we can support all students through their programme of study and into employment or into an apprenticeship.

“Our learners are also predominantly hands-on learners and for this reason we ensure that students are able to implement the theory they learn in class through handson building projects both on and off site.”

She says research by NZMA’s careers and employment team drove the decision to develop the campus because construction, plumbing and painting are in-demand industries suffering from skills shortages.

NZMA is a partner of the Auckland Maori and Pasifika Trades Training Consortia and it made contact with the marae through this network.

Sustaining the marae

“We are acutely aware of the high level of demand for trade qualified staff to assist industry with the ever-growing need for housing especially in the Auckland region,” notes Wilson.

“Seeking to be part of the solution to both issues—qualified staff and housing demand—NZMA embarked on this one-ofa-kind partnership with the marae.

In a three-year partnership, NZMA trades students will renovate four existing prefabricated classrooms on the grounds of the Hoana Waititi Marae in Glen Eden, Auckland.

Kylie Wilson, NZMA’s Chief Executive Officer, says the first intake of a new pre-trade plumbing course was fully booked.

“Partnering with the Hoani Waititi Marae Trust to further enrich the educational offering on the marae and empower the communities it serves, NZMA will help locals gain in-demand trades qualifications for employment while sustaining the marae.”

While on site, all students are required to adhere to tikanga Māori protocols, particularly when tangihanga are held on the marae.

Cultural immersion

The trust will also give all NZMA staff and students at the campus free access to maraebased learning programmes such as Te Reo Māori language classes, marae experience, ahuatanga Māori (Māori tradition), tikanga Māori (Māori custom), kapa haka, and cultural competency education as part of the alliance.

Eynon Delamere, chairman of the marae, says the partnership is part of its strategy to provide educational opportunities for Māori and the wider community.

The first run of the three classes attracted a cohort of more than 65 students, with 74 per cent male, 25 per cent female, and one per cent other.

Māori account for 51 per cent of the intake, NZ European or Pakeha 11 per cent, and other ethnicities represented by the students include Tongan, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Cook Island and Chinese.

Plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying tutor Damian Reddington shows students the ropes.

The plumbing and gasfitting Level 3 course accommodates 20 students over its 22-week duration.

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Te Pūkenga welcomes New Zealand plumbers to earn and learn

Vocational training for New Zealand plumbers is now delivered by EarnLearn, which is part of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.

EarnLearn–Te Pūkenga is working closely with Waihanga Ara Rau and other key industry groups to ensure training available for the country’s plumbing sector is accessible and continues to meet the needs of the industry.

In 2023, Te Pūkenga will be looking to improve the service model, through increased coordination across its network of work-based and campus-based divisions to step up the support for learners and employers.

As part of Te Pūkenga, plumbing trainees will have access to free counselling services as they complete their training and other

holistic wellbeing services designed to support trainees to success. There are several lines of support available to learners and their employers in 2023:

1. Vitae counselling services for learners

Te Pūkenga offers work-based learners a free counselling service. This is offered throughout New Zealand by a provider called Vitae. Learners can make an appointment by calling 0508 664 981 (24/7) or online at vitae.co.nz

2.

Fees Free for eligible learners

First-time learners on an eligible training programme, or those whose first tertiary education was covered by the now-closed

Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund, may be eligible to have up to $12,000 of their fees covered. Check eligibility at feesfree.govt.nz

3. Apprenticeship Boost for employers

This is a subsidy payment made directly to employers who have employees in the first or second year of their New Zealand apprenticeship. Apprenticeship Boost is available until the end of December 2023. Check eligibility at workandincome.govt.nz

Employers or learners with any questions or issues around their programmes for 2023 can contact support@earnlearn.ac.nz

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So, what have you been up to on site at the apartment project?

In the final month, I took over as plumbing site manager when the tradesman I was working with moved to another job. Man, that was a lot to take on!

I had to organise different trades to come and work for us, like shower installers to come put in liners and doors, and I was also ordering gear to the site and managing timeframes.

That sounds like a challenge!

Yeah, it’s good to get a taste of responsibility and see how the business ticks. Getting gear dropped to site was difficult. If it didn’t arrive on the given date, it pushed me back and that pushed the other trades back—and the follow-up calls to chase orders ate up a lot of time.

There was a big push pre-Christmas to get things done in time for council inspections, which meant getting lots of remedial work done on existing stuff, like replacement kitchen mixers and laundry tubs.

How did you juggle being hands-on and a site manager?

There are so many moving pieces to a project like this and I was getting about 10 phone calls a day, as well as emails—but I’m always happy to help if people have queries.

I had an apprentice on site helping me and if we were pushed I could call my Contracts Manager to get three or four more plumbers on. I get tunnel vision while I’m working at a task, so I had to make sure I was also thinking about what work to give them next.

The Contracts Manager touched base with me once a week to see if I needed any help and gave me a spreadsheet to keep updated with progress on each unit.

Hope you found time to take breaks during the day?

I always make time for lunch—there’s no way I’m ever going to miss that! Me and my partner do a big meal prep every Sunday, so we’re sorted for the week. It saves time and money. We make things like chicken, rice and veges that can be heated up if there’s a microwave on site, or eaten cold. I get hungry, so I also take plenty of muesli bars and snacks to eat at work or when I’m driving to the gym at the end of the day.

When NZ Plumber last caught up with plumbing apprentice Sebastian Sekene, he was counting down the days to a month-long summer break after being flat tack at work.

Sebastian Sekene is a 21-year-old Masterlink fourth-year plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentice, hosted by Heron Plumbing in Auckland. He currently works in the commercial division of the business.

Sebastian at work on the apartment project.

10 MINUTES WITH...

DAN ROLING Plumbing Tutor

By day, Dan Roling is a Certifying Plumber, Gasfitter and Drainlayer who teaches these trades at Wintec/Te Pūkenga. By night, he’s a stand-up comedian. From stage fright to wardrobe malfunctions, Dan chats with us about his side hustle of making people laugh.

AUTHOR: JE T’AIME HAYR

And finally...

Dan in stand-up comedy mode.

How did you get started in comedy?

I was heckling Mike King at a mate’s work function in 2013 and then spoke with him after the act about how to get into comedy. He gave me a phone number on the back of a coaster for an open mic night at The Classic, the home of NZ comedy in Auckland. The rest is history.

What do you enjoy about it?

Outside of plumbing, my passion is comedy. My taste in comedy is a very wide range. From clean to deadpan, to props to roasts, to rude and crude. That’s the good thing about comedy—there is so much variety. I enjoy making people laugh and filling my social cup.

Where have you performed?

I have performed in Auckland and at the Palmerston North Fringe Festival. You may also find me in Hamilton at my side business, Underground Comedy.

Do you use real-life stories in your sets?

Yes, my life is a joke. But seriously, I love the storytelling aspect of comedy. I don’t just stand there and tell jokes; I tell stories that people can relate to, bringing the audience along on a journey with me.

What’s the biggest challenge?

Getting the first laugh from the audience. And getting paid. I have discovered it’s also a real business of ‘who you know’, so it’s

harder to break into the scene if you don’t know other comedians on the circuit to help you out.

What’s your most memorable moment from a gig?

I did a fundraiser for a local Girl Guides, and 20 minutes before I was to go on stage, I found out the Girl Guides were performing too, so I had to change my whole set to something more PG.

I’m fairly clean with my jokes anyway, so I did the same set, but without the swearing and the exaggeration that appeals to adults. That’s a skill that you learn with stand-up— you have to play to your audience, whether you’re in a pub or an organised event.

Another time, I had a clothing malfunction. I do a joke where I wear a pair of jeans with holes in the knees, and I rip them into shorts. One time they ripped right up the seam, and I was left standing on the stage in my boxers, which thankfully ended up getting a good reaction from the crowd, but was not the plan.

Who would you love to share a stage alongside one day? If so, why?

I would have loved to have done another gig with Ewen Gilmour, one of New Zealand’s comedy heroes and the MC at my first show. Dai Henwood is another Kiwi comedian I would love to share a stage with.

Which comedians make you laugh?

Jim Breuer, who was on Saturday Night Live. I’ve been a fan of Robin Williams since I was a little kid when I started watching his movies. Then, as I got older, I found his standup sets on YouTube, which were great. The movie Good Morning Vietnam incorporated a lot of his stand-up humour. Have you ever had stage fright?

Yes, if I know everyone in the crowd and I forget a line, it can throw me off. A room full of strangers is easier as you’ll never see them again. I always have a beer on stage (naturally representing with a Waikato Draught!), and if I forget a line, it gives me a chance to have a sip and get my train of thought back on track. It also makes the event feel as though I am just having a chat with friends.

Check out Underground Comedy on Facebook www.facebook.com/ UndergroundComedy1

HIDDEN TALENTS

Know someone with an interesting hobby or skill, who’d like to appear on these pages? Email the Ed: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz

Dan in plumbing tutor mode.

FREE ENTRY FREE ENTRY

2- 11th March 2023

Trade against trade, company against company, mate against mate – the measure-only fishing comp built just for tradies

$10,000 OF PRIZES TO BE WON

Plumbing fails

Thanks to Jarrad Marlow for sending in these photos of a sorry HWC installation fail.

Vent jungle

We love this photo of vents resembling a mangrove swamp, sent in by Daniel Paterson.

What the?

“This one had me shaking my head,” says Sean Crockett. We’re not surprised to hear that!

The latest collection of dodgy fails our readers have come across. Keep ’em coming!

Unhappy camper

Darrin Gower of Climate+Plumbing sent in this photo of a non-compliant and dangerous gas installation in a camper van. The van owner, a lady in her eighties, had complained that her gas alarm was going off.

“I attended the job only to find out it was her carbon monoxide alarm,” says Darrin. “There were products of combustion in the sleeping area coming from the fridge due to its bad installation. The picture shows rubber gas pipes criss-crossing and LPG bottles next to an ignition source (fridge). Below the fridge are wires and cables, also an ignition source. The fridge and LPG bottles weren’t sealed from leaking into the sleeping area or vented to the outside.”

Darrin reported the installation to Energy Safety as an immediate threat to life.

REPORTING YOUR CONCERNS

If you come across dodgy work that concerns you, let the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) know. Email complaints@pgdb.co.nz or fill in their online complaints form at www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/make-a-complaint

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