NZ Plumber June-July 2019

JUNE/JULY 2019

GOLD COAST GOLD!

Why it was a conference to remember

2019 MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR Learn all about this winning business

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EDITORIAL

Volume 71, Number 3 MAGAZINE TEAM CEO Greg Wallace EDITOR Beverly Sellers 03 543 2008 beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz DESIGN Sally Travis Design www.sallytravisdesign.co.nz PRINT Service Printers 81 The Esplanade, Petone Wellington 6141 SUBSCRIPTIONS NZ Plumber is published six times a year by Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ. Members and Certifying tradespeople receive all six editions. If you wish to opt out, please email beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz To order an annual subscription, go to www.masterplumbers.org.nz MAILING LIST For enquiries, or to update your details: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz Non-Master Plumbers’ members with address detail changes should notify the PGD Board direct, giving their registration number here: registration@pgdb.co.nz TO ADVERTISE Contact Alton Anamani advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz

One for the women

Much more than ‘the other half’, many of the women at the NZ Plumbing Conference play a vital part in the business.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT a plumbing conference? No queues for the ladies’ loos. Fact is, there are very few female plumbers out there. I learned from the excellent NZ Plumbing Conference in May that, of the total 2,649 apprentices in training nationwide in 2018, only 32 were female.

Considering the country is so desperately short of plumbers, it would be great to see more women entering the trade and getting qualified.

Other than the handful of female plumbing company bosses at the event, the women attending were mostly delegate partners. But that’s not to say they’re not involved in the industry. They’re often the office manager or the admin person at the plumbing firm and may also be the business partner or co-director.

The point was raised at the Master Plumbers AGM that it would be great to see more of these women welcomed at association and branch meetings, bringing a different perspective to the table—and there was strong support for this in the room. Employers are also being encouraged to bring their apprentices to these meetings, to give them a taste for the shared knowledge and friendship. Among the award winners stepping onto the stage at the NZ Plumbing Awards Dinner were young Masterlink apprentices, each receiving a Plumbing World Scholarship.

Former Masterlink apprentice Te Tane McGuire was also recognised with the James Douglas Medallion.

It is good to see young faces among the crowd.

With motivated, skilled and personable apprentices like these, the future of the industry is in good hands. And with the gradual growth in female apprentice numbers, perhaps next year there will be a female among the winners?!

Above: In discussion with NZ Plumber’s expert technical reviewer John Gutry at the NZ Plumbing Conference.

Beverly Sellers Editor, NZ Plumber, beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz

NZ Plumber is the official magazine of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc. Contact details for the MPGD Board, Society 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.

Above: All eyes on the drone! The fabulous Queensland venue for the 2019 conference.

Farewell to a former Editor Our condolences to the family of Les Russell, who passed away in Christchurch in May, aged 89. Les was a Past President of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ and Editor of this magazine for a number of years. It’s thanks to dedicated plumbers like Les that the journal has been going strong for more than 70 years.

June/July 2019

3

EDITORIAL

OVER TO YOU The best email, letter, tip or photo sent in by readers that we publish on this page wins a $50 prize voucher.

Do you have a picture, story or news to share? Or feedback on any of the articles you’ve read in NZ Plumber? Email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz or give me a call on 03 543 2008.

Unfortunately, it is only when people are prosecuted for their wrongdoing that change happens. We all make our living from the plumbing/gasfitting industry, including those people who are employed by Energy Safety and the PGDB. It is time to front up as an industry and tackle this problem head on. If we don’t, she won’t be right mate!!!

Robin Trevallion, Certifying Gasfitter

She won’t be right, mate Having just read the latest edition of NZ PRIZE Plumber, I, like most plumber/gasfitters, had a LETTER chuckle, a shake of the head and a sad smile at the photo of the Infinity installation carried out by a house flipper.

I’m relieved to know that it has been put right but I would love to know what action will be taken, if any, by Energy Safety, the PGDB or any other authority? It is one thing to have a quiet chuckle at the photograph, but we have to realise that the people responsible for these dangerous installations are degrading our profession. If we tradies, the PGDB and Energy Safety are serious about protecting the safety of the public, action must be taken against those that bring the safety of the public into question and these actions should be publicised.

Maybe then the public will start to hear the message about asking to see our licences.

From the Ed: Thanks for your letter, Robin. This edition’s $50 Prezzy Card prize voucher is on its way to you. You’re right— raising public awareness about the importance of using only authorised plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers is essential. It’s good to see the PGDB reporting growth in the number of people searching the public register on their website (www.pgdb.co.nz) since the launch of their latest consumer awareness campaign.

Whilst we can’t comment on the Dodgy Plumbing photo you refer to, we do agree there’s a serious message behind these images. We have taken your comments on board and will include a reminder about the PGDB’s Report a Cowboy (R.A.C) app in each edition. It’s a great way of letting the PGDB know about any dodgy workmanship readers come across.

As you’ll see in this edition, both Energy Safety and the PGDB have penalised people recently for dodgy and potentially dangerous work—turn to p56 to read more.

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Read all about the 2019 NZ Plumbing Conference.

Contents

The MacMillans have it!

2019 Master Plumber of the Year.

New products and technologies on show at ISH.

JUNE/JULY 2019

WHAT’S ON REAL LIVES 8 Industry events calendar 28 Aiming high

Meet Te Tane McGuire MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS 10 CEO Greg Wallace on an awesome 50 Just cruisin’ annual conference; member survey summary; membership milestones

IN FOCUS 14 Building law: all change

What’s changing, why, and where it’s at

16 Fighting for positive change

Australian industry lobbying

CONFERENCE 2019

20 Gold Coast Gold Read all about it!

22 National AGM Society business matters

24 Celebrating our winners Top industry performers

27 Thanks to our sponsors Without whom...

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June/July 2019

A trip to the national Master Plumbers office was a highlight on Bryan Heron’s New Zealand cruise

TECHNICAL THEME: STORMWATER AND RAINWATER

31 Siphonic systems How they work and what applications they suit

32 Hydraulic neutrality Why some councils now require insitu stormwater management

36 Stormwater: detain or retain?

Onsite stormwater management solutions for consumers

38 Pump it up Pressure system pumps for rainwater tank installations

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT 40 City icon restored

Award-winning plumbing project

ASSOCIATIONS AND BRANCHES 42 Tall in the saddle

How the Wellington RDA benefited from the volunteer efforts of local Master Plumbers’ member businesses

NUTS & BOLTS 46 Standards spotlight

Progress on proposed changes for AS/NZS 3500 parts 1 to 4 and AS/NZS2845.3 47 Tech points

Technical updates in brief 48 Passive fire installations

Lessons in ensuring quality 49 Get involved in HomeFit

How you can participate in the new HomeFit consumer initiative

ON THE COVER JUNE/JULY 2019

20

60 Discover why Wellington plumbers got behind this community project.

INDUSTRY TALK 52 “An awesome experience”

Kiwi plumbers were among the 190,000 visitors to the 2019 ISH trade fair in Germany

42

58 Wastewater reveals NZ drug use

High levels of meth use revealed in first results from national wastewater tests

GOLD COAST GOLD!

Why it was a conference to remember

2019 MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR Learn all about this winning business

On the cover: The assembled guests for the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World. Photograph

by The Edit Suite.

HEALTH MATTERS 70 Annual health monitoring

Build it into your business

SMART BUSINESS

SAFETY FIRST

60 Master Plumber of the Year 2019

Discover what makes this business a stand-out winner

72 Toolbox tips

Hazardous substances focus

62 Google search… and find

How to get your business found when customers do a Google search

74 Masterlink messageboard

Latest updates from the Masterlink apprentice management company

55 Sam's speak

Why passion is energy

64 By the book

Why good financial records play a pivotal role in business success

76 Get prepared for your PGDB exams

New online refresher courses for registration exams

56 Paying the price

Faulty gasfitting, anti-competitive behaviour and unauthorised plumbing

65 Be a mate!

Tips for good mental health and wellbeing in your plumbing business

77 New Tech Park for MIT

Construction is set to begin on MIT’s new trades and engineering centre

57 Post Bella Vista

Operational changes at Tauranga City Council

66 Learning from mistakes

We all make them—and we can all learn from them

78 Plumbing World Scholarships

Congratulating this year’s winners

57 Call for drinking water regulator

Why NZ urgently needs an independent drinking water regulator

68 Software systems: a team effort

Why the whole team needs to get on board when you introduce job management software

54 Too much red tape

Unnecessary bureaucracy topped the list in a recent construction survey 55 Six in the bag

How the latest Rheem Big 6 Challenge competitor hit the target

58 Winning a shed load!

Congratulating the winner of a prize draw for a shed load of stuff!

69 In the office

How would you survive financially if you got really sick?

NEXT GENERATION

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 81 New products and services on the market, plus a featured Master Plumbers Recommends product

AND FINALLY 85 Dodgy plumbing

Our latest rogues’ gallery

June/July 2019

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What’s on EVENTS

JULY

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24

Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Tauranga Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

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Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Napier Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Masterton $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org.nz/ pgdb2019

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Wanganui $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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AUGUST

5

PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Taupo $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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8

PGDB & Mico CPD Session*** Napier $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session** Rotorua $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session*** Tauranga $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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20

21

PGDB & Mico CPD Session** Hamilton $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org.nz/ pgdb2019

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session*** Auckland South (Pukekohe) $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session*** Auckland West (Henderson) $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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SEPTEMBER

4

PGDB & Mico CPD Session *** Auckland Central $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

5

PGDB & Mico CPD Session * Kerikeri $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

9

PGDB & Mico CPD Session * Auckland North (Albany) $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

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Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Christchurch Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

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18

19

OCTOBER

30

NOVEMBER

Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Auckland North Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

3

PGDB & Mico CPD Session *** Auckland Central $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org.nz/ pgdb2019

ATP Electrical Training Auckland $995 inc GST carinev@shift.org.nz

Commissioning Domestic Gas Appliance Installations training course Dunedin $100 ex GST (members) masterplumbers.org.nz/ membership/training

Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Dunedin Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

7 • • • •

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PGDB & Mico CPD Session* New Plymouth $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org.nz/ pgdb2019

Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Invercargill Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

June/July 2019

PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Palmerston North $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org.nz/ pgdb2019

PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Gisborne $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Hamilton $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills. org.nz/pgdb2019

PGDB & Mico CPD Session* Thames $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019

PGDB & Mico CPD Session** Auckland West (Henderson) $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org. nz/pgdb2019 PGDB & Mico CPD Session *** Auckland North (Albany) $35 inc GST ecommerce.skills.org.nz/ pgdb2019

Carters CONZTRUCT trade show Queenstown Free carters.co.nz/conztruct

Auckland Build 2019 Building & Facilities Management Summit Auckland Free BIM & Digital Construction Summit aucklandbuildexpo.com Women in Construction Summit Auckland Build Expo Conference

*Afternoon session ** Morning session *** Morning and afternoon sessions 8

A calendar of industry events and training courses for the remainder of 2019.

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GasNZ Industry Forum Christchurch gasnz.org.nz

If you have an event you would like to promote in a future edition of NZ Plumber, please email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz

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

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

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

June/July 2019

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MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

CEO’S REPORT I’D PERSONALLY LIKE to thank all the attendees at the Master Plumbers’ New Zealand Plumbing Conference in the Gold Coast. We are ecstatic with the feedback we’ve received, and I believe this year’s location played a part in exceeding our expectations on the number of people engaging with the event. Keynote speakers Peter FitzSimons and Kieran Flanagan clearly struck a chord with delegates and it was great to hear conversations about the value that listening to these presenters brings to members’ businesses.

Huge congratulations to all winners of the New Zealand Plumbing Awards, and a special mention to 2019 Master Plumber of the Year MacMillan

Master Plumbers always seeks to achieve positive outcomes

Plumbing & Gas Ltd, James Douglas Medallion winner Te Tane McGuire and new national Master Plumbers Life Member Mark Whitehead. I’m always proud of the awards night and the standard of this year’s nominees was a credit to our industry.

I’d particularly like to thank Plumbing World, Mico, Marley and Dux and all our conference sponsors, without whose support we cannot hold these events.

It’s now back to reality in the Wellington office, with the Master Plumbers’ submission sent to MBIE on the Government’s proposed reform of building system legislation. We have also been asked to be part of the Construction Sector Accord—a shared commitment between government and industry to transform New Zealand’s construction sector—and we are working to ensure the key values in the Accord flow through to plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying subcontractors.

As this edition went to print, we were awaiting the outcome of the Review of Vocational Education (RoVE). We also await a final timeline on the PGD Act Review, which has been slowed

significantly by the multitude of other reviews underway at MBIE. As soon as we know the expected delivery date of the new Act we will communicate it to all members.

On a final note, from witnessing members, Business Partners and industry partners enjoying shared discussions at the conference, I have to say the industry is in good health. It’s also great to have high-quality collaboration amongst the key industry stakeholders, with constructive solutions being put forward rather than negative criticisms.

Whether interacting with internal staff, members or industry groups, Master Plumbers always seeks to achieve positive outcomes.

Many of you would like to know where the next conference will be held, and I’m pleased to report we have already begun our search for a suitable venue for the 2020 event. Our challenge will be to meet the standard of this year’s conference to maintain the momentum.

Greg Wallace, CEO Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT THE 2019-20 Master Plumbers Board was announced at the Society AGM on 29 May. We welcome new Board member Dale Lovell, of Heron Plumbing in Auckland, who I am sure will contribute well. I’d also like to congratulate Grayson Allen and Dave Strong for being re-elected for another term.

It is with regret that we farewell Board member Mark Whitehead after 25 years’ service. I’d personally like to thank Mark for his input and his wealth of knowledge will be greatly missed.

Apprentice training is a particular passion for Mark. He has been heavily involved in the Master Plumbers-owned Masterlink apprentice management company, serving as Masterlink Chairman for many years. We wish

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June/July 2019

Above: Congratulations to retiring Board Director Mark Whitehead (shown here with his wife Nicola) for being awarded Life Membership of Master Plumbers.

Mark all the best and congratulate him on becoming a deserving recipient of Master Plumbers Life Membership. I am

sure we will remain in touch.

I’d also like to thank Sam Tyson for her time as a co-opted Board member, and I sincerely hope to see her back in the future. Sam brought a great deal to the table and is a real asset to the plumbing community.

We are very pleased that Rod Miller continues to serve as President for a third term. Other roles, including Chairman, were to be decided at the Board’s meeting in July, just as this edition was being sent out to readers.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank CEO Greg Wallace and his team for a good, well-organised conference. The event was well-received by members and Business Partners alike and we have only received positive feedback, which is fantastic.

Craig Foley Board Chairman, Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

Announcing the 2019 Master Plumber of the Year!

Huge congratulations to the team at commercial and residential plumbing business MacMillan Plumbing & Gas for winning the 2019 Master Plumber of the Year award. This third-generation family business is now run by Rohan and Angus MacMillan—Rohan based in Auckland and Angus in Christchurch.

Discover more about the business and what makes it an award winner on p60.

Right: From left, Emma and Rohan MacMillan, and Mel and Angus MacMillan.

Plumbers on nationwide skills shortage list

Master Plumbers is pleased to see the nationwide shortage of plumbers recognised in the Government’s most recent skill shortage list review.

Master Plumbers put a great deal of effort into our submission on the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)’s most recent review of its Essential Skills in Demand Lists and we welcome the outcome.

On 27 May, the Construction and Infrastructure Skill Shortage List was amended to extend the plumber listing

from Canterbury to all regions. This will make it easier for firms nationwide to recruit plumbers from overseas, as employers do not have to demonstrate that no suitable New Zealanders are available to fill the position and migrants can be granted an Essential Skills Work Visa to speed up the arrival process.

Outward Bound Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner of our first Master Plumbers Outward Bound Scholarship.

In February, Master Plumbers offered one deserving Apprentice Member the chance to win a fully funded Outward Bound Scholarship, worth over $3,500. The 16-day programme at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds, ran from 8-23 June 2019, just as NZ Plumber went to print. Congratulations to 22-year-old plumbing and gasfitting apprentice Wade Williams, a Masterlink Above: Master Plumbers Outward Bound apprentice at Chris Wilson Plumbing, for Scholarship winner Wade Williams by the winning the scholarship (see p74 for more). company’s Ford 1948 Bonus.

NEW MEMBERS A warm welcome to new Master Plumbers’ member businesses: • Absolute Plumbing & Gasfitting, Auckland • Bay Plumbing & Drainage, Volcanic Plateau • Blenheim Drainage & Digger Hire, Marlborough • Burt Plumbing Solutions, Auckland • DC Plumbing, Waikato • Davies Plumbing & Drainlaying, Nelson • ECO Plumbing & Heating Solutions, Bay of Plenty/Coromandel • Gore Elite Plumbing & Drainlaying, Southland • Grey Plumbing Services, Marlborough • Hardy Plumbing & Gas, Otago • Hubbard Plumbing & Gas, South Canterbury • Infinity Plumbing & Gas, Canterbury • JBM Plumbing & Gasfitting, Auckland • James Pocock Plumber & Gasfitter, Waikato • Kaipara Plumbing, Auckland • Lifestyle Plumbing & Drainage, Hawes Bay • The Drainage Company, Auckland

New Business Partner: Iplex Pipelines

We welcome Iplex Pipelines as a Silver Business Partner of Master Plumbers.

Since 1938, Iplex Pipelines have been a leading New Zealand manufacturer and supplier of plastic pipeline systems from 15mm up to 1,200mm in diameter.

Iplex NZ have built an unparalleled reputation as New Zealand’s trusted

partner for all plastic pipeline solutions, providing value to their customers across a diverse range of applications including: water supply, sewerage, plumbing, gas, stormwater, irrigation, electrical and telecommunications.

Silver Partner

June/July 2019

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MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

Surveying our members

It was great to see huge support for NZ Plumber magazine in our 2019 Member Snapshot survey!

The member survey, which was sent out in April, sought feedback on Branch and Association engagement, Master Plumbers’ communications and the relative value of our member resources, including the Master Plumbers Guarantee.

We also asked members how many apprentices they currently have in their businesses.

Nearly 60% of respondents said the Master Plumbers Guarantee is the most valuable aspect of their membership, followed closely by health and safety support (53%). Industry advocacy and training were third equal at 41%. When promoting the Master Plumbers Guarantee in their business, the majority included it in their quotes (44%), invoices (40%) and on their vehicles (42%), with 27% promoting the Guarantee on their websites.

When asked about what Master Plumbers publications they read, an overwhelming 97% said NZ Plumber magazine (Ed’s note: you guys rock!), followed by the Newstube e-newsletter. It would be good to see more members also reading the digital NZ Plumber, freely available at nzplumber.nz

Above: The Master Plumbers Guarantee was considered the most valuable aspect of membership by survey respondents, with members promoting it on their quotes, invoices and vehicles.

Of those respondents who are currently training apprentices in their businesses, nearly 40% had two to four, with 21% having one. With the shortage of qualified plumbers in New Zealand, we’d like to see more members taking on apprentices. The survey showed 27% of respondents had no apprentices in their businesses.

Feedback on Branches and Associations showed those who engaged with their local Branch or Association considered networking and communication to be the most valuable aspects.

Membership Milestones

At each annual conference, long-standing member businesses are recognised for their support of Master Plumbers.

This year, 24 Membership Milestones were awarded, with representatives from seven of those member companies at the 2019 NZ Plumbing Conference and Awards to collect the certificates in person from Master Plumbers National President Rod Miller.

85-year milestone • AG Foley Ltd 70-year milestone • G Bristol & Sons Limited 58-year milestone • Heron Plumbing Ltd 50-year milestones • DL Good Plumbers Ltd • RL Jeffries Plumbing Ltd • Wanganui Plumbing Ltd 30-year milestone • Vince Basile Plumbing Co Ltd 20-year milestones • Atkinson & Donaldson Plumbing Ltd • CF Reese Plumbing Ltd • Inside Systems Ltd • Mainstream Plumbing & Gasfitting Ltd • Rate’s Plumbing & Drainlaying Ltd • Walton Plumbing Ltd

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June/July 2019

Craig Foley of AG Foley.

Ian Bristol of G Bristol and Sons. Dale Lovell of Heron Plumbing.

David Good of DL Good.

Aaron and Sarah Rink of CF Reese Plumbing.

10-year milestones • AT Plumbing & Gas Ltd • BDM Plumbing Ltd • Charlton Hurrell Drainage 1996 Ltd • Clendon Plumbing Ltd • Flo-Rite Drainage Ltd • Jeremy Powell Plumbing Ltd • Johnston Plumbing & Gas Ltd • Peter Diver Southern • Plumbing Works • Virtual Plumbing Ltd • WM Brown Ltd

Jack Rate of Rate’s Plumbing & Drainlaying.

Michael Diver of Peter Diver Southern.

®

s e ’ h t t a h w

c o s t ? l a e r Independent testing compared the installation time of Dux SecuraGold™ versus four other trade hot & cold piping systems.

Below is a comparison of average installation times of SecuraGold™ (PB-1), Kembla KemPex Crimp (PEX), Auspex Crimp (PEX), Ginde G-Pex (PEX) and Forza Pex Water Crimp (PEX) based on multiple installations, by multiple installers.

SecuraGoldTM

KemPex

Auspex

Ginde

Forza

Averaged Install Times (Min/Sec)

18.07

26.17

26.48

28.49

29.02

% average slower to install vs SecuraGoldTM

-

45.08%

47.93%

59.06%

60.26%

In residential applications, labour may make up a larger percentage of business costs than materials, so installation time is an important factor to consider to improve efficiencies.

If ‘time is money’ then ask yourself – what’s the real cost to your business using your current piping system?

To view the installation videos and find out more visit www.dux.co.nz/news-events/ whats-real-cost-2017 WWW.DUX.CO.NZ Actual installation times may vary to those shown depending on project requirements and other factors.

IN FOCUS

Building law: all change CONSULTATION HAS RECENTLY closed on a significant package of reforms for New Zealand’s building regulatory system.

The Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) consultation brings five key areas of the building system under the microscope. Once enacted, the reforms will constitute the most significant amendment to building law since the current Building Act was introduced in 2004.

Together, the reforms address a number of long-standing problems in the building sector, ranging from low productivity and inefficient practices and processes, to skill and labour shortages, to poor health and safety. They will affect people, products and practices sector-wide.

MBIE intends to use the information gathered during the consultation period, which closed on 16 June 2019, to refine its proposals, before making recommendations to cabinet. Final decisions are expected by late 2019, with any changes likely to be rolled out over the next two to five years.

The reform programme is one of several strands of work currently underway at MBIE that aim to improve the building system. More details are available www.mbie.govt.nz

Two particular plumbing sector impacts The proposed occupational regulation reforms are of particular interest for the sector, as they include repeal of two of the current exemptions under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, which allow unqualified people to carry out work. The proposals are to repeal: • exemptions for sanitary plumbing carried out by householders in specified areas and for rural districts • exemptions for restricted sanitary plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying work completed under supervision.

If enacted, the first proposal would ensure householders are not exposed to hazards from substandard work that they have carried out themselves; while the second would close gaps in regulation and reduce situations where some tradespeople benefit from regulatory exemptions while others are bound by them.

“The Board fully supports the two proposals, and looks forward with interest to the outcome of the consultation process,” says Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board Chief Executive Martin Sawyers.

Also of interest to the sector Above: The proposed reforms are the proposed reforms relating to building products don’t go far enough, says Master relating to building products.

Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace.

Proposals on the table aim to: 14

June/July 2019

The Government’s consultation touches every part of the building regulatory system, as Sarah Johnson reports.

•

improve information and accountability for building products and methods • strengthen the framework for product certification. This applies to both products and methods.

Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace considers the proposed reforms don’t go far enough, as they fail to address the vast number of unregulated products being sold online.

“The reforms propose supplier self-verification for product compliance with New Zealand standards,” says Greg. “But there is clear evidence, which we have shared with the ministry, that this approach hasn’t protected the New Zealand consumer in the past. We have reiterated our concerns through the recent consultation process, as we do not believe that the safety of New Zealand consumers can be guaranteed without third-party verification of product compliance.”

The five key reforms in a nutshell 1. Building products and methods Building products and methods are central to safe and durable buildings. There are around 600,000 different building products being used in New Zealand today. However, there are gaps in current regulations and disincentives that make the building regulatory system less efficient.

The proposed changes will: • clarify roles and responsibilities for building products and methods • require manufacturers and suppliers to provide information about building products • strengthen the framework for product certification • make consenting easier for modern methods of construction.

2. Occupational regulation The proposed changes aim to ensure that occupational regulation is proportionate to public safety risks; there is confidence that practitioners have the right skills and will act professionally; and those responsible for substandard work will be held to account Above: Plumbers, Gasfitters and when it occurs.

Drainlayers Board Chief Executive The proposed changes will: Martin Sawyers says the Board • remove exemptions that supports proposals to repeal allow unlicensed people to householder and work under supervision exemptions. carry out sanitary plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying work • change the licensed building practitioners scheme to raise competence standards by introducing a new, tiered licensing system that provides a clear progression pathway • broaden the definition of restricted building work • introduce a new licensing scheme for engineers and restrict who can carry out safety-critical engineering work.

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3. Risk and liability Homeowners often aren’t aware of building process risks or of what they can put in place to manage these risks.

The proposed changes will: • require a guarantee and insurance product for residential new builds and significant alterations, and allow homeowners to actively opt out of it • leave the liability settings for building consent authorities unchanged.

4. Building levy The proposed changes to the building levy will help reduce building consent fees without affecting service levels for levypayers.

The proposed changes will: • reduce the building levy from $2.01 including GST to $1.50 including GST (per $1,000) • standardise the building levy threshold at $20,444 including GST • allow MBIE to spend funds raised by the building levy on broader stewardship of the building sector.

5. Offences, penalties and public notification The proposed changes aim to deter poor behaviour and better align the Building Act 2004 with other legislation that protects people’s lives and wellbeing.

The proposed changes will: • increase the maximum financial penalties under the Building Act 2004 • set different maximum penalties for individuals and organisations • extend the time enforcement agencies can lay a charge from six months to 12 months • remove the requirement to publish key decisions in newspapers (information would still be published on publicly accessible websites and in the New Zealand Gazette). ■

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IN FOCUS

Fighting for positive change Master Plumbers Australia is advocating to improve standards for customers, for better homes and buildings, and for a stronger, fairer building industry protecting the health and safety of the community—both in Australia and New Zealand.

THE MASTER PLUMBERS and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPA), representing the associations in Australia and New Zealand, is lobbying on behalf of members to deliver positive change for our industry.

MPA has identified five key issues where it wants national action. “To build a stronger plumbing industry and a safer community, we are calling on all political parties to commit to five national priorities,” said Master Plumbers Australia Chair Robert Pearshouse ahead of the 2019 Federal Election in May. “These are critical changes we need to ensure the health and safety of all communities.

“As experts in our profession, it’s our duty to inform our political leaders of areas where we need to lift the bar nationally. This work is to the benefit of all licensed plumbers and the long-term future of our profession.”

What MPA wants

1

All plumbing products sold, imported into and used in Australasia must hold WaterMark certification 16

June/July 2019

A word from MPA Victoria CEO Peter Daly Across Australia and New Zealand, plumbing businesses face similar challenges. There are differences in regulation across state boundaries, but by and large plumbing and business operations remain constant— particularly for companies which work in multiple jurisdictions.

Master Plumbers associations are

united and working together on the critical national issues which impact our respective members no matter where they are based. We collectively will ensure that all parties wishing to influence the formation of governments are aware of our priorities for reform and improvement of the plumbing industry in Australia and New Zealand.

Above: Master Plumbers Australia (MPA) Victoria CEO Peter Daly (second from left) at an MPA meeting in May with, from left: MPA President Scott Dowsett, MPA Queensland Board Member Bill Watson, MPA Tasmania President Robert Pearshouse, MPA South Australia CEO Andrew Clarke, Master Plumbers NZ CEO Greg Wallace, MPA Western Australia President Geoff Kelly, MPA Act President Tom Martin, MPA Western Australia CEO Murray Thomas and MPA Queensland Executive Director Penny Cornah.

IN FOCUS

WaterMark certification is the industry standard for plumbing products in Australia and is there to protect consumers. It guarantees a plumbing product is constructed to a defined quality and standard deemed safe, appropriate and acceptable for Australian use.

In Australia, a licensed plumber must install WaterMark certified products in their work.

Yet non-conforming plumbing products are available for sale in retail and trade stores across Australia, are imported into Australia and are used in Australian homes and buildings.

These non-conforming products are generally of a poorer quality and build and can pose significant risks to consumer health and safety because of flaws in their construction, capability and durability.

They can also include hidden dangers such as extremely high levels of lead.

Compliant plumbing products sit side-byside on the same retail shelves as noncompliant products, giving the consumer the choice of product without explaining the difference between them. This is potentially misleading the consumer and shortchanging them in terms of the quality and safety of the products they are purchasing.

In Queensland, under state legislation, plumbing products can’t be sold in retail or trade stores unless they hold WaterMark certification. Queensland is the only state or territory where this is the case.

MPA’s call to action •

•

•

MPA wants the Queensland retail model embraced and applied at a national level, making it compulsory for all Australian retailers to display WaterMark certification at point-of-sale.

MPA also wants to make it illegal to: o import plumbing products without WaterMark certification o use plumbing products without WaterMark certification in buildings of any type.

MPA also supports the introduction of a mandatory Watermark Certification programme in New Zealand to align with Australia.

2

Stronger national legislation and defined processes to guarantee security of payment for construction industry contractors and subcontractors

Plumbers, gasfitters and other trades generally work as contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry and, as such, are down the project chain in terms of getting paid for the work and goods and services they provide. Yet, like any other business, they need cashflow to maintain their operations and are entitled to get paid appropriately and in a timely fashion for the work they do. It’s only fair.

This is why security of payment is such an important issue in our profession in both Australia and NZ as it underpins the long-term viability of all plumbing and gasfitting businesses. Existing Australian state legislation and processes relating to security of payment vary but still leave contractors and subcontractors vulnerable. They focus on protecting prompt payment and fair payment but offer no protection if a company above a contractor or subcontractor goes out of business.

When things go wrong on a building construction project, it’s common that the contractors and subcontractors get squeezed on payment or end up not getting paid at all. This is in part why almost 1,700 construction businesses in Australia went out of business in the last financial year.

Even under current state-based legislation, there are still too many occasions where buildings are constructed, on time and on budget, and yet, many years later, some contractors and subcontractors are still to get paid.

This is unacceptable practice for any worker in Australia, and the construction industry employs one in 10 of Australia’s workers directly. There needs to be national legislation that ensures security of payment for contractors and subcontractors. It must ensure any company collecting money on behalf of a contractor or subcontractor puts this money aside and cannot spend it as they wish.

There also needs to be a simple, quick, clearly defined process of recourse to enable contractors and subcontractors to collect money that they are owed in a timely way.

Recent Australian construction industry reviews have recommended the introduction of cascading statutory trust accounts to ensure payment to contractors and subcontractors and this must be closely examined.

MPA’s call to action •

The Australian Government should: o identify the best model to ensure security of payment for construction industry contractors and subcontractors o implement legislation at a national level to ensure consistency.

3

Ensure that offsite constructed modules in the construction industry, commonly called ‘pods’, are certified by a licensed plumber if they involve plumbing works.

The construction industry is evolving and one trend MPA has seen in recent years is the increasing use of pre-constructed modules (pods) on major building construction projects.

These ‘pods’ are self-contained units, such as fully fitted bathroom, or kitchen units that are put together offsite and then delivered to the construction site as one module, to be fitted as a single unit into the end building.

There are problems here from a safety perspective: • The ‘pod’ must include WaterMark certified plumbing products, but if they are not assembled by a licensed plumber there is no guarantee these products have been correctly and safely put together. Currently these ‘pods’ bypass critical compliance testing that an in-situ construction would require for consumer safety.

• The ‘pods’ themselves are usually self-contained units, so a licensed plumber connecting them into the end building has no ability or line of sight to assess that the ‘pods’ do indeed include WaterMark certified plumbing products, and that these products have been assembled correctly within the unit. > June/July 2019

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IN FOCUS

•

The installation of pipes, fittings and fixtures is plumbing and drainage work regardless of whether it is performed on or offsite.

MPA’s call to action •

MPA’s call to action •

•

Introduce a legislated national requirement for all ‘pods’ involving plumbing works used on any building construction in Australia to be certified by a licensed plumber at the point of the pod’s construction.

Removed the current ability to certify complete ‘pods’ under WaterMark.

4

Bring Australian plumbing industry employment legislation into line with standard business practices

Current employment legislation in Australia relating to redundancy in the plumbing industry falls short of standard business practice and is uncompetitive for plumbing and gasfitting businesses.

Under current minimum entitlements, a plumbing business is liable to pay redundancy under a very wide range of circumstances.

Employers already do and should remain liable to pay for genuine redundancies, but the scope for these payments must be brought into line with standard business practice.

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Bring the whole of Section 18 of the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award into line with the National Employment Scheme (NES).

5

Introduce a Continuing Professional Development programme and mandatory minimum four-year apprenticeships across the plumbing industry in Australia, as exists in New Zealand.

Australia does not have a nationally consistent programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) tied to the renewal of a plumber’s licence, as exists in New Zealand.

Plumbing in Australia is regulated on a state/territory basis and the scope of plumbing work varies across jurisdictions, so a national CPD programme would need flexibility to cater for these differences.

Master Plumbers Tasmania has partnered with the Tasmanian State Government to deliver a state CPD programme for plumbers. Master Plumbers associations in other states, such as Victoria and Western Australia, are also working together to develop voluntary CPD programmes based on the Tasmanian approach. The federal

government can support and encourage this national cooperative approach through advocacy in all jurisdictions.

As much of the profession is learnt on the job, MPA also recommends the introduction of a mandatory minimum four-year apprenticeship for all plumbers in Australia, under the supervision of a qualified plumber. ■

MPA’s call to action •

•

Encourage a nationally consistent CPD programme in Australia, linked to the renewal of licensing for plumbers.

Introduce a mandatory minimum four-year supervised apprenticeship for all plumbers in Australia before being eligible to apply for a licence.

The Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (Master Plumbers Australia) comprises the Master Plumber associations of Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, ACT and the Northern Territory, as well as New Zealand. It develops, informs and represents the industry on national issues.

This information is taken from an article that first appeared in the Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine. www.australianplumbingindustry.com.au

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plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

Gold Coast gold!

Despite a record-breaking cold snap for May in Brisbane, the 2019 NZ Plumbing Conference was a hugely successful event, attracting almost 300 attendees from around New Zealand.

A WARM WELCOME was waiting for 2019 conference attendees at the superbly appointed InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort venue, with its manicured gardens, first-class accommodation and one-acre Lagoon Beach pool.

Guests made their way along the winding paths of the resort grounds, surrounded by floodlit palms, bright flowers and exotic birdsong, to the Woolshed Complex, where most of the conference action took place.

Wednesday Those arriving on the Wednesday morning could take part in the PGDB and Mico CPD training session. A plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying technical session ran in the afternoon, followed by the Master Plumbers AGM (see p22).

Conference participants and their families strolled down to the waterfront in the evening for the Mico Welcome Dinner at festive tables set out on the Lagoon Beach.

Above: Aussie lawnmowers at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort conference venue.

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Above: This drone view of Sanctuary Cove was taken during the conference.

Above: The conference got off to a convivial start with the Mico Welcome Dinner on the resort’s Lagoon Beach.

plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

Thursday On Thursday morning, partners met in the hotel foyer for their outing to Pacific Fair shopping centre and lunch at award-winning seafood restaurant Omeros Bros. For all those attending the day’s conference sessions, it was a packed programme of speakers, which got off to a great start with a laughter-filled presentation by keynote speaker and former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons—now a highly regarded author, journalist and TV presenter.

Following a question and answer session with PGDB, Master Plumbers and Skills Chief Executives Martin Sawyers, Greg Wallace and Garry Fissenden, guest speaker Professor Mark Taylor outlined the risks of lead in plumbing products and materials (see p48). Other speakers included Master Plumbers Association of Queensland Executive Director Penny Cornah and Trade Lab co-founder Nik McIntosh (see p76 for more about Trade Lab).

A fun evening awaited at Paradise Country, with guests dressed in Australian Outback theme for the Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner and Show.

After some hands-on sheep shearing entertainment, the assembled crowd gathered for a rustic-style dinner and dancing in the farmhouse restaurant.

Friday Keynote speaker Kieran Flanagan got attendees thinking outside the box on Friday morning with her presentation on creativity—a skill we all need, she said, and one that’s all about adaptability, problem solving, flexibility, being courageous and going beyond the obvious.

Kieran was followed by legionella management expert Kelvin Slade, who gave an eye-opening overview of the risks of legionella bacteria in plumbing infrastructure.

The conference sessions over, it was for some leisure activities, with an ambrose golf tournament at the onsite Palms golf course or a trip to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

The event wrapped up with the packed 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards, sponsored by Plumbing World, and held in glamorous, black-tie style at the resort’s MacArthur’s Ballroom. Turn to p24 to discover all the winners.

Above: Enjoying the Ambrose Golf Tournament on Friday afternoon.

Above: Keynote speaker Peter FitzSimons entertained the crowd with tales from his rugby days.

Above: Best-dressed woman Emma MacMillan at the Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner and Show with two of the evening’s hosts, Sean Weddell (left) and Jeff La Haye.

June/July 2019

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plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

National AGM The Master Plumbers Annual General Meeting was held on 29 May and attended by nationwide Association and Branch delegates.

THE AGM PRESENTED the opportunity to share the consolidated annual financial statements for Master Plumbers, Masterlink Ltd and NZ Plumbers’ Journal Ltd. The organisation was in a very solid financial state, said Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace, who went on to thank all Business Partners for their invaluable income and support.

Membership had grown across all categories and Masterlink had also seen a 21 percent increase in apprentice numbers. Greg called for the involvement of all Associations and Branches in providing networking and other regional activities for the growing membership base.

During the year, five more Associations had moved to become Branches, bringing the total number of Branches to 12.

Advocacy projects to the fore A number of advocacy projects had resulted in associated time and costs—the primary one being the Master Plumbers’ response to the Government’s overdue review of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006. Decisions on proposals for change appeared to have stalled as a result of the Government’s broader review of building system legislation.

Despite this, Master Plumbers was continuing its drive for plumber and drainlayer self-certification, to bring these trades in line with gasfitting and electrical.

Greg Wallace and the Master Plumbers Board had worked closely with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board to make headway on these projects, which required a huge amount of ongoing effort, said Master Plumbers President Rod Miller.

He urged all members to respond to surveys sent out by Master Plumbers on advocacy matters, as this feedback lent weight and credibility to Society lobbying work.

Other advocacy projects included lobbying the Government to address the risks of toxic lead leaching from substandard plumbing products and materials being imported into New Zealand. Master Plumbers had arranged independent testing of a randomly purchased selection of tapware, which had shown unacceptably high levels of lead leaching from one tapware product.

IT, HR and marketing enhancements A major update of the Society’s IT systems had also been factored into the 2018-19 budget to bring its software up to date and to make cyber security improvements. This would be an ongoing investment, said Greg.

Other highlights had included the growth in HR resources available to members via the HR Helpline and member website.

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June/July 2019

Above: Master Plumbers Board Chairman Craig Foley presenting the Report of the Directors at the AGM.

The new Technical Helpline had also been extremely popular— and both were extremely valuable services, said Greg.

The marketing strategies for Master Plumbers and Masterlink had also been taken to another level with the recent appointment of Marketing Manager Luke Pirie.

Healthy growth for Masterlink In his AGM report on the Master Plumbers-owned Masterlink apprentice management company, Mark Whitehead said Masterlink had seen an increase in staff numbers to address the growing numbers of apprentices and host employers.

Two new Regional Managers had come on board in Auckland and the lower South Island, and a Business Services Manager role had been created to provide structured support for the Regional Manager team, their apprentices and hosts.

Health and safety remained a focus for Masterlink and the team had also helped hosts and new apprentices get to grips with the new plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting qualifications, introduced this January.

Mark reminded delegates of the $10,000 funding available to host businesses taking on Masterlink apprentices through the Skills for Industry initiative.

NZ Plumber available online Presenting the New Zealand Plumbers’ Journal Ltd report, Craig Foley noted that the magazine was now freely available online at www.nzplumber.nz The magazine team had taken advantage of an independent critique service with an international trade and business publication association and would be considering future enhancements based on the review’s recommendations.

As of January 2019, NZ Plumbers’ Journal Ltd had been incorporated into Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc.

Thanking the CEO The Annual General Meeting ended with a vote of thanks for CEO Greg Wallace. “Since taking over, Greg has taken the organisation through some trying political times and has been a thoroughly professional, hardworking CEO with high standards,” said Hutt Valley/Wairarapa delegate Paul Nydam.

Master Plumbers and Masterlink staff were also thanked for organising the 2019 conference in house.

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Above: Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace and Operations Manager Margaret Dawson at the NZ Plumbing Awards Dinner. Greg thanked Margaret for her outstanding work in organising the 2019 conference— which included telling Greg to hurry up and get on with his speech!

REPORTING

National Master Plumbers Board 2019-20 At the 2019 Annual General Meeting, CEO Greg Wallace presented departing Board members Sam Tyson and Mark Whitehead with certificates in recognition of their services to the Board. Greg thanked them personally for their support and dedication, and for their commitment to the industry. He also welcomed Dale Lovell to the 2019 Board.

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Above: The 2019-20 Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc Board. Back row, from left: Martin de Gouw, John DeBernardo, Jon Lewis, Dave Strong, Dale Lovell, Grayson Allen. Front row, from left: Rod Miller (President), Craig Foley (Chairman).

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plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

Celebrating our winners New Zealand’s top apprentices, employees, businesses, trainers, products, projects and industry contributors were recognised at this year’s New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner, sponsored

by Plumbing World.

Right: The assembled guests for the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards, celebrated at the MacArthur’s Ballroom, InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Queensland, Australia on 31 May.

MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR And the winner is: MacMillan Plumbing & Gas Ltd Based in Auckland and Christchurch, MacMillan Plumbing & Gas Ltd is a third-generation family business, with a particular focus on commercial maintenance. Brothers Rohan and Angus MacMillan were at the New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner to receive the supreme 2019 Master Plumber of the Year Award on behalf of the 52-strong team. “We are thrilled to have won, and honoured to be recognised by our industry peers,” said Rohan.

The brothers, who attended the event with their wives Emma and Mel, were looking forward to seeing the 0.5m greenstone trophy in the flesh once back in New Zealand!

Read more about this award-winning business on p60.

JAMES DOUGLAS MEDALLION Plumbing Finalist: Te Tane McGuire Gasfitting Finalist: Gary Learthart Drainlaying Finalist: Marc Nicholls Left: James Douglas Medallion finalists, from left: Marc Nicholls of Drain Pro in Christchurch, James Cowles of Clyne and Bennie Plumbing in Christchurch (collecting the award on Gary Learthart's behalf), and Te Tane McGuire of Tech Mechanical Services in Napier.

The James Douglas Medallion has been awarded since 1948 to a top newly qualified and registered apprentice in our industry. Tane, who works at Tech Mechanical Services Ltd in Napier, thanked Master Plumbers and its sponsors for the event, and Masterlink for their guidance over his apprenticeship years. “I also want to thank my boss Brad [Ellison] and the company where I ply my trade,” he said in his acceptance speech. “I have learned so much working with them and wouldn’t be here without them.”

Read more about Tane on p28.

Above: Rohan (left) and Angus MacMillan of third-generation family business MacMillan Plumbing & Gas.

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Above: Te Tane McGuire proudly holding the supreme James Douglas Medallion award.

All photography by The Edit Suite.

And the winner is: Te Tane McGuire

plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

PLUMBER, GASFITTER OR DRAINLAYER OF THE YEAR And the winner is: Kenny Geenty Certifying Plumber and company foreman Kenny Geenty is highly valued at Advanced Plumbing HB Ltd for his quality work and outstanding customer service. Kenny has been in the plumbing industry for more than 20 years and is always looking to extend his knowledge through additional qualifications, roadshows, factory visits Above: Kenny Geenty of Mangateretereand actively working with based Advanced Plumbing HB Ltd. suppliers. An effective apprentice mentor, he is part of the company’s apprentice working group, assisting them with their training.

OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO THE INDUSTRY Heron Plumbing has made a significant contribution to the plumbing industry over its 58 years in business. Established in 1961 by Bryan Heron (see our article about Bryan on p50), the company has been owned since 2011 by Dale and Andrea Lovell.

The couple are passionately involved in upskilling their staff and nurturing the next generation of plumbers, with 12 apprentices currently on their books. Dale is President of the Auckland Master Plumbers and was appointed a Director of the National Master Plumbers Board at the 2019 Annual General Meeting. He is also a Director of the Industry Centre of Excellence in Auckland.

Heron Plumbing’s commitment to excellence and innovation embodies the values of Master Plumbers and benefits the industry as a whole.

VICTOR GRAEME SMITH CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY And the winner is: Warren Thompson Warren established his Hamilton plumbing business in 1981 and continues to run it today with his wife Jenny and plumber Lance Brew. Warren has been an active member of the Waikato Master Plumbers Association for 37 years, serving in a number of roles including President. He was also a member of the national Master Plumbers Board from 2002-2005.

The 2018 recipient of the Waikato Master Plumbers Contribution to the Industry Award, Warren fosters growth in the industry through his commitment to mentoring young plumbers.

He has also been involved with Waikato Master Plumbers community projects, and the organisation of past national annual conferences held in the Waikato. A true industry stalwart, Warren’s contribution the industry has benefited many.

Above: Warren and Jenny Thompson. Warren, who runs Warren Thompson Plumbing Ltd in Hamilton, is a past President of the Waikato Master Plumbers Association and a former member of the national Master Plumbers Board.

Above: Andrea and Dale Lovell of Heron Plumbing in Auckland with the 2019 Outstanding Services to the Industry award.

TRAINING LEADER OF THE YEAR And the winner is: Aaron Jamieson Aaron Jamieson runs BOP Plumbing & Gas in Rotorua together with his wife and business partner Sarah.

Aaron actively mentors and supports his apprentices, putting in extra effort to ensure they are learning and thriving. There are currently four apprentices among the staff of 14, and Aaron holds training nights for them every Wednesday after work. He also blocks Above: Aaron Jamieson of Rotoruaout time in his schedule to based BOP Plumbing & Gas Ltd. visit his apprentices on site to ensure their workmanship is up to scratch. He is a firm believer in giving people a second chance. If he feels someone has potential, he will contact their former employer and meet with the candidate to form his own opinion.

Aaron is also President of the Volcanic Plateau Master Plumbers.

He and Sarah organised the inaugural Volcanic Plateau Master Plumbers Awards Dinner, held last November.

June/July 2019

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plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

OUTSTANDING PROJECTS AWARD

And the winner is: Caroma Smart Command®

And the winner is: Clyne & Bennie Plumbing, Christchurch

GWA Bathrooms and Kitchens design, import and distribute residential and commercial products under market-leading brands, which include Caroma. Sustainability in water solutions has been GWA’s mantra for over 35 years, and Caroma is leading the way in today’s market with Caroma Smart Command®—an intelligent Above: GWA Bathrooms and Kitchens bathroom system, which New Zealand General Manager James includes a set of Bluetooth- Ewart with the Product of the Year enabled, touchless Award for Caroma Smart Command®. bathroom products that integrate into commercial building management systems to enable real-time water monitoring and management.

Read more about the Caroma Smart Command® innovation on p81.

Constructed in 1972, Christchurch Town Hall is a city landmark but needed major repair and strengthening work following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Clyne and Bennie Plumbing have worked on the project since 2016, using the same team from start to finish to ensure consistency. New skills and knowledge were required for the seismic aspects of the job and the company are very proud of their key role in restoring such a significant architectural icon.

Read more about this award-winning project on p40.

PLUMBING WORLD SCHOLARSHIPS And the winners are: • • • • •

Ben McCulloch (Overall Winner) Jesse Dodd Dave Hodgson Jack Powell Ben Stanley

It was great to see four of the five Masterlink apprentices winning 2019 Plumbing World Scholarships at the NZ Plumbing Awards Dinner. Each winner receives $1,000 to spend at their local Plumbing World branch. Congratulations to overall winner Ben McCulloch, who also won a conference travel and attendance prize package.

Read more about all these Plumbing World Scholarship winners on p78.

Above: Masterlink apprentice Plumbing World Scholarship winners, from left: Jack Powell of BT Plumbing and Gas Ltd in Auckland (boss Bruce Trenwith is pictured here collecting the award on Jack's behalf); Ben Stanley of East Coast Plumbing and Gas Ltd in Hastings; Ben McCulloch of Jackson Plumbing (Nelson) Ltd; Dave Hodgson of The Lewis Plumbing Company in Rotorua; and Jesse Dodd of Baxter & Neilson Plumbers Ltd in Invercargill.

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Above: Clyne and Bennie Plumbing Directors Martin de Gouw (left) and James Cowles with the Outstanding Projects Award for the company’s work on Christchurch Town Hall.

KAVA CUP And the winner is: Wellington Master Plumbers Wellington Master Plumbers have given wholehearted support to the Wellington Riding for the Disabled’s new indoor riding arena at Battle Hill Farm. The volunteer project included unisex toilets, an accessible bathroom and sickbay, kitchen, tack room sink bench and stable hose taps, as well as a stormwater system to water tanks, soil drain, septic tank and drainage field, potable water supply to the building and horse wash down area.

Read more about this significant community project on p42.

Above: Jeremy Mansfield of the Wellington Master Plumbers branch accepting the Kava Cup Award for members’ voluntary work on the new Wellington Riding for the Disabled Association’s indoor arena.

plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

Thanks to our sponsors

The New Zealand Plumbing Conference would not be possible without the support of all key sponsors.

Above: Craig Alexander showcasing the imminent launch of Methven Fastflow II®.

Above: The grand finale of the sheep shearing entertainment at the Marley and Dux Fun Night Show!

Right: This Caroma Smart Command® set up showed attendees how the technology works.

Above: Marley celebrated the launch of its Converge™ and Compakt™ products.

Above: Music, mixing and mingling at the Mico Welcome Night Dinner.

Master Plumbers extends its gratitude to the following conference sponsors: New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner • Plumbing World Welcome Night Dinner and Conference Bag • Mico Fun Night Dinner and Show • Marley and Dux Keynote Speakers • MM Kembla – Peter FitzSimons • Iplex – Kieran Flanagan Partner Activity Programme • Rheem

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Visit • Mobilcard Catering • Allproof Industries – Lunch • Skills – Morning and Afternoon Tea Product Showcases • Caroma • Dux • Hydroflow • Marley • Methven • Rinnai

Ambrose Golf Tournament Thirst Quencher • Crombie Lockwood Golf Teams • Apex Valves • Buteline (Longest Drive Sponsor) • Fergus • Greens Global • Kohler • MM Kembla • Masterlink • Master Plumbers • RWC • simPRO

June/July 2019

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REAL LIVES

Aiming high

Not afraid of hard work and always up for a fresh challenge, Te Tane McGuire is the kind of team member every plumbing boss hopes for—and it’s made him a top award winner. Story by Je t’aime Hayr.

NEWLY QUALIFIED PLUMBER Te Tane McGuire credits his parents for instilling a good work ethic in him. “My parents have always been hard workers and my father pulled very long hours in the logging industry, so I learned from them,” says the 26-year-old.

In fact, the challenge and variety of these commercial projects give Tane a real buzz. “I like the skills required in large-scale projects because it’s not ‘copy and paste’ work; it allows me to do something different and I’m never bored. I learn quickly, so it’s good to be thinking all the time.”

Large-scale project involvement

Pride in perfection

In just four years in the industry, Tane has been exposed to a huge variety of work in challenging industry sectors at his Napier workplace, Tech Mechanical Services. Company General Manager Brad Ellison explains that this has included involvement with complex water environmental solutions for stormwater on high hazard sites and installing anti-ligature solutions—which he helped design—to correctional facility cells.

“He’s also done winery works, including compressed air and glycol reticulation, along with the controls operating the systems, and gas reticulation of high volume uses for industrial firms,” says Brad. “Despite high pressure deadlines, health and safety risks, environmental standards and quality expectations, Tane takes it all in his stride.”

Tane says he works hard because he likes people to be happy with the results and that drives him to improve all the time. “It’s an honour to do a job well. A lot of plumbing is hidden, but I take pride in perfection, especially when the final product is visible. Workmanship is a top priority; everything must be level and left clean, tidy and polished—just the way I would want it to be in my own home.”

His positive attitude is reflected in his studies too. After completing his plumbing and gasfitting apprenticeship last year, Tane easily gained over 80 percent pass marks in his Tradesman and Certifying registration exams for each trade. He is now undertaking a drainlaying apprenticeship in order to achieve his next goal of becoming certified in all three sectors.

Above: Te Tane McGuire (centre) being presented with the James Douglas Medallion award by Skills CEO Garry Fissenden (left) and Master Plumbers Chairman Craig Foley at the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards in May. 28

June/July 2019

Inspiring new apprentices

Tane thinks it’s important that apprentices are supported on their study journey and appreciates the support Masterlink gave him throughout his four-year plumbing and gasfitting apprenticeship. “Masterlink have been awesome,” he says. “Bob McCoy, the Masterlink Lower North Island Manager, looked after me and visited several times per year. He told me what I needed to work on so that helped me to constantly improve.”

Tane is keen to inspire a new generation of apprentices and has taken on a mentoring role himself. “I teach them my way of doing things, but also I let them explore their own way of doing things—as long as the job is done right. I may get a few grey hairs along the way, but it’s awesome to see the apprentices learn and grow over time!”

EARN POINTS, REDEEM FOR GREAT REWARDS

Top award winner

Tane’s drive, self-discipline and dedication to continued development led his employer to nominate him for the James Douglas Medallion award, presented for more than 70 years to a top nationwide newly qualified apprentice.

“Over the last 23 years in our industry I have encountered several exceptional plumbers, but none have impressed me like Tane,” says Brad. “He is what every employer dreams of.”

Tane was selected as the Plumbing Finalist and overall James Douglas Medallion award winner and was at the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner in Queensland on 31 May to receive his medallion. Tane also wins a $500 cash prize, together with a $2,500 Career Development Scholarship from The Skills Organisation. ■

James Douglas’ legacy James Sandilands Douglas was born in Dunedin in 1872. He began his plumbing apprenticeship in 1888 and six years later, aged 22, became an employer, having jointly purchased the business with the foreman when the boss retired.

A founding member of the Otago Master Plumbers Association, he became Association President in 1905-6 and again in 1910, staying in the role for an incredible 23 years.

Douglas lobbied for the registration of plumbers in New Zealand and was also behind the very first national conference of Master Plumbers. He was the Master Plumbers representative on the New Zealand Plumbers’ Registration Board from 1914 to 1946.

During his long and illustrious career, he also served as Chairman of the Dunedin Drainage Board and as Mayor of Dunedin, amongst many other appointments.

James Douglas was made a Life Member of the national Master Plumbers in 1953 and died at the age of 85 in 1957.

The James Douglas Medallion has been presented since 1948 in his honour.

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TECHNICAL THEME

Stormwater and rainwater Roof drainage systems, rainwater collection and on-site stormwater run-off management are the focus of this edition’s technical theme.

In this section Siphonic drainage systems

31

Hydraulic neutrality

32

Stormwater: retain or detain?

36

Pump it up

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30

June/July 2019

TECHNICAL THEME

Siphonic systems Siphonic roof drainage systems deliver an efficient method of removing rainwater rapidly from medium to large roof surfaces. In this Q&A article, Marley explains how they work.

SIPHONIC DRAINAGE SYSTEMS Consist of special roof outlets connected to a network of horizontal HDPE collector pipes and fittings. The pipe network connects to a downpipe which is the ‘engine room’ of the system.

Q: How does a siphonic roof drainage system work?

Siphonic systems use the full building height to provide the energy to create a vacuum, which propagates back up through the pipe network to the outlets, sucking water from the roof gutters.

Water accelerating under gravity as it falls down the downpipe from the height of the roof to ground level, generates the negative pressure in the system.

When operating in siphonic mode, the pipe network flows full, without air and with higher velocity and flow rates than traditional gravity systems.

Above: How a siphonic system compares with a traditional gravity system.

Above: Components of an Akasison siphonic roof drainage system.

Q: What applications do siphonic systems suit?

Siphonics are especially good for large size buildings, but also medium size buildings. They are not suited to residential buildings.

Multi-storey commercial buildings, industrial warehouses, office buildings, sports stadiums, carpark buildings, retail buildings, large public buildings such as convention centres and supermarket buildings are all typical examples.

The systems are ideal for internal gutters on large roof areas or for particularly long buildings.

Q: What are their advantages over other drainage systems?

Siphonic systems allow for freedom of design, with flexible routing of pipework to any location within the building. Far fewer downpipes and smaller diameter pipework means space saving, and horizontal pipe runs do not require any fall, thus minimising the space required to accommodate the system. This is an advantage in the congested ceiling space of commercial buildings.

There are also potential cost savings in material, time and installation because pipework is routed at high level, thus minimising excavation and in-ground drainage work.

For warehouse building owners, far fewer downpipes (often only one) means far less armouring required to protect downpipes from forkhoist damage.

Q: What are the key components of a system?

1. Siphonic outlets: located in internal membrane lined gutters or external metal box gutters. The outlets have baffles that prevent air from entering the system and fins that minimise vortex action.

2. 100% recyclable HDPE pipework, fittings, electrofusion couplers 3. Brackets and support rail system

Q: Can any qualified plumber install/design a system?

Siphonic systems are usually installed by commercial plumbers. Siphonic roof drainage is a subset of HDPE Drainage, which most commercial plumbers will already be experienced with.

Compared to traditional gravity drainage, siphonic design is more advanced and requires specific hydraulic analysis using software for each individual project.

A siphonic system provides the designer with the freedom to route the pipes to any location at high level, before dropping down to ground level and pipework can easily be directed to rainwater harvesting tanks. At a select location, usually at ground level near the base of the downpipe, a siphonic ‘break’ is provided and thereafter the flow transitions back to gravity flow and connects to civil drainage. ■ About the author: Marley is the New Zealand supplier of Akasison Siphonic Roof Drainage Systems. Local NZ-based in-house design and on-site technical and installation support is available for plumbers.

June/July 2019

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PAGE TAG THEME TECHNICAL

Hydraulic neutrality FOR ANY BUILDING or development site, the area of ground able to absorb rainfall is reduced by the roofs of buildings and hard surface areas such as driveways and paving. The soil type also influences how much and how quickly water can be absorbed.

This means that water previously absorbed on an undeveloped site is typically discharged into a council stormwater system instead. The increasing density of urban and suburban development has significantly increased the stormwater load on public utilities.

Move to hydraulic neutrality To address this and potentially reduce the need for costly stormwater system upgrades, several councils have adopted the principle of hydraulic neutrality – also known as stormwater neutrality or hydrological neutrality. With this approach, any rainfall on a site must be retained and disposed of on that site. No stormwater is to be discharged into the public stormwater system, either piped or by street drainage.

The aim is that no additional demand is placed on existing stormwater systems from new developments, so that the risk of stormwater flooding in heavy rain events is reduced. A side benefit is the recharging of aquifers and the maintenance of groundwater levels.

With urban densification putting a strain on infrastructure services, some councils now require stormwater to be dealt with in situ, easing the strain on public systems.

result of extreme stormwater flows is not specifically covered in the Act. This has led to inconsistencies in how stormwater is dealt with nationally.

For example, some councils reference New Zealand Building Code clause E1 Surface water for dealing with flooding, while others reference NZS 4404:2010 Land development and subdivision infrastructure for specific flood protection design requirements.

What causes stormwater flooding?

Stormwater flooding can occur after extreme rainfall events as a result of: • rainwater that has not soaked into the soil accumulating on lower-lying areas • drainage of stormwater being restricted by high tides or river and creek levels • backflow up water courses during a high tide or river flood • floodwater that has spilled over banks of streams and rivers as a result of too much stormwater draining into the waterways.

Managing stormwater run-off The level of ground infiltration or absorption is affected by the amount of impermeable surface area. Urban development typically results in an

Stormwater flood management varies The Resource Management Act (RMA) is the primary legislation for the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. It assigns key roles and responsibilities for resource management to regional councils and territorial authorities, who in turn set out policies and rules for stormwater management.

Although the RMA covers flooding as a natural hazard, flooding as a 32

June/July 2019

Above: Figure 1 – Cross-section of a grass swale.

increase in the amount of hard surfaces, so run-off must be managed on each site to ensure that the post-development peak water run-off is no greater than the predevelopment peak water run-off.

Generally, this means dealing with water on site. Methods that can be implemented to achieve hydraulic neutrality include: • improving soil infiltration or the ability of the ground to absorb water • water flow attenuation or reducing the rate at which the water can flow away from an area so that the permeable ground is able to absorb the moisture, albeit at a slower rate • on-site storage and disposal of all rainwater incidents on the site from roofs and paving, for example.

Gravelly and sandy soils readily absorb water so hydraulic neutrality can often be achieved by ensuring that stormwater is disposed of by infiltration on site.

Peat, clay or silty soils cannot absorb large quantities of water, so on-site storage in ponds or holding tanks – together with an on-site soakage or drainage system – may be required to achieve hydraulic neutrality.

Kāpiti Coast case study Hydraulic neutrality is required for all new residential projects on the Kāpiti Coast. A driver for this has been that much of the residential areas are low

lying and located inland of elevated dunes, which makes the area vulnerable to flooding from poor stormwater drainage.

ROOF & BALCONY

DRAINS

No additional hazard from developments The Kāpiti Coast District Council through the district plan applies sections 6 and 106 of the Resource Management Act. Policies place the responsibility on an applicant to show that there will be no additional hazard as a result of any proposed development.

In essence, the council requires all new residential buildings or developments to be provided with the means of managing stormwater by incorporating suitable stormwater retention capacity on site at peak periods to achieve hydraulic neutrality.

Ways to achieve hydraulic neutrality The council suggests several methods to achieve hydraulic neutrality: • Provide on-site water storage using either wet or dry ponds to contain and hold run-off and release it at a specified rate.

Wet ponds are permanent pools of standing water, while dry ponds temporarily store stormwater run-off but are dry between storm events.

• Install water retention tanks in combination with on-site (overflow) soakage.

• Reduce or avoid non-permeable outdoor areas.

• Install outlet constraints on drainage outlets to reduce the rate of flow – for example, baffles or a sump in the base of a manhole.

• Install grassed swales or filter strips – these are broad, shallow grassed channels with gently sloping sides into which water can flow and slowly infiltrate into the soil (Figure 1). Swales may be lined to direct run-off or have a rocky base to slow down a fast flow of water.

• Install rain gardens – these are planted areas set in a shallow depression into which water can flow and slowly infiltrate into the soil (Figure 2 over the page).

Both swales and rain gardens are easy to establish and maintain and are more appropriate in larger-scale urban design.

As well as providing stormwater run-off control, they help remove sediments and contaminants from the stormwater as it filters through the soil before discharging to a downstream stormwater system or waterway.

Auckland design approach In Auckland, the water-sensitive design component of the Auckland Design Manual is essential to support the vision of the Auckland Plan. It promotes land use planning practices that balance land development with the ecosystem services necessary to support it. Water-sensitive design is an inter-disciplinary design approach that considers stormwater management in parallel with the sensitivities of Auckland’s harbours and watercourses, ecology of a site, best-practice urban design and community values. >

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TECHNICAL THEME

Above: Figure 2 – Cross-section of a rain garden.

Christchurch guidance In Christchurch, guidance states that even small sites – less than 1,000m2 – can have a negative effect on stormwater.

When this is combined with hundreds of other small sites, the effect can be significant. It is therefore important to mitigate these effects to help clean up streams and reduce flooding. This can be achieved, in order of preference, by: 1. reducing the amount of runoff generated within the site by minimising the impervious surfaces 2. increasing the amount of water soaking into soil, such as through soakage systems, permeable pavement or rain gardens 3. holding back as much of the runoff as possible using a stormwater storage system and releasing it slowly.

The council has criteria to determine whether or not a site requires mitigation: • All hill sites – greater than 5° slope – are required to install rain

•

tanks or other suitable mitigation devices when new development or intensification takes place.

Flat urban areas require mitigation only if: o the additional impervious area added is greater than 150m² o the resultant impervious area covers more than 70% of the total site area.

Changes needed in designs Hydraulic neutrality has implications for designers and landscapers, who need to assess the best design options for the site and include the details in the building consent documentation. Options include: • incorporating drainage channels that drain to a tank or soak pit from the low point of all areas of impermeable paving or surfaces – for example, concrete driveways • allowing sufficient space or clearance from buildings to rainwater holding tanks

•

on tighter sites, incorporating innovative solutions to provide stormwater storage such as underslab or driveway tanks or fence panels that can store water.

There may also be specific rules that apply to sites being developed to compensate for any lost ponding or flood storage capacity. For example, suitable ground or floor levels and flood-free access can be achieved by raising the ground level with suitable fill, but filling one ponding area will push the water on to other properties. To avoid this, compensatory storage – adding an equivalent ponding area elsewhere – is likely to be required. ■ About the author: This article by Wellingtonbased freelance technical writer Alide Elkink first appeared in BRANZ Build 171 (April 2019).

Build magazine is published by BRANZ, an independent research organisation that provides impartial evidence-based advice on building and construction issues. www.buildmagazine.org.nz

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TECHNICAL THEME

Stormwater: detain or retain?

With smaller section sizes and reduced permeable surfaces, local council requirements for on-site stormwater management mean smarter, less intrusive solutions for consumers.

APD’s Richard Ruddell discusses detention and retention considerations.

STORMWATER! IT FALLS from the sky and local councils are increasingly requiring that run-off rates are mitigated to match pre-development levels for new builds and additions to existing properties. Meeting these run-off rates generally requires a detention tank that will catch the run-off during rainfall events and then release it slowly to the stormwater system via an outlet orifice.

The orifice diameter should be specified by the stormwater engineer to meet maximum discharge rates that the local council will accept.

With rising costs for domestic water supply and wastewater charges, the question is often asked: “Does it make sense to convert the detention tank to a retention tank to retain the water until it can be re-used either in or around the property?” There is no straightforward answer to this question and many factors need to be taken into consideration.

First and foremost, local councils may not agree to converting detention tanks to retention tanks because this means that the

detention volume can’t be guaranteed to be available to capture the water from a rainfall event. The tank may be partially or completely full when the rain starts. What this means is that an additional retention volume needs to be provided for, over and above the detention volume. In fact, some councils now require detention and retention volumes be factored in.

Consideration needs to be given to various aspects.

1. What is the retention water to be used for?

Answering this question first will help determine answers to the next questions.

• If the plan is only to use the water for non-potable applications such as watering the garden, flushing toilets and washing clothes, then any outlets or taps where water could be drawn from must be clearly labelled with appropriate warning signs that the water is not suitable for drinking.

• If the plan is to use the tank water for drinking purposes as well as non-potable applications, a suitable water treatment device including an after-tank particle filter and UV disinfection would be in order. This treatment device needs to be capable of producing potable water.

Understanding what the water is to be used for will help to determine the storage volume, as well as the answer to the next question.

Above: Figure 1 – The APD RainWorx System works by pumping rainwater from the underground tank into the building. It prioritises tank water use, automatically switching to the mains water supply when there is no water left in the tank or during a power cut or failure.

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June/July 2019

TECHNICAL THEME

2. Where is the retention water being collected from?

Generally, re-use water should only be collected from roof surfaces, not ground surfaces, especially non-trafficable areas. Water from driveway cess-pits for example should not be channelled to retention tanks—only to detention tanks.

Roofwater collection should include pre-treatment devices such as leaf divertors, first flush diverters and possibly a pre-filter device to keep the water entering the retention tank as clean as possible.

3. What additional volume should be provided for retention?

Choosing too small a volume means there may not be enough water in warmer and drier months and the tank volume will be too small to be of any real use in colder, wetter months. Answers to the previous two questions will help answer this.

4. What happens if the retention tank becomes empty or the power fails?

Keep in mind that a re-use system will generally involve a pump to provide water on demand, so if the tank is empty or the power

Cost vs benefit analysis Armed with answers to the questions posed in the article, the cost vs benefit analysis becomes possible. Installing a tank with smaller volumes may lead to a longer payback period for the consumer. The use of, say, a 1000L tank during the drier months (when watering gardens is common), plus use of high cost mains supply to keep a small tank full could negate the cost benefits of a re-use system.

Installing a larger tank, with a volume greater than 3000L, will provide a quicker payback scenario.

However smaller sections have space constraints, so positioning of larger above-ground tanks can become problematic.

Combining re-use systems with below-ground longitudinal HDPE tanks that have greater volumes available for use can offer perfect solutions in tighter narrower spaces (under driveways or smaller grassed areas). See Figure 2 below.

For qualified tradespeople, the regular maintenance, cleaning and checking of these systems can also add another revenue stream in years to come.

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About the author: Richard Ruddell is Technical Sales Engineer at APD. Richard has gained a wealth of knowledge regarding buried tank installations and load requirements during his time with APD. He is an expert in APD’s WasteWorx pump stations and Stormlite3 specifications. Feel free to contact Richard for any buried tank installation enquiries on 021 402 805; richard@apd.co.nz

Your rainwater harvesting & reuse system, in an easy, complete package The ideal rain harvesting solution from APD APD’s smart RainWorx® system has options to suit both above and below ground tanks.

It automatically switches to mains supply once storage levels become low enough, or when there is a power cut, and is made from high quality parts for long life.

All in a complete package

D

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fails then no water is available from the tank.

There are various methods available for topping up a retention tank including: a) Manually running water into the tank from the local main supply b) Installing a ‘tank top up’ device to add water to the tank from the local main supply c) Installing a re-use system that automatically switches to the local main supply if the tank empties or the power fails.

Options a) and b) above both have some serious drawbacks and I would not recommend them. Option a) is not often done but I have seen it. Option b) makes little sense because re-use water feed into the tank from the local main supply then has to be pumped out again. In my opinion, both options are flawed in that the water is not available for flushing toilets if the power fails.

Option c) is the smart choice as long as the installed system includes a backflow prevention device, such as a testable double check valve, on the main water supply line. For an example of this type of system see the APD RainWorx system illustration shown in Figure 1. ■

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Above: Figure 2 – below-ground longitudinal HDPE tank.

June/July 2019

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TECHNICAL THEME

Pump it up Looking for a domestic pressure system pump for a new or existing rainwater tank? Or a pump replacement or upgrade? Grundfos has advice on how to make your selection.

Step Two

Step One

Determine any additional features or technical requirements: • Does your client require the pump to be able to run on a generator?

• Do they require a pump with the capacity to be able to provide a mains water backup if the rainwater tank runs dry or in a power outage?

• Is the pump situated inside or close to the house? If so, is the noise level of the pump important?

If the pump is being used infrequently, a cost-effective pump solution may be

Think about what your client is planning to use the pump for: • Do they want to supply rainwater to their garden only; toilet and laundry only; or to the whole of their home?

• If it’s garden use only, do they have a large garden or a small garden? How many outlets would they like to be able to run at one time?

• If it’s for home water supply, what size is their home? And does it have multiple bathrooms or wet areas?

Determine the water source: • Is the rainwater tank situated above or below ground?

• Is the tank set above or below the level of the home or garden they want to supply?

• What sort of distance is the tank from the home or garden?

Step Three

Above: There are three basic steps to follow when choosing the right pump for a rainwater tank installation.

all that is needed. If the pump is being run for whole of house supply, energy efficiency and cost savings may be important, and a pump able to adjust its speed to meet varying demand might be what your customer is after. ■

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

City icon restored Refurbishment projects can be tougher than new builds, especially when seismic strengthening is involved. Matthew Lowe talked to Clyne and Bennie about the challenges they faced on the Christchurch Town Hall restoration.

RESTORING A PIECE of Christchurch’s history while dealing with seismic factors, a projected piping shortage and having to get pipework through a giant steel grid, all piled on the pressure for the team at Clyne and Bennie Plumbing.

But their efforts in successfully meeting these challenges in the $167 million revamp of the Christchurch Town Hall helped win them the Outstanding Projects Award at the 2019 NZ Plumbing Awards in May. The town hall—built in 1972 and one of the city’s top performance venues—was left in need of major restoration work after it suffered damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

In Clyne and Bennie’s entry for the awards, Managing Director Martin de Gouw said returning the hall to its former glory as they tackled the plumbing, gasfitting and internal drainage works was a “heartfelt experience and symbolic of Christchurch’s journey as a whole”.

“Refurbishment/rebuild projects can be far more complex than new builds, especially when the building is one that is well known to the public,” Martin says.

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June/July 2019

Matching the original A special feature of this project was the need to return the look of the building to match that of the iconic original. “It was exciting to watch this project unfold, and witness the buildings return to their familiar and very distinctive look,” adds Martin.

“It is always very rewarding to watch a big project such as this one come together, but the feeling is especially strong for a building of such significance and in the given circumstances.”

The town hall partially re-opened to the public in February after three years of restoration work, which included strengthening to 100 percent of the new building standard,

Top: Christchurch Town Hall has been revamped to the tune of $167 million after suffering earthquake damage.

Above: A worker checks out some piping during the refurbishment project.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT reinstating its heritage features as well as a significant upgrade and overall refurbishment. The whole complex is due to be completed in August.

Clyne and Bennie had a dedicated site foreman, Kerry Shannon, and a team of six plumbers who worked on the project full-time.

“With projects like this, changes and issues are often encountered throughout the process, but the Clyne and Bennie workers were always able to take any complications in their stride and communicate effectively with others to ensure their job was done well no matter how difficult,” Martin says.

“There was a consistency of staff throughout this project, with the same team working from start to finish. This allowed for a continuous and efficient flow of work and allowed team members to really get to grips with the workings of the project.”

Despite having the same staff on site there were still a few headaches for the team, including complications and design issues around the historic nature of the building.

Above: The ceiling of a kitchen in the hall shows an LPG line, internal drainage, sprinkler system and mechanical ducting.

Seismic and budgetary challenges Other challenges they encountered included the need for a seismic upgrade on the property and the original plans coming up short for the amount of piping required.

“Trying to get as much of the building as possible in keeping with the original design was always an important factor, and the high importance of the project did lead to added stress, and pressure to get work done in a timely manner no matter what issues cropped up along the way,” Martin says.

“The scheduled amount for pipe and fittings was considerably out and constant communication around pricing issues and short measure was also challenging, as with public money there is a lot of accountability to get the job done on a reasonable budget.

“Another difficulty encountered was the obvious need for seismic upgrade on the building. This is a less familiar area for our workers, and so new skills and knowledge were required for this work.

“When working with an older building, and one that has suffered earthquake damage, there are always going to be unexpected problems encountered. Working around these and coming up with new designs and plans on the go when required was therefore an important part of this project also.

Every change in design resulted in a need to revise drawings and update plans.”

One of the toughest tasks for the plumbing team was trying to maintain a visual understanding of the project despite the floor sometimes being taken out in sections, which resulted in the drainage system having to be installed through a steel grid.

“Ensuring continuity and high quality throughout the build required special attention and expertise—for example, maintaining an even grade when only a small percentage of the floor was able to be removed at any one time,” Martin says.

“There were often large sections of slab still in place, and when it came time for those parts to be replaced the pipework was connected to all other points from previous pours.”

Architectural significance Besides being an important part of the Christchurch landscape, the building had extra significance for the company. The town

Above: A downpipe in an external support column on the face of the building, with cast in drainage services.

hall was designed by Sir Miles Warren, one of New Zealand’s leading architects and a personal client of Clyne and Bennie for many decades.

“Sir Miles Warren is a very well-known and much-loved New Zealand architect and having the opportunity to return one of his best-known designs to its former grandeur was a big part of the reason Clyne and Bennie wanted to take on this project in the first place,” Martin says.

Clyne and Bennie’s Operations Manager, Andrew Climo, acted as quantity surveyor for the project and managed and delegated tasks arising from the work to other staff members in the firm’s office. He says winning the Outstanding Projects Award was a welcome recognition for the company’s efforts.

“The team at Clyne and Bennie are very pleased and proud to have won this award. A lot of hard work has gone into this project from a number of our staff, and so it is great to have the importance of the project recognised,” Andrew says.

“It ranks very highly among the work that Clyne and Bennie have completed. We are proud to have worked on such an iconic and well-known building, and to have completed the project to the best of our abilities.” ■

Materials used • • • •

15-100mm copper pipes 50-100mm stainless steel waste system with heat trace 40-100mm U-PVC waste and vent pipes 100, 150, 225mm U-PVC stormwater downpipes

June/July 2019 41

ASSOCIATIONS & BRANCHES

Tall in the saddle Many more people with special needs in the Wellington region can now enjoy Riding for the Disabled services, thanks to the generosity of volunteer subcontractors, including members of the Wellington Master Plumbers.

THE ACT OF GETTING on a horse and riding in a safe, supportive environment has an incredibly therapeutic effect on people with disabilities, as Ngaire and Jeremy Mansfield know first-hand. For the past three years the couple, who are joint directors of Straight Flush Plumbing in Wellington, have taken their autistic son Baxter, now nine, to Wellington Riding for the Disabled (RDA).

“Communication is really difficult for Baxter,” says Ngaire. “For him to be able to get a horse to trot without needing speech gives him a sense of control in a

world that’s really hard to understand.

When he’s on a horse, he’s happy and calm. Apart from the benefits of helping with physical movement and balance, it’s also developed his skills in taking simple instructions.”

Wellington Riding for the Disabled (RDA) has been around for 45 years, 32 of them at Kenepuru Hospital grounds.

The facilities had slowly become dilapidated and an upgrade wasn’t an option, as the lease wasn’t going to be renewed long term, due to planned housing development for the site.

Arena on the move

So, in late 2016, this RDA branch made the move to a bigger site in the rural surrounds of Battle Hill Farm Forest Park, just under 40km outside Wellington. Managed by Greater Wellington Regional Council, Battle Hill is a working farm that also offers camping, tramping, pony club and bridle/cycle trails for the community.

They started on a temporary site with an outdoor arena, portaloo and a borrowed office and tack space. But they

had ambitious plans for their nearby permanent base, which they hoped would increase their ability to cater to riders’ needs and enable more people to enjoy the facility. The dream was to include an admin office, storage room, horse yards, toilets, grazing and an Olympic-sized covered arena that could operate in all weathers.

Plumbing help on hand

The necessary funding was more than this not-for-profit organisation had at its disposal, so it turned to the community for support.

“It seemed absurd that we live in the capital city of New Zealand and had no permanent, fit-for-use site for such an established, nationwide service,” recalls Ngaire of the couple’s decision to get involved. “The proposed development was going to serve a gaping need for generations to come.

“We decided that between the membership we could make a difference, so we invited Donna Kennedy, Wellington RDA President, to present at a branch meeting in June 2018, after

Above: The finished Wellington RDA arena at the April launch, attended by Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy. The volunteer plumbing project was no small task, and worth around $80,000-$100,000 all up.

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June/July 2019

ASSOCIATIONS & BRANCHES

Above: Mana Plumbing staff carried out the septic tank and sump work.

which we had unanimous support in the room to get the job done. Initially, Jeremy and I had wanted to offer free installation of the bathrooms, but the support grew to offer time and equipment—not only among the Wellington branch members, but from Marley, Plumbing World, Buteline and Rheem for supplying product to the project.”

The full scope of the branch and supplier involvement comprised the installation of unisex toilets, an accessible bathroom/sickbay, kitchen facilities,

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Above: Drainage work got underway in mid-January.

tack room sink bench and stable hose taps. Outside, there was plenty of work to be done on creating a stormwater system connecting to water tanks, a soil drain, septic tank and drainage field, and potable water supply to the building and horse wash down area.

Thanks to the generosity of the plumbers and other subcontractors, the build started ahead of schedule.

By August, the plumbing team were prepping the slab for the toilet facilities, and Wellington RDA’s blog perfectly summed out how much this meant to

them. “…we need a huge shout out to this team who are doing all our plumbing for FREE – Yip, FREE, NADA, ZIP!!

How incredibly generous is that. Jeremy Mansfield from Straight Flush Plumbing has organised all this and is assisted by Plimmer Plumbing (Derek Plimmer), Justin Harris Plumbing (Justin Harriss) and Mana Plumbing (James Taylor).”

Meanwhile, Plumbing World Wellington donated all front-of-wall products, Buteline the internal water piping, Marley the drainage materials and Rheem a hot water cylinder. >

ASSOCIATIONS & BRANCHES

Above: The volunteer plumbers at work on the pre-slab. For Jud Harris of Justin Harriss Plumbing, this project had particular significance, as his family were involved with the fitout of the original Keneperu RDA facility 45 years ago.

Above: It is great to see smiles on the faces of the young riders in the new undercover arena.

A new long-term facility

By April 2019, the project was complete—a little behind schedule but ready for use before the arrival of winter.

The official opening was attended by Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and her husband Sir David Gasgoine along with over 200 other guests. Donna Kennedy took the opportunity to thank all who had worked with the Wellington RDA to get them to this point.

“As a group, we are satisfied to have contributed to an amazing, long-term

Above: Assembled guests on launch day.

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June/July 2019

facility that will serve more people, for longer,” says Ngaire. “The Wellington region deserves this, and we are proud to have helped make it happen and pay it forward.”

Just as the finishing touches were being made on the arena, Baxter was fortunate enough to secure a place at a small residential home school in Hawke’s Bay. “He’s happy, adjusted and flourishing,” says Ngaire. “Within a few weeks, they’d even got him riding a bike, which is something we never managed to do. It’s a shame he didn’t get to use the new arena, but Donna has promised him his own personal ride in the holidays.” ■ The Wellington Master Plumbers' involvement on this project deservedly won them the Kava Cup at the 2019 NZ Plumbing Awards!

About Riding for the Disabled New Zealand Riding for the Disabled (NZRDA) is a registered charity of 54 affiliated RDA groups throughout NZ. Formally established in 1972, RDA provides riding activities that increase the ability, strength and confidence of children and adults with physical, intellectual, emotional and social challenges.

NZRDA has nearly 500 horses, the majority of which it owns. The rest are leased or borrowed from supporters.

A trained team of RDA coaches and volunteers assist and care for each rider.

To donate or register your interest in becoming a volunteer, visit www.rda.org.nz

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NUTS & BOLTS

Standards Spotlight

Change takes time With practitioners, manufacturers, suppliers and industry bodies all represented on Standards committees, making final decisions on proposed changes takes time. Jon Lewis updates NZ Plumber on progress for plumbing and drainage Standard AS/NZS 3500 parts 1 to 4 and backflow Standard AS/NZS 2845.3 from two recent committee meetings.

IN MARCH, I represented Master Plumbers as part of the Standards Australia WS-014 plumbing sector working group for the next round of potential changes to relevant clauses of AS/NZS 3500—the suite of joint Australian and New Zealand plumbing and drainage Standards.

Approximately 22 areas of the Standard are being reviewed, not all of which will be relevant to practitioners in New Zealand.

However, some may affect how we undertake our work, one example being Working Draft WG7 AS/NZS 3500.2-S1, specific to venting.

The working group moved forward on the proposed changes, which are now in the drafting stage. However, it’s important to note that the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) must support the changes before they can progress any further. ABCB is very similar to the Building System Performance branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in New Zealand.

Field testing and maintenance of backflow prevention devices

May also saw me attending meetings in Australia on potential changes to Part 3 of joint Standard AS/NZS 2845 as the Master Plumbers’ representative on the WS-023 backflow prevention working group.

AS/NZS 2845 comprises: • Part 1: materials, design and performance requirements • Part 2: registered air gaps and registered break tanks • Part 3: field testing and maintenance of testable devices.

To give you a bit of background, for many years New Zealand and Australia shared virtually the same testing procedures (RPZD and DCV valves). However, at some point around 2010, the Australians decided to make changes that were not accepted here as the New Zealand backflow industry strongly objected to them.

Instead, Water New Zealand worked with Master Plumbers to produce an alternative to Part 2 and Part 3 of the Standard. The result was the New Zealand Backflow Testing Standard for field testing of backflow prevention devices and verification of air gaps.

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The 2019 version of this document is available on the Water New Zealand and Master Plumbers websites.

Last year, there was a move to make AS/NZS 2845 a joint standard again. However, reaching agreement on proposed changes may take time, given the number and diversity of industry representatives who get to have a say (see below). ■ Jon will provide an update on progress in the next edition.

New Zealand under-represented on Standards working groups Only two New Zealanders sit on both the WS-014 (plumbing sector) and WS-023 (backflow prevention) Australian Standards working groups. They are Jon Lewis, representing Master Plumbers New Zealand and Richard Aitken representing Water New Zealand. They are possibly also the only two practising plumbers on these committees, which are well represented by industry suppliers and others.

Australian representatives include: • Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) • Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry • Australian Industry Group (suppliers) • Backflow Prevention Association of Australia • Department of Commerce (Western Australia) • Engineers Australia • New South Wales Fair Trading • Office of the Technical Regulator (South Australia) • Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia • Plumbing Products Industry Group • Victorian Building Authority • Water Services Association of Australia • Master Plumbers Australia • Environment and Planning Directorate (Australian Capital Territory) • Standards Australia.

“You could say we are seriously outnumbered,” says Jon. “However, we do believe we add value where we can. If we disagree with the Standards being produced and believe they will not benefit the New Zealand practitioner, we have the option not to accept potential changes to joint AS/NZS Standards or to have New Zealand-specific notations added.”

About the author: Jon Lewis runs The Lewis Plumbing Company in Rotorua. Jon is a Certifying Plumber and Certifying Drainlayer with over 30 years’ industry experience. He serves as a Director on the national Master Plumbers Board and represents Master Plumbers on Australian Standards committees WS-014 (overall plumbing sector) and WS-023 (backflow prevention).

Tech points AQUALINE BRASS FITTINGS

Aqualine have been working with plumbing merchants, as independent testing has indicated some brass fittings have been found to be non DR. The company says there have been no DR-related complaints of failure of these products. For more information please contact your merchant or an Aqualine representative.

REGENCY FIRE PRODUCT NOTICE Regency Fireplace product NZ distributor Aber has advised of a Product Notice regarding Regency F38 and FG38 natural gas units. “Out of an abundance of caution, we seek to notify NZ owners of the above models of a safety hazard in which, under certain circumstances, potentially hazardous levels of carbon monoxide may be created,” Aber said in April.

“We also draw your attention to the ‘negative pressure’ scenario that gives rise to the issue at hand and the importance of gasfitters ensuring that open flued units have adequate ventilation. We have a very limited number of units in the market and have communicated directly with retailers.

NUTS & BOLTS

This edition’s technical updates in brief.

However, if you should come across a Regency F38 or FG38 natural gas unit, please refer to the information in the Product Notice.” www.regency-fire.co.nz/content/product-notice

PROPOSED CHANGES FOR GAS ACT The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is looking at options for amending the Gas Act with regard to three topics: • Ensuring the Act is fit for purpose in regulating the use of emerging technologies and alternative fuels • Improving information disclosure between gas sector parties (this comes in the wake of last year’s disruption to gas supplies from the offshore Pohokura gas field) • Making potential changes to the penalty regime during critical contingency events.

Consulation closed in June and MBIE is considering feedback.

COOKING APPLIANCE STANDARD REVIEW Draft Standard AS/NZS 5263.1.1:2019 Gas appliances – Part 1.1: Domestic gas cooking appliances was out for public comment in June. The Standard provides manufacturers, designers, regulatory authorities and conformity assessment bodies with uniform minimum requirements for the safety, performance and use of gas appliances.

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June/July 2019 47

NUTS & BOLTS

Passive fire installations:

ensuring quality Following a review of passive fire installation works, a rigorous assessment process for applicators and installers has been established by the Canterbury District Health Board. This has lessons for other organisations to help improve installation quality.

Article by Alan Page.

GHD OLSSON FIRE & Risk was engaged in mid-2016 by Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) to review some post-earthquake passive fire installation works. The inspection revealed basic installation mistakes by the contracted specialist applicators and, on investigation, showed that some of the personnel used were untrained.

During a meeting, it was discussed how CDHB could gain greater certainty over the quality of installation.

Minimising the number of manufacturers The first step to improving quality was to reduce the number of manufacturers whose products were being fitted throughout the CDHB properties, which numbered over 10 across the years.

A matrix of sample site construction scenarios was produced.

This formed part of a supplier questionnaire and procurement process, asking manufacturers to provide tested solutions only.

This reduced the number of manufacturers from 10 down to two, and they provided over 90% of the solutions using tested products. The manufacturers also committed to provide ongoing training to CDHB-approved applicators.

To provide further certainty, a process was devised whereby applicators had to apply for permission to work for CDHB.

Access to fire walls limited

Practical ability assessed

Software programme keeps track

Installation staff had to undergo in-house CDHB-supervised training with a written test after they had been accepted and before starting any works.

If they passed, their practical ability was then assessed at a test facility purpose-built in Christchurch to assess the applicators’ installation team’s practical ability to work under time constraints and provide compliant installations.

The installers had to demonstrate a knowledge of QA procedures and produce the necessary QA reports. These installations were then taken apart and checked against the test standard, and marks were awarded for accuracy and compliance. At that point, if the applicator passed, they were issued with an approval.

The test facility also has the capability to mimic the DHBtested solutions matrix and is able to be adjusted to suit any new applications that may be tested in the future. Applicators are required to re-sit the test on an annual basis and provide copies of any additional training received during that time.

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Above: Two examples of the poor installation practices widely seen across New Zealand.

As a further measure, access to fire walls has been restricted to a permit-only basis. Any trade making an opening has to have a permit to work and is accompanied by a member of the applicator staff who ensures that the opening is temporarily sealed or, preferably, sealed on the day.

A full inspection programme has also been developed using Clarinspect, a local supplier of inspection software. This programme allows CDHB to follow the opening from cradle to grave using a unique identifier, including all repairs, inspections and reinstallations. It also tracks the installer from initial training and test scores and links them to openings installed by them during their time working within CDHB. This system is now being used across the existing and new properties within CDHB jurisdiction and has been adopted as a standard on a new multi-million dollar hospital on the West Coast. â–

About the author: Alan Page is Technical Director, Passive Fire, at GHD Olsson Fire & Risk. This article first appeared in the April 2019 edition of Build magazine, and is reproduced here by kind permission. Build is published

by BRANZ, an independent research organisation that provides impartial evidence-based advice on building and construction issues. www.buildmagazine.org.nz

NUTS & BOLTS

Get involved in HomeFit KIWI HOMEOWNERS can now check if their home is warm, healthy and dry with the HomeFit online tool, launched late last year by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC).

Sponsored by Plumbing World and Rinnai, among others, the tool enables Kiwis to check out their own home, or a house they’re planning to buy or rent, in a two-step process: 1. They answer questions online at homefit.org.nz to get a tailored report on the property’s warmth, dryness and efficiency 2. A trained assessor carries out an independent appraisal, looking at factors like damp, mould, insulation, heating and ventilation. If the home passes, it gets a HomeFit stamp. If not, advice is offered on how to improve it.

HomeFit: Plumbing and heating Below is a summary of the plumbing and heating elements a home must achieve to meet HomeFit requirements.

Space heating Mandatory: Living spaces must be able to be adequately and cost-effectively heated. Smaller living spaces with a heat load less than 2.4kW may be heated with a portable electric heater. (Please note, however, that the upcoming Healthy Home Guarantee Standard for rentals will require any heaters to be fixed, so we recommend installing any electric panel heaters on the wall.)

Larger spaces must have fixed, energy-efficient heating. Flued gas heaters and fires are acceptable, as well as heat pumps, radiators or underfloor heating, clean-burning wood or pellet burners.

The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C— ideally higher if babies or elderly people live in the home. New Zealand homes regularly fall outside this comfort zone, with consequent health implications.

Hot water Mandatory: Hot water supply must be energy efficient.

• Shower flow rate no more than 9L/min • Hot water generated by: o instantaneous electric or gas hot water system o gas-fired cylinder o hot water heat pump (cylinder or separate condenser) o solar hot water o A-grade or MEPS compliant electric cylinder; or o older cylinder with wrap and lagging of any outdoor pipework.

Water efficiency Optional for HomeFit and HomeFit PLUS: Dual-flush toilets.

Dual flush toilets that meet WELS 4 Star (4.5L full flush/3L half flush) are no more expensive than toilets with higher flush rates.

Optional for HomeFit PLUS: Rainwater tanks. Rainwater tanks must be of 1,000L capacity or more and must be available for either garden watering or connected to at least one toilet/hot water cylinder.

Let your customers know how they can improve the warmth, dryness and health of their homes using the new HomeFit online tool.

The HomeFit Technical Manual sets out the minimum standards for a home to be considered warm, dry and healthy.

To comply, the home must achieve all items on the Mandatory list and at least three from the Optional list. These include plumbing and heating aspects (see box). A higher HomeFit PLUS benchmark is also available for homes that go beyond minimum requirements. ■

How you can get involved 1. NZGBC wants to hear from those interested in applying to become a HomeFit assessor. Visit www.nzgbc.org.nz/homefit/ homefitcourses for more details.

2. All tradespeople are encouraged to use the HomeFit tool at www. homefit.org.nz to talk to customers about how they can improve and increase the value of their homes by getting them HomeFit certified.

30

REASONS TO LEAVE YOUR

(PLUMBING MERCHANT THAT IS)

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June/July 2019 49

REAL LIVES

Just cruisin’ A visit to the Master Plumbers national office was a particular highlight for Life Member Bryan Heron on a recent New Zealand cruise, as he tells NZ Plumber.

HE MIGHT NOT be plumbing any more but, at 85, Bryan Heron still has a keen interest in the industry and a network of friends around the country from his 51 years in business. “Many of the apprentices I trained at Heron Plumbing have gone on to run their own companies, and it was great to see some of them on our recent New Zealand cruise,” he says.

Bryan and his wife Pat boarded the Ovation of the Seas on 1 March for a 14-day tour around the country, stopping at Milford Sounds, Dunedin, Akaroa, Kaikoura, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Rotorua, Auckland and the Bay of Islands

Above: Bryan taking a seat in the CEO's chair at the Wellington office.

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along the way. “We were walking along the street in Mt Maunganui and heard Bryan’s name being shouted out,” says Pat. “Yes, it was one of his ‘long lost’ apprentices who has now got his own business there. We took his details and will catch up with a group of Bryan’s apprentices who are now living and working there.”

While in Wellington, Bryan and Pat also called in to see Jeremy Mansfield, another former apprentice who is now co-director of Straight Flush Plumbing with wife Ngaire. “The highlight of our cruise was when we decided to pop into the Master Plumbers national office in Wellington to take a photo of Bryan next to the Life Members plaque that we had seen photos of,” says Pat. “We were warmly welcomed by all the staff and Bryan took great delight in sitting in Greg’s chair, as unfortunately he was away on business that day. They even drove us back to the ship.

Above: Bryan Heron in the Master Plumbers national office in Wellington.

Above: With some of the office team. “I was overwhelmed by the warm welcome—they made me feel very special,” says Bryan.

REAL LIVES

“The visit prompted many happy, fun memories of people and past times of hard work that was done over the years for the Master Plumbers,” she adds. “This was and is a massive part of Bryan’s life. He certainly livens up when talking about his experiences and the people he employed over the many years.”

Having travelled around the world on buses and trains in the past, Bryan says the joy of cruising is that you can put your suitcases in the cupboard for the whole journey as soon as you’re on board. With 16 decks for the 4,000 passengers, there was also plenty of personal space and no queues.

“Passengers can ride on bumper cars and roller skate on the basketball courts at various times of the cruise—activities that we didn’t partake in, I might add,” says Pat. “It was great entertainment watching young and not so young with table tennis, X-Box lounges, air hockey, gravity tubes, swimming, and surf waves to name a few. The meals, of course, are amazing and not even having to make the bed in the morning has a certain appeal.”

Bryan and Pat had such a happy time visiting friends, family and ex staff around the country that they’re now planning another cruise next January, taking in Norfolk Island and smaller ports like New Plymouth, Picton and Nelson. ■

Above left: The Ovation of the Seas has a gross tonnage of 168,666, is 348m long and has a total of 16 decks. This photo was taken from a viewing deck on an extendable arm that rises 91m above the sea—the highest of its kind in the world (see above right).

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Heron Plumbing today The firm Heron Plumbing is still going strong today. Current owner Dale Lovell was one of Bryan’s apprentices and stayed working with him. Other apprentices that Bryan trained also still work at the firm.

The business became well known for philanthropy, and Bryan and Pat continue to sponsor many community groups under The Flying Herons name. This year marked 40 years of their sponsorship of the Red Beach Surf Life Saving Club, which has a room named after them. “This side of our life helps to keep us young at heart and mind,” says Pat. Bryan is a Life Member of Master Plumbers and received the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2007 New Year Honours List for his community and plumbing work.

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“An awesome experience” Imagine 39 soccer pitches and you have the size of the exhibition space devoted to water and energy products and technologies at this year’s ISH trade fair in Germany.

DAVE MORGAN OF CF Reese Plumbing in Hamilton was one of the 190,000 visitors to this year’s ISH five-day trade show for heating, sanitation and air, held in Germany in March. Dave was invited as part of a Plumbing World and Marley contingent to check out the latest international products and technologies, and says it was an awesome experience.

“It’s difficult to describe the enormity of the exhibition,” he says. “Some stands are so big that they include their own restaurant and bar space. There are separate halls for innovation in installation technology, bathroom products, building automation equipment and heating componentry to name a few—we walked for miles to view it all.”

Dave says it was a great opportunity to network with other

plumbers and suppliers from around New Zealand. He and three others had been to the fair 20 years ago and enjoyed catching up again after so long. “The advances in technology and quality in that time were huge,” he says.

Some of the weirder and more wonderful products on display included faux leopardskin tapware and a carwash-style shower providing users with a top-to-toe steam clean. Bright colours for the bathroom were also in abundance, says Dave.

“We think the New Zealand marketplace is awash with products, but this really opens your eyes to what’s available and the prices people are willing to pay—around $30,000 for a self-cleaning toilet, to give one example,” he says.

The show’s environmental focus on energy and water was of particular interest to this New Zealand party, who were keen to see new technologies available for ensuring good quality drinking water and clean air in Kiwi homes.

“Water saving was a major aspect of the show,” says Dave. “For instance, automated tapware, combining the soap dispenser and hand dryer, is moving from the commercial to domestic domain, as are intelligent systems that monitor real-time water use.”

Above: A selection of the products on show in the Bathroom Experience space. Colour is of the moment.

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All bathroom experience photographs courtesy of Messe Frankfurt GmbH / Pietro Sutera

INDUSTRY TALK

Above left: Dave Morgan (sixth from right) was among 13 NZ plumbers to visit the ISH trade fair in Germany with Plumbing World’s Richard Barnes and Marley’s Sean Waddell. Above right: The trade fair showcased trend-setting products and technologies for water and energy in the 275,000m2 Messe Frankfurt exhibition space.

Amongst the 2,500-plus ISH exhibitors was Austrian plumbing and climate control system manufacturer KE KELIT. Adam Lett, KE KELIT NZ General Manager, attended the event and says energy efficiency was the common factor uniting the majority of technologies on show. “Germany seems to lead the way as it has a strict regulatory framework for energy efficiency—and the necessary scale of the combined EU market to push the boat out in terms of innovation.”

New Zealand has traditionally been a price-conscious nation when it comes to purchasing products and technologies for the home—with many consumers balking at paying a high price upfront. However, as Adam explains, it’s a matter of changing the mindset of installers and consumers.

“A high efficiency boiler may cost twice the amount as a standard efficiency boiler, for example, but once it’s paid back, you reap the rewards forever on operating costs. We need to look at whole-of-life costs but there’s currently no mandate to do so here.”

Another clear trend Adam noticed at the fair was for rapid modular building technologies. “There were many prefab products on show, including whole plant rooms that could be built off-site. New Zealand is only now getting to the point where we can invest in this kind of approach.”

Above: Underfloor systems were among the solutions on display in the water installation technology space.

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June/July 2019 53

Photograph: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Jochen Günther

Exhibitor perspective

INDUSTRY TALK

Too much red tape Frustration over unnecessary bureaucracy needs to be urgently addressed, according to the results of a construction industry survey released in April.

RED TAPE IS the biggest barrier in the building sector, according to 80% of respondents to a Registered Master Builders survey. Nearly 500 people gave feedback on the March 2019 survey, which sought views on key issues facing the construction sector from builders and subtrades to architects, designers, draughtsmen and others.

The survey suggests the new Construction Sector Accord between industry and the Government needs to address local and central Government red tape with urgency, said Ian Watt, General Manager at Construction Marketing Services, the company that carried out the survey for Master Builders.

“The Construction Marketing Services network is a very good cross section of the industry, so we believe this survey speaks volumes about how frustrated the industry has become,” he said. ■

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REASONS TO LEAVE YOUR

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#9

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Whatever you need, we’ll pick up or deliver straight to your site – and save you the hassle.

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June/July 2019

Top three concerns Red tape driving consenting and building delays

Labour/skills shortages

Building and material quality

80%

73%

70%

Above: The top three building sector concerns, as shown by a recent Registered Master Builders survey.

Key survey findings As well as red tape, the survey revealed four other industry concerns: 1. Labour skills and shortages Three quarters of respondents noted skills shortages as being of major concern. The issue has several facets, including a need for better apprentice training, and a clearer understanding of where skills gaps lie.

2. Poor building practices and material quality Similarly, three-quarters of respondents considered this a major concern. Solutions to lifting the quality of inferior materials and building activity included educating industry members about the value of exceeding minimum compliance requirements, lifting minimum standards and placing a greater emphasis on the value of industry product appraisals.

3. Affordable housing Respondents offered a number of suggestions on more affordable housing for New Zealanders. According to 70%, the cost of materials must be addressed and consenting and approvals processes reviewed. Interestingly, 70% of all respondents believe prefabrication and modular housing may provide part of the solution to the housing crisis. However, those surveyed acknowledged this is a complex issue, and that cost effectiveness, quality, lack of product diversity and NZ’s small size were all obstacles to prefab options.

4. Product substitution Just over half (53%) of respondents felt product substitution was a significant risk factor in building, particularly with regards to liability.

Survey snippets Some additional insights, comments and recommendations from respondents: • Cost of labour and materials is an issue • We need to change the mindset and encourage more people to live in smaller homes or apartments • We need to look at different home ownership and rental options • We need to change procurement methods, with more contractor involvement and less tendering • There needs to be a stronger push to get students into apprenticeships • We need to address the monopolies that control the sector.

INDUSTRY TALK

Six in the bag

Now in its eighth year, no Rheem Big 6 competitor had yet been able to bag all six. Could Whangaparoa plumber Glenn Keating break the spell?

THE BIG 6 Challenge competition organised by Rheem requires 2x saltwater fish, 2x freshwater fish and 2x game animals to be caught within a 48-hour timeframe.

Glenn Keating of Coast to Coast Gas & Plumbing was this

year’s contestant. Although Glenn is a keen fisherman, he’s not an experienced hunter, but his sense of adventure meant he was definitely up for being the first to earn Big 6 bragging rights.

The competition, hosted by outdoors personality Geoff Thomas, has been attempted in different parts of the country.

Glenn, who lives just north of Auckland, brought his wing-man, Sholto, along for the experience. This year’s challenge started in Tairua with local fishing legend Carl Muir, who took them to a secret spot not far from the Aldermen group of islands.

After dropping live yellowtails Glenn managed to land a nice kingfish. Moving closer inside the Aldermen, Glenn soon had two snapper and two kahawhai.

After a three-hour drive, the team found themselves in bush just south of Rotorua. With the help of guide Dave, Glenn lined up a 12-point red stag, which was feeding on the edge of a clearing. Thirty minutes later he added a sizeable billy goat to the tally.

Above: Glenn Keating (centre) with Carl Muir (left) and Geoff Thomas are all smiles as Glenn lands a kingfish.

Only two trout were now needed and there was still plenty of time left on the clock. Lake Tarawera played host and the local trout were very obliging, as it didn’t take Glenn long to land two good sized fish.

So, there you have it… Glenn nailed the Rheem Big 6 Challenge, all done and dusted in 26 hours and 10 minutes— definitely a benchmark for future challengers to aim at.

Sam’s speak

“What parts of your work would you happily do all day if you could?” asks Sam Tyson.

Passion is a feeling you have when you are doing something you love. And when you are doing that thing you love, time passes without you even realising. Passion is energy. It’s your happy place. For me this is drawing. I love to draw people. I lose myself in it, mealtimes pass me by, and it can turn from day to night.

We tend to make the mistake of thinking passion is something we only have in our personal lives and not in our work life.

The thing I love to do at work is marketing.

Designing adverts, working on our website, putting newsletters together, developing campaigns, creating reasons for people to buy from us. I have taken my passion for creativity in my personal life and brought it into my work life.

When thinking about what your passion might be as a plumber, think about what parts of your work that you would do for free, if it came to it, simply because you love doing them!

Once you identify which bits of work you are passionate about, the trick then is to work out how you can do more of them so you can be doing what you are best at every day.

As an employer, knowing your employee’s work passion is key to making sure you have the right person doing the right things,

which in turn leads to quality work at a productive rate. It’s a win win.

As a business owner, establishing what your business is passionate about is also key. It will enable you to create a niche that you can specialise in. However, when you find what that passion is, you need to make sure you can make money out of it. In other words, don’t be prepared to do it for free because you love it, as you will essentially be running a charity.

One thing our tradesmen are passionate about is doing the tricky jobs. Coming up with solutions that others have put into the ‘too-hard basket’.

I call this a high-risk passion because if we get it wrong or can’t come up with a solution, we look incompetent and our client loses trust. But if we get it right, then we are the heroes.

There can be a lot of discussion and thinking time that goes into coming up with the right solution. Often the customer doesn’t see all that goes on in the background and is not prepared to pay for all that ‘wasted time’ and it becomes unchargeable. Then if the first plan doesn’t work, why would they pay?

Once you know what your business is passionate about, and it makes money, you then work out a strategy to enable your team to work with passion every day. It will become a game changer.

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INDUSTRY TALK

Paying the price Faulty gasfitting, anticompetitive behaviour and unauthorised plumbing work have all made the news in recent months.

Gasfitter sentenced to community detention

Gasfitter Patrick Dykes was sentenced in May to four months’ community detention after a gas fireplace he installed incorrectly at a Tauranga home caught fire, causing significant damage to the house. The fire happened in August 2017, two months after the gas fireplace was installed. Fortunately no one was injured, but the house was left uninhabitable.

A WorkSafe investigation found the gas fireplace and flue was installed in a timber frame cavity and did not comply with manufacturer’s installation instructions. It also found the fireplace did not have any separation from combustible materials. It was only the quick thinking of the residents in exiting as soon as they smelled smoke that avoided any injury.

The gasfitter admitted that he had not confirmed the gas fireplace was marked with a gas safety compliance label and he had not checked for a supplier declaration on the WorkSafe gas appliance database. An investigation also found the fireplace was not listed on the WorkSafe gas appliance database as being suitable for use with LPG. Earlier the same month, Gas Incorporated Ltd was fined $2,040, after a concurrent WorkSafe investigation found they had supplied gas fireplaces of the same model that did not have gas safety compliance labels.

GASD Database The Gas Appliance Supplier Declaration Database can be found at www.energysafety.govt.nz/gasdhome

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Price-fixing warning

This April, Quik-Shot Ltd and its director Raad Al-Karbouli were given a warning for anti-competitive behaviour.

Quik-Shot had been tendering for Christchurch pipe rehabilitation services in 2017 and approached competing service supplier Pipeworks for a recommended price range to quote in order to win the work. Via What’s App, two Pipeworks employees supplied him with the information along with the price Pipeworks would be submitting.

The Commerce Commission’s investigation was sparked when Fletcher Construction, of which Pipeworks is a subsidiary, raised concerns about the conduct of these two now former employees. The job ultimately went to Pipeworks, even though they were more expensive.

“Taking into account the lack of harm caused by Quik-shot’s unsuccessful bid and the limited duration of the anticompetitive conduct, we considered a formal warning was sufficient in this instance,” said Commission Chairman Dr Mark Berry.

Avoiding anti-competitive behaviour Find information on how to avoid anti-competitive behaviour at https://comcom.govt.nz/business/ avoiding-anti-competitive-behaviour

Unauthorised plumbing fines

Unauthorised restricted sanitary plumbing work carries heavy penalties, as five people have found to their cost in recent months.

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Allan Smurthwaite was fined $800 in February for unlicensed sanitary plumbing, having carried out a bathroom renovation, which included replacing a toilet and installing a vanity unit and connecting waste pipes to that unit.

In April, Grant Maitland pleaded guilty to doing or assisting in doing sanitary plumbing when not

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authorised to do so, having carried out a bathroom renovation at a residential flat. This involved the replacement of a shower over a bath, including a reline of that unit and a new mixer, replacement of a vanity unit and replacement of a toilet.

Reparation of $2,200 was ordered to be paid to the complainant/victim, rather than a fine.

Damian Perriton was fined $1,000 in April for carrying out unauthorised sanitary plumbing, having installed a new shower pan into an existing cavity, screwed a waste pipe on, replaced a shower mixer, disconnected and reconnected a toilet pan and screwed it to the floor after the linoleum was laid and removed a basin and replaced with a vanity unit, including replacing taps on the vanity and reconnecting the drain from the vanity onto the existing drain.

Graham Bullot was fined $2,000 in May for carrying out restricted plumbing work without authorisation. He had completed a bathroom renovation, which included the removal and refit of a toilet, replacement of vanity trap and flex connections.

Also in May, Aigus Vanags was fined $675 for carrying out restricted plumbing work without authorisation. A construction company owner, he completed a bathroom renovation, which included moving the bathroom vanity to a different wall in the bathroom. In doing so, he extended the water supply pipe by 1m and moved the hot and cold water pipes for the taps. He also reconnected the bath wastepipe under the bath plug hole to the drain pipe. ■ Reporting illegal operators The quickest way to alert the PGDB to illegal operators is via the R.A.C (report a cowboy) app. Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play by putting PGDB in the search.

INDUSTRY TALK

Post Bella Vista

Tauranga City Council has made operational changes since the disastrous Bella Vista Homes development.

The threat of a cyclone in March 2018 resulted in the evacuation of 21 properties in The Lakes development in Tauranga. The homes, in various stages of completion, had been constructed

by Bella Vista Homes, which had gone into liquidation late the previous year.

Subsequent inspections, organised by Tauranga City Council, showed significant failings, including unretained slopes of up to 6m at the rear of eight properties. Other issues included defects in roof bracing, lintel fixing, bottom plate fixing, steel beam fixing and floor joist fixing. Despite this, some properties had had Code Compliance Certificates issued.

Four months after the evacuation notice, the Council offered to purchase the properties from the affected homeowners, and the following month filed charges against Bella Vista parties for Building Act non-compliance.

Meanwhile, MBIE began an independent technical

investigation and review into the Council’s statutory role to get to the bottom of why the subdivision had failed. An employment enquiry was also held. In November, a settlement was reached with the homeowners for the Council to take ownership of the properties, with the Council agreeing a plan to salvage, repair, remove or demolish the homes. Work began in March this year, with 16 of the 21 properties earmarked for removal.

MBIE’s report, released in March, showed the Council had failed to follow its own processes in relation to Bella Vista. The following month, the Council said it had made “significant changes” to its operations, with improvements to policies, procedures, training and enforcement. Multiple inspectors would be assigned to projects rather than a single point of contact, staff training had been organised, and a “clear vetting procedure” developed to support staff with building consent applications.

The full MBIE report is available at www.building.govt.nz

Call for drinking water regulator

New Zealand urgently needs an independent drinking water regulator, says Water New Zealand in the wake of further water contamination events.

More than two years after Havelock North’s water supply was contaminated— causing more than 5,000 people to fall ill and linked to up to four deaths—New Zealand’s drinking water supply system is still putting people at risk of serious illness, said Water New Zealand’s Principal Water Quality Advisor Jim Graham in April.

His comments followed two boil water notices issued to Martinborough property owners by the South Wairarapa District Council in January and again in early April after E.coli bacteria was found in the town’s drinking water supply.

The town’s water supply uses UV treatment and is the only Wairarapa supply not chlorinated.

By 24 April, the Council had approved temporary chlorination. In preparation, water was temporarily shut down while the supply pipes were flushed. The Council said its focus was on finding the potential sources of contamination within the network, including the risk of backflow from private connections.

“It was made very clear during the Havelock North investigation that there is a lack of education and training in the drinking water sector,” said Jim Graham. “We need a strong independent regulator that will ensure that supply authorities meet their obligations to supply safe drinking water to their communities.”

Training and registration in the pipeline Water New Zealand is administering a new independent advisory group, made up of water industry representatives, to lead the way in training provision for both the water and

Above: Martinborough residents were being told to boil their water for drinking after E.coli bacteria was found in the town’s water supply on two separate occasions.

wastewater sectors.

“Underpinning the lack of training is that there is no formalised registration process for operators in the water sector such as that existing for plumbers, drainlayers or electricians,” Jim Graham told NZ Local Government Magazine in April.

“There is a recognised registration process for people who work on houses but nothing for the people charged with providing safe drinking water to communities or protecting the environment.”

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Winning a shed load!

Dave Strong recently won everything for his shed… including the shed!

During February, Caroma ran a prize draw for a shed load of gear. Anyone spending $500 on Caroma or Dorf product at Mico in one transaction was entered into the draw, with triple entries for $1,000 purchases.

The winner, announced in May, was Dave Strong of Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas. Not only did Dave win a wheelbarrow, gardening tools, leaf blower, water blaster, drill, angle grinder, circular saw, saw horse, bar fridge, gas patio heater, six-burner BBQ and more besides… but he also won the 2.2m shed to store them all in!

In fact, there was so much stuff it didn’t all fit in the photo— just some of the prize haul is shown here.

Right: Dave Strong of Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas (right) with just some of his prizes. There to present his winning haul were, from left: Angela Koberstein (Mico), Kylie Fairbrother (GWA/Caroma) and Craig Clancey (Mico).

Wastewater reveals NZ drug use

Results from a National Wastewater Testing Programme reveal high levels of meth consumption in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Police use wastewater testing as one way of collecting data around nationwide drug consumption. What began in late 2016 as a pilot programme at three testing sites in Auckland, Christchurch and Whangarei was expanded last November to include 38 sites, covering around 80 percent of the population.

The drugs tested for are methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, MDMA and fentanyl. The preliminary three-month results from the expanded programme, released in April, showed meth to be the most commonly detected illicit drug nationwide, with an estimated 16kg consumed each week on average—translating to around $20m per week in social harm.

“These early results give us an idea of the potential for this type of data and, as testing continues, it will enhance our understanding of the demand and supply of illicit drugs and the associated harm caused in our communities,” said Police

Commissioner Mike Bush. “The long term results will help Police and other agencies make informed decisions around drug treatment services, and initiatives to combat organised crime groups dealing in methamphetamine and other drugs.

“We expect that after twelve months of nationwide testing a robust baseline measure of illicit drug use will be established.”

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Email: enquiry@sprattfinancial.co.nz 58

June/July 2019

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2019 Master Plumber of the Year SMART BUSINESS

PLUMBING HAS BEEN part of the MacMillan family history since the 1930s. It all began with Alexander Charles Stewart MacMillan, who became one of only 22 people to date to achieve national Life Membership of Master Plumbers. He handed the reins to son Bruce and his wife Jeni in the late 1960s, and now their sons Rohan and Angus run the business—Rohan in the Auckland office and Angus in the Christchurch office.

Bruce was President of the Auckland Master Plumbers from 1977-79 and son Rohan is following in his footsteps, currently serving as Vice President.

Commercial focus

Eight out of the 10 tallest buildings in Auckland city centre are serviced

by MacMillan Plumbing & Gas Ltd.

Associated with commercial plumbing since the 1970s, the company moved its Auckland focus to commercial maintenance with the onset of the 2008 global financial crisis, whilst continuing to provide residential and new construction works.

“What started as the refurbishment of the Britomart complex has led to creating strong relationships with a number of leading facility managers and management companies,” says Rohan.

In Christchurch, commercial construction projects make up around 90 percent of the company’s work, says Angus. “A current project is BUPA Parkstone with a 100-bed care home and over 200 apartments when complete.

We have also worked on five new supermarkets over the past three years.”

Most of the company’s projects are

Long-standing family business MacMillan Plumbing & Gas Ltd is this year’s Master Plumber of the Year.

NZ Plumber discovers what sets them apart. have been secured through word of mouth and a solid track record of doing a highly professional, thorough job. “We don’t follow the open tender market,” says Rohan. “We create relationships with a select group of clients and construction companies, then do everything we can as a team to ensure they have the best experience they have ever received.”

This is backed by a seven-year workmanship guarantee and a same day service promise for calls before 1pm.

Design and build service

Disappointed by the lack of quality drawings and documents to price from, MacMillan Plumbing & Gas decided to provide their own design and build documentation service for client negotiations in both Auckland and Christchurch. “There was a real lack of

Above: Rohan and Emma MacMillan (left) and Angus and Mel MacMillan at the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards.

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SMART BUSINESS

in-house hydraulic engineering skill set to solve any tricky plumbing issues accountability from most consultants,” says Rohan. “We would lose projects, as other contractors would price low to the drawings and then pick up the discrepancies in variations. We have personnel trained in CAD and REVIT, along with an in-house hydraulic engineering skill set to solve any tricky plumbing issues. This coupled with over 400 years of collective staff experience enables us to solve any plumbing or gasfitting problem.”

Putting customers first

Over the past two years, staff numbers have increased by 25 percent across the two branches—with the same percentage increase in vehicles. Similar growth is planned for the next two years. “We employ four to six new apprentices every year,” explains Rohan. “We believe it is critical for the success of the company and the industry that we do our part.”

The workforce participates in a range of training opportunities to enable them to offer a wide variety of client solutions without the need for a subcontractor.

“This also gives our apprentices a chance to learn different industry skills from our knowledgeable team members,” he says.

Rohan believes having good internal staff numbers is critical in providing market-leading service. “I am complimented at least three times a week about how efficient our office staff are, which is testament to how much value we place on customer service.”

Customers are always greeted by a real person, and the maintenance team stay in constant contact every step of the job.

This is aided by having job management and fleet management software in the business.

There is one point of contact for all residential and large upgrade works to ensure issues are handled professionally and accurately, and the company’s contact phone number is manned 24/7.

First impressions count

Employees at MacMillan Plumbing and Gas reflect the company’s values of

Above: Angus and Rohan with their parents Bruce and Jeni, who ran the business for many years and remain involved today.

Right: Alexander Charles Stewart MacMillan’s 1930 registration certificate. The company founder, he went on to be awarded Life Membership of Master Plumbers.

Above: The MacMillan Plumbing & Gas fleet has grown by 25 percent in the past two years.

customer service, safety, integrity and a strong culture through their professional presentation. All company vehicles are signwritten and display the Master Plumbers logo, and plumbers are given a company uniform with their own name and the Master Plumbers logo. An annual uniform budget ensures staff always look clean and tidy.

Working for the community

The company prides itself on making a difference to the wider community.

“We do a lot of work with Habitat for Humanity through building partner Buildtech,” says Rohan. “It is our pleasure to provide a service for Kiwis in need, giving them a healthy home they can be proud of.” ■ June/July 2019 61

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Google search… and find

In this article, digital marketing specialist Jason Schulz shows how to get more prospects to click on your business website in a Google search.

SOMETIMES THINGS THAT sound boring are the ones you really need to pay attention to in order to grow your business.

The terms ‘meta-title’ and ‘meta-description’ can put people off before even knowing what they mean—which is a major setback in a business marketing strategy.

Both play an extremely important role in how your business appears in internet search results and how many enquiries you can generate from your website on a search engine such as Google. To explain why they are so important, first let’s answer some questions below:

Meta-title Above: Example of how a meta-title appears above your website address (URL) in search results.

1. Where does it appear?

A meta-title appears in the search results of search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, as shown in the first example above. It also appears at the top of a web browser in the tab section, as shown in the second example below.

Above: Example of how the meta-title appears in a web browser tab when someone clicks on your URL.

2. What is it?

A meta-title is also commonly referred to as your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) title, and is usually 50-65 characters long. (It is different from your main content title or heading on the web page itself, which is referred to in HTML code as an h1 tag.) A meta-title can be entered in the admin section of your website, as shown in the example below.

Above: If you manage your own website content, you can enter your meta-title in the admin section.

3. What does it do?

A meta-title helps Google identify what keywords your article is trying to rank in a search. It is also crucial for ‘clickthrough rates’, or CTR (the number of people who click on your listing in a search).

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Meta-description

1. Where does it appear?

A meta-description appears in the search results of all search engines, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, as shown in the example below.

Above: How a meta-description appears below a URL in search results.

2. What is it?

A meta-description is a 300 character explanation of each page on your website. You can enter the description in the admin section of your website, as shown in the example below.

Above: You can enter your meta-description in the admin section of your website.

3. What does it do?

The sole purpose of a meta-description is to improve the click-through rate (CTR) to your website from a search.

Unlike a meta-title, it has no effect on search engine optimisation (SEO).

SMART BUSINESS

Maximise your meta-titles When it comes to meta-titles, there are things they must have, and things that might help to make them work as hard as they can: MUST have!

• A title that makes sense and is relevant to the page • A relevant keyword • More than one keyword if it’s the title of a web page (ie, not an article/blog post) • At least 50 characters (and no more than 65) • A different title from the h1 heading tag Might help • Start with a number (eg, 1, 5, 7 etc) for articles • Start with a How/Why/What/When to improve clickthrough rates.

Tactics for meta-descriptions For meta-descriptions, it is generally a matter of testing to see what improves your click-throughs. With just 300 characters, you can’t display a detailed pitch—but you can use trigger words to incite action.

There are three ways to create a meta-description: 1. Autofill – If you don’t manually enter a meta-description, most websites will autofill with an excerpt from the start of your article or web page.

2. Generic – Create a general description of your website/ business and enter that on all web pages.

3. Read more – Create an appealing introduction for each article or web page, and include a call to action at the end (eg, ‘Click to read more!’)

Autofill is not a good idea for key web pages—these should have either a generic description or a strong ‘read more’ call-toaction. Your home page meta-description, for example, could be an FAQ, a value proposition or some other set of sales copy.

For articles and blog posts on your website, autofill is fine, as these should already have enticing first lines to hook the reader.

Generic descriptions can be fantastic. This might be a simple description of your business, or some general copy to try and improve click-through rates. Company after company has had success with this method and, in most cases, it will suffice.

Read more descriptions are most successful when added to sales and services pages. For articles and blog posts, you can adjust the autofill meta-descriptions to include a call to action of this kind. ■ About the author: Jason Schulz is Director of Search Strategy at 5Tales, a family business providing digital marketing services, including organic search engine optimisation (SEO), Google Ads management and web design. If you would like to have a chat about your SEO strategy for the year ahead, give local lead generation specialist Ian a call on 09 801 6059 or visit www.5tales.co.nz

Focus your energy on the things that matter.

The fuel card that helps you run things your way

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To take advantage of our great offer call the team at the Master Plumbers Association on 04 801 2010.

SMART BUSINESS

By the book

Get the most from your bookkeeper Good financial records play a pivotal role. Lynn Render of the Institute of Certified NZ Bookkeepers explains how to get the most from your bookkeeper.

BOOKKEEPERS WORK ON the dayto-day detail of your business, which in turn becomes the overall picture your accountant will look at. It’s important to know what they need from you to: • ensure accurate, timely tax filing • make their job more efficient and thus more cost effective • ensure accurate financial reports for both you and your accountant so you can make sound business decisions, in a timely manner, based on accurate, current data • make sure you stay legal.

Your bookkeeper will need to: Know what kind of business entity or setup you have (ie, sole trader, limited liability company, any shareholders or part owners of the business) • Access your financial records • Access asset and liability information such as credit cards and loans • Access payroll information.

And the big one that needs its very own mention: Receipts! This is especially important if you use your business account for personal expenses—and the more information, the better.

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There are now some great electronic options for keeping receipts and your bookkeeper can help you with this • Note on receipts if the purchase was for personal or business use • Note if the expense is to be allocated to a particular job or client • If claiming travel or beverage as a business expense, when/where/why/ who is crucial information.

If you develop and honest, well-informed relationship with your bookkeeper, you give yourself and your business the best possible chance to thrive. Engage one who is a member of the Institute of Certified NZ Bookkeepers, and your chances of getting the right one are even better. ■ Next edition: how to prepare for a stress-free End of Financial Year.

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Be a mate!

SMART BUSINESS

It’s time to focus on good mental health and wellbeing in the plumbing industry and Master Plumbers wants to lead the way, as HR Manager Lisa Duston explains.

I WAS FORTUNATE to attend the Health and Wellbeing Summit in Auckland in March and listen to some amazing speakers passionate about mental health and wellbeing. I came away feeling energised about what we can do for the plumbing industry and how it is our responsibility as employers to look after our people.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It can affect a person’s ability to do their job, maintain healthy relationships and cope with daily stresses or life’s difficult situations.

suicide rate of any industry—accounting for 7% of all suicides. The BRANZ study showed workers believe the industry’s boom and bust cycle coupled with a macho culture contribute to poor mental health.

Master Plumbers want to do all we can to support our members and lead the way for improving the culture throughout the plumbing industry. We want to put it out there that it’s good to talk—and a true mate is someone who asks friends and colleagues if they’re OK. Having someone to talk to can make a huge difference.

Build in healthy breaks

Master Plumbers is working with R U OK? (www.ruok.org.au) to develop tailored resources relevant to our industry. R U OK? is an Australian programme developed in 2009 by Gavin Larkin, who wanted to honour his father and protect others from the pain he endured after his father took his own life.

R U OK? raises awareness around mental health, with a focus on equipping people with tools to reach out to others who may need help. Their website has an amazing amount of business resources, including marketing materials, presentations and merchandise.

What’s being planned

At Master Plumbers, we offer our staff workplace support through access to a professional Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), but we are also building regular wellness events into our busy schedules to ensure the team take some time out from the day-to-day workload. This March, Master Plumbers and Masterlink staff across the country took a lunchtime walk followed by a healthy lunch. It was great to get out of the office to do something a bit different, and we look forward to our next feel-good activity.

Culture change needed

Get involved!

Mental health is a serious issue in the NZ construction sector. In 2018, research revealed the sector has the highest male

We need your help to make mental health and wellbeing as important as safety in

Above: Nationwide Master Plumbers and Masterlink staff taking a lunchtime wellness break: Sam Timlin, Kate Williams and Lisa Duston in Christchurch, and Steve Rushworth and Dave McGall in Hamilton. The Wellington team also enjoyed a 4.5km walk and a picnic.

the workplace. One way is to delegate a champion for your business and start spreading the word that you proactively support your people.

If you want to do more for your staff, please do call me to have a chat about where to start. I’m not an expert but I have seen first-hand how mental health issues can affect people. ■ About the author: Lisa Duston is HR Manager at Master Plumbers. Lisa offers HR advice to Master Plumbers’ members at competitive rates (first 30 minutes free). Contact Lisa on 021 245 1704 or email lduston@masterplumbers.org.nz

Where to get help If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider.

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If someone is in immediate danger or endangering others, call the police on 111.

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Need to talk? The National Telehealth Service has a 1737 free call or text number that you can use any time for support from a trained counsellor (www.1737.org.nz) Alternatively, you can try: • Lifeline – 0800 543 354

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Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234 Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 (for under 18s) What’s Up – 0800 942 8787 (for 5-18 year olds, 1pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-10pm weekends) Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202 Samaritans – 0800 726 666 OUTLine NZ – 0800 688 5463 Healthline – 0800 611 116

Member discount on EAP Services Ltd EAP Services offers an employer-funded Employee Assistance Programme that provides staff with short-term, confidential and professional support for a range for personal and workplace issues. Discounts are available to Master Plumbers members using EAP Services in their businesses. Call 04 472 5353 for details.

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Learning from mistakes Are you making these 11 mistakes in your plumbing business? Business coach Daniel Fitzpatrick provides some solutions.

WORKING LONGER AND longer hours and frustrated at the lack of profits? Work coming in but it’s not consistent?

Or maybe you’re getting the work but where the heck is the money? There never seems to be enough cash in the bank when you need it.

If you feel you’re not getting ahead and your hard work isn’t reflecting money-wise, chances are you’re making one or more of these mistakes, which even the smartest business owners do sometimes.

1 - Being unaware of margins and losing money on too many jobs

Often I see tradies working really hard, but they’re not as profitable as they should be. The problem is margins; they just aren’t getting margins right consistently on every job. This is even more of an issue when growing – you can end up doing more jobs for less money.

Solution: Always price based on margin. Then keep track of costs and hours during the job or at least backcost to check what margin you made. This will help when pricing future jobs, and show you how to be more efficient.

2 - Working too many hours at the expense of health and family

Business is a marathon, not a sprint. When business owners are working 50+ hours per week, they start making mistakes.

They are reacting, instead of controlling their business. If this continues long term, they spend most of their time putting out fires, or even worse, their health or family falls apart.

Solution: Look at what you are doing in your week.

Decide what is important, make your family and your health a priority, and choose what work can be delegated or got rid of. Set some rules on what you will say “no” to.

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3 - Not knowing the numbers

Many tradespeople don’t know their numbers, so they have no idea how they are actually doing. This is dangerous. If things go wrong, it’s often too late to correct.

Solution: Have good accounting software you use to record monthly Profit & Loss figures. Then measure everything that is important to you, including sales, gross margins, earnings per worker etc. Check on these numbers regularly for early warning signs of any problems, and you will have time to adjust to get back on track.

4 – No structure or direction

Lack of planning and systems is a huge problem, especially if a business grows quickly. Important information including customers, jobs, and work standards are all stuck in the owner’s head. This becomes frustrating for everyone; standards slip, jobs become slower and inefficient, and the owner works longer and longer hours to keep things moving.

Solution: Put into place good planning, procedures, checklists and reports in all key areas, from the jobs to work schedules to office systems. Done right, this will save everyone a whole lot of time, and the business can still operate without the owner for significant amounts of time.

5 - Relying on a small number of large customers

For some, the easy option is to rely on one or a few large customers for work. This is dangerous because before long they will start calling the shots. Also, if they have less work for you, or go broke, it will have a major impact on your business, sometimes irreparably. If your biggest client went broke (or stopped giving you work), would you survive?

SMART BUSINESS

Solution:: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Make sure you have a good spread of customers in different sectors.

6 - Giving too much credit for too long

Credit can be dangerous and is one of the biggest downfalls for trades. Many have gone broke because their biggest clients didn’t pay them. Or at the very least have been stressed out with strangled cashflow at the end of the month looking for enough to pay staff, suppliers and the bank while waiting for overdue accounts to come in.

Solution: Have strict credit terms, take deposits at the beginning of jobs, progress payments, and be prepared to stop work if the account is not paid on time. Only when you are paid can you say the money is yours.

7 - Not billing everything out on time or at all

Often, especially on complex jobs, bills are sent out weeks or months later. Some details are forgotten, so not everything is billed, or worse the job is not billed at all.

Solution:

Get your team to record all details of jobs including extras (materials and labour) on the job. Then make sure you invoice promptly on completion.

8 – Not dealing with leads and quotes effectively

A number of tradespeople get plenty of good leads but don’t follow them up before they go cold. Or because they don’t qualify their enquiry by asking good questions, they waste a lot of time quoting jobs they were never going to get.

Solution:

Make sure you have time in your calendar each week to follow up leads and quotes. Ask the right questions before quoting, which frees up time by identifying the best jobs worth pursuing and weeding out the tyre kickers. Always go through the quote with the customer – it will instantly increase your conversion rate.

Solution: Spend at least one day per week on marketing and sales activities, and plan each day in advance.

11 - Relying on a small number of lead sources

You might have plenty of work in the short term, but if you rely on one source, eg word of mouth, you’ll be stuck in a feast or famine cycle. Very hard to make money because what is made during the good times is lost again when it gets quiet.

Solution:

Have a good marketing plan and market consistently using a number of online and offline strategies to get good enquiries flowing in every single week.

If you see yourself making some of these mistakes, the good news is it’s easy to fix by putting the right strategies in place.

Many tradespeople I’ve worked with have been able to turn their businesses around by putting these things in order.

Start now by working on the one mistake causing you the biggest headaches, then the next and the next. It won’t be long before you start getting the business you want. ■

About the author: Daniel Fitzpatrick runs Next Level Tradie.

Want to next level your profit? Find out the 5 simple steps to make your tradie business grow financially and get more cash in the bank. Get your free guide: https://nextleveltradie. co.nz/guide/

30

REASONS TO LEAVE YOUR

(PLUMBING MERCHANT THAT IS)

9 - Nannying the team

Some business owners don’t supervise staff enough (no clear guidelines) or micro-manage them (too involved). And when the team is not responsible for their own work and makes too many mistakes, the owner spends a lot of time sorting out the fallout.

Solution: Have good systems and guidelines to ensure your staff know exactly what you expect of them and are accountable for their work.

10 - Spending too much time on the tools instead of growing the business

All our profits stay here, Blair

#8

We’re 100% Kiwi owned, so all our profits stay right here in New Zealand – without leaking over the ditch.

To discover all 30 Reasons visit

plumbingworld.co.nz/30reasonswhy

Too much time on the tools leaves no time to find more work or make the team more efficient. Schedule time each week for marketing/selling, and putting systems in place. Otherwise, you will restrict growth and profits.

June/July 2019 67

SMART BUSINESS

Software systems: a team effort Planning to introduce job management software into your business? Make sure you get the whole team on board with proper training, says Dan Pollard of Fergus.

LEARNING A NEW trade takes time— long hours spent digging foundations in the rain, sweeping up building dust, crawling under houses and copious admin tasks. This is all part of what it takes to become a competent tradesperson.

It’s the same when it comes to training your staff to use a new system. Systems are key to operational success and learning to use software in your business is one of the best ways to improve your profit margin.

Having access to real-time results allows you to make informed decisions and ultimately grow your business.

What to consider when introducing software systems

Once you start looking at introducing a new system to your business, there are several things to consider: • What will the impact on my team be?

• How will it change my admin processes?

• Is there training and support to make sure my company makes a seamless transition?

As the business owner and decision maker, you will decide what takes priority.

It’s important to remember this decision

affects others and you should consider how your team will be trained, especially if it’s something they haven’t had previous experience with.

A good job management solution will offer ‘onboarding’—ie, guidance through each stage of set up.

The three stages of software system set up

1. Business owner: As the one taking initiative, you need to be the most informed person so you can lead the change. It’s worth starting with free trials of a few different systems to get a feel for what each has to offer. Sales teams will coach you through the operational side of the system and give demos on the workflow.

2. Office staff: It’s important to get buyin from your admin team so you can get the ball rolling. A good software company will train each team in your business differently, so they’re only learning what’s relevant to them.

For example, your admin team will need to be trained on scheduling and ordering and how this links to the accounting side of the business.

3. Guys in the field: This is a key step,

Above: To ensure operational success from new business software systems, you need to be able to offer each team member specific training in what’s relevant to them.

as you need to make sure the team know exactly what they need to do and when. It’s best to give them some time off the tools for a couple of training sessions. You could even try taking your team on site to show them how they would use the solution on the job. In-person training helps get buy-in across the business and increases the chances of long-term commitment and results. ■

About the author: Dan Pollard, a veteran tradie, knows having proper systems is key to running a successful trades business. Dan developed Fergus trade job management software and is now the owner and CEO. Fergus HQ is based in Auckland and has offices in Australia, and continues to grow.

Get more tips from Dan in his ebook Unleashed: Transform your Trades Business.

NEW ZEALAND

DESIGNED & ENGINEERED E ST. 1935 www.greenstapware.com

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June/July 2019

SMART BUSINESS

In the office

Do you know how you’d survive financially if you got sick, asks Andrea Lovell.

In early February, one of our plumbers asked to talk to Dale and me in Dale’s office. He told us he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma cancer. He didn’t want us telling the rest of our staff yet as I guess he needed time to come to terms with it himself. He is only 29 years old with a four-year-old son.

After several weeks of being on sick leave, and the boys asking lots of questions, he was finally happy for us to tell them. They all started rallying around him, texting to make sure he was OK, and helping him out when needed.

He doesn’t hold income protection insurance or have life insurance. How does one survive financially?

He had already been in contact with WINZ and we were helping where we could, but unfortunately this was not enough. He had to start thinking of ways to save money and the first was moving into a smaller house. Dale and I offered to pay our staff to help him move, but none of them would take the

we asked our plumbing community to get behind this event and have been blown away with the support

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money. They did it because he was part of our Heron family, which made me super proud to hear.

We then decided to do a fundraiser for him and I decided on a trivia night with silent auction items and a raffle. We asked our plumbing community to get behind this event and have been blown away with the support. With the money raised, we hope to give our plumber the financial assistance to give him time to recover by removing the burden of everyday expenses.

We sold 25 tables to the event, and had another 10 people pay for the table that unfortunately couldn’t make it on the night. We had 39 silent auction items and a raffle. The event was in mid-May and we raised over $13,000.

To all of you out there who don’t have life insurance or income protection, and especially if you have kids and think it won’t happen to you—our plumber thought this too. Maybe look into insurance, get a quote… Who knows what is around the corner?

Remember Carpe Diem—seize the day.

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REASONS TO LEAVE YOUR

(PLUMBING MERCHANT THAT IS)

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Using the latest tools and classroom facilities, you’ll be training bright young minds into becoming our future NZ plumbers.

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To discover all 30 Reasons visit

plumbingworld.co.nz/30reasonswhy

June/July 2019 69

HEALTH MATTERS

Annual health monitoring What is annual health monitoring and why must you build it into your business for your field staff? Health management company NZ Provide answer some common questions.

ANNUAL HEALTH MONITORING looks at your employees’ health every year to determine if there are changes. Tests are dependent on the risks they may be exposed to. There may be a variety of checks, such as lung function, vision and hearing.

Q: Why annual health monitoring?

Annual health monitoring screens for certain occupational-related illnesses, based on the risks you or your employees may be exposed to, in order to minimise any identified risks. Examples could be coordinating lung function and capacity testing in dusty environments, or conducting hearing checks in noisy environments.

Risk of damage is interpreted by change in the yearly results. Looking for change is necessary to evaluate continual exposure to hazards over a year and how this may have caused a reduction in health outcome.

For example, if all or most employees in a specific team had decreased lung capacity results since the previous year, it would be recommended that the organisation investigate the issue further to ensure employee safety. Annual health monitoring is critical in making sure that people go home as healthy as they arrived.

Q: Is it mandatory?

Annual health monitoring is a Health & Safety at Work Act requirement. Where a risk may be eliminated, it must be eliminated. If the risk cannot be eliminated it should be reduced as much as possible.

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Annual health monitoring is about risk management, as it lets the employer know how an employee’s health is looking when exposed to an inevitable risk in the work environment. The employer can then consider how they can better accommodate their employees’ health more effectively.

Q: What happens on monitoring day?

Generally speaking, the employer books dates with the health monitoring provider, then confirms with employees what time they will receive their checks. On the booked day(s), nurses come out to the site location to coordinate the checks. Each employee receives a check in a private, quiet room to ensure the privacy of their health information.

Q: What are the tests?

Employees may receive one or multiple tests, depending on the risks they may be exposed to. Typically, employees receive lung function, hearing and vision tests.

Lung function testing monitors lung function and capacity. The person blows into a machine called a spirometer, and the machine analyses lung function and capacity.

Hearing tests aim to check hearing at both high and low frequencies. In this test, the person wears a device that looks like earmuffs, and reports when they can hear the stimulus.

Vision testing monitors eye accuracy

and function. In this test, the person looks into a machine, focussing on objects of different sizes, shapes and colours.

Q: Do both the employer and employee receive a copy of the results?

At NZProvide, we email the employee a copy of the results once all checks have been completed. If the employee doesn’t have an email address, arrangements are made with the employer to return the results another way. All results are returned privately to the employee and the employer may not access them.

Q: What do the results look like?

The nurse who did the examination on the day completes an assessment summary. This contains the results of all measures taken during the health check.

If an employee has any concerns, they can take this copy to their GP. ■ NZProvide is a health management company, specialising in Pre-Employment Medical Assessments, Annual Health Monitoring, Vaccination Management and Health and Wellbeing Programmes. We manage the health and safety of an organisation's people, better and faster than could be completed themselves.

We consolidate all aspects of a company’s occupational health needs into one, easy, central point of contact and have a network of expert providers in all locations nationwide. We are available to assist you with making the right decision to manage the health and safety of your people. Please feel free to contact us on 0508 697 768.

®

BRASS SHANK INLET VALVES

PLASTIC SHANK INLET VALVES

SAFETY FIRST

Toolbox tips

Include hazard substance safety in your next toolbox meeting with these quick updates to share with the team.

Working with organic solvents In two recent tragic cases, workers died from acute exposure to organic solvents. One was applying a UV treatment to windows, the other an adhesive while carpet-laying. These cases highlight the risks if effective controls aren’t in place and safety procedures aren’t followed when working with organic solvents in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation and lack of PPE. WorkSafe has guidance www.worksafe.govt.nz/about-us/newsand-media/organic-solvents/

New rules for class 6 and 8 substances Some important hazardous substance law changes came into effect from 1 June, including new rules for class 6 and 8 substances. WorkSafe has produced a Quick Guide to storing class 6 and 8 toxic and corrosive substances. In brief: • If you’re over the thresholds for class 6 and 8 substances, you must establish a hazardous substance location (HSL).

• If you use and store class 6 and 8 substances you must notify WorkSafe 30 days before setting up your HSL, using the form on its website.

•

You’ll also need a location compliance certificate for it by 1 December when the certification requirement becomes mandatory. There’s a list of compliance certifiers on the WorkSafe website.

Download the Quick Guide at www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-andindustry/hazardous-substances/managing/storage/

Hazardous waste changes As of 1 June this year, most of the rules for safe use, handling and storage of a hazardous substance will apply to hazardous waste. For instance, you will need to include any hazardous waste you use or store at your site in your inventory, and label any containers that hold hazardous waste.

Hazardous substance signage WorkSafe have produced a new Quick Guide to hazardous substances signage, showing what signs to use and where.

Find it at www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/hazardoussubstances/managing/hazardous-substances-signs/

AUCKLAND • HAMILTON • WELLINGTON • CHRISTCHURCH • DUNEDIN 0800 253 774 • WWW.KERRICK.CO.NZ 82

February/March 2019

Read the latest edition online JUNE/JULY 2019

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GOLD COAST GOLD!

The MacMillans have it! 2019 Master Plumber of the Year.

ON THE COVER JUNE/JULY 2019

Why it was a conference to remember

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60

20

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Read all about the 2019 NZ Plumbing Conference.

Contents

New products and technologies on show at ISH.

Discover why Wellington plumbers got behind this community project.

REAL LIVES

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

28 Aiming high Meet Te Tane McGuire

40 City icon restored Award-winning plumbing project

Industry events calendar

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS 10

CEO Greg Wallace on an awesome annual conference; skill shortage advocacy outcome; member survey summary; membership milestones

IN FOCUS 14

Building law reform What’s changing, why, and where it’s at

16

Fighting for positive change Australian industry lobbying

50 Just cruisin’ A trip to the national Master Plumbers office was a highlight on Bryan Heron’s New Zealand cruise

TECHNICAL THEME: STORMWATER AND RAINWATER 31

CONFERENCE 2019 20 Gold Coast Gold ReadJUNE/JULY all about it!

2019 22

National AGM Society business matters

24 Celebrating our winners Top industry performers

GOLD COAST GOLD!

Why it was a conference to remember

27

6

Thanks to our sponsors Without whom...

32

Siphonic systems How they work and what applications they suit Hydraulic neutrality Why some councils now require insitu stormwater management

36 Stormwater: detain or retain?

Onsite stormwater management solutions for consumers 38 Pump it up Pressure system pumps for rainwater tank installations

ASSOCIATIONS AND BRANCHES 42 Tall in the saddle How the Wellington RDA benefited from the volunteer efforts of local Master Plumbers’ member businesses

NUTS & BOLTS 46 Standards spotlight Progress on proposed changes for AS/NZS 3500 parts 1 to 4 and AS/NZS2845.3 47 Tech points Technical updates in brief 48 Passive fire installations Lessons in ensuring quality 49 Get involved in HomeFit How you can participate in the new HomeFit consumer initiative

2019 MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR Learn all about this winning business

On the cover: The assembled guests for the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World. Photograph

by The Edit Suite.

INDUSTRY TALK

SMART BUSINESS

SAFETY FIRST

52

60 Master Plumber of the Year 2019 Discover what makes this business a stand-out winner

72

62 Google search… and find How to get your business found when customers do a Google search

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64 By the book Why good financial records play a pivotal role in business success

76 Get prepared for your PGDB exams New online refresher courses for registration examss

65 Be a mate!

Tips for good mental health and wellbeing in your plumbing business

77

66 Learning from mistakes We all make them—and we can all learn from them

78 Plumbing World Scholarships Congratulating this year’s winners

JUNE/JULY 2019

WHAT’S ON 8

42

GOLD COAST GOLD!

Why it was a conference to remember

“An awesome experience” Kiwi plumbers were among the 190,000 visitors to the 2019 ISH trade fair in Germany

54 Too much red tape Unnecessary bureaucracy topped the list in a recent construction survey 55

Six in the bag How the latest Rheem Big 6 Challenge competitor hit the target

56 Paying the price Faulty gasfitting, anti-competitive behaviour and unauthorised plumbing 57

Post Bella Vista Operational changes at Tauranga City Council

57

Call for drinking water regulator Why NZ urgently needs an independent drinking water regulator

Toolbox tips Hazardous substances focus

NEXT GENERATION Masterlink messageboard Latest updates from the Masterlink apprentice management company

New Tech Park for MIT Construction is set to begin on MIT’s new trades and engineering centre

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

68 Software systems: a team effort Why the whole team needs to get on board when you introduce job management software

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58 Winning a shed load!

Congratulating the winner of a prize draw for a shed load of stuff!

69 Office talk How would you survive financially if you got really sick?

85 Dodgy plumbing Our latest rogues’ gallery

58 Wastewater reveals NZ drug use High levels of meth use revealed in first results from national wastewater tests

70 Annual health monitoring Build it into your business

June/July 2019

New products and services on the market, plus a featured Master Plumbers Recommends product

AND FINALLY

HEALTH MATTERS

June/July 2019

7

2019 MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR Learn all about this winning business

2019 MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR Learn all about this winning business

No log-in required!

KEMBLA www.nzplumber.nz

Award winning and proudly brought to you by Master Plumbers

MASTERLINK MESSAGEBOARD

This edition’s updates from Masterlink, the Master Plumbers-owned apprentice training company.

Outward Bound Scholarship winner

The inaugural Master Plumbers Outward Bound Scholarship, worth $3,500, went to Masterlink apprentice Wade Williams.

Third-year Masterlink apprentice Wade Williams heard about the Master Plumbers Outward Bound Scholarship through his host employer Chris Wilson at Chris Wilson Plumbing in Auckland. He thought it would be a great way to build his confidence and step out of his comfort zone, so he went ahead and applied.

An outdoor type who loves walking and playing sports, Wade was up for fresh challenges, new problems to solve and a change of scenery, so discovering in April that he’d been awarded the scholarship was “pretty cool”.

The 16-day course ran from 8-23 June at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds, just as NZ Plumber was going to print.

We’ll cover Wade’s experience in the next edition.

The annual Master Plumbers Outward Bound Scholarship is open to Apprentice Members of Master Plumbers. Masterlink funds Master Plumbers Apprentice Membership for all Masterlink apprentices.

Above: Master Plumbers Outward Bound Scholarship winner Wade Williams (left) with his Masterlink host Chris Wilson (right) and regional manager Tania Forsyth.

Going global

WorldSkills Nationals plumbing champion Lauren Phillips took another step on her competition journey by taking part in the Global Skills Challenge in Melbourne.

The final selection for competitors at the 2019 World Skills International in Russia this August is being decided following the Global Skills Challenge, held over five days in Melbourne in April.

Masterlink plumbing apprentice Lauren Phillips was picked to be among the contestants in the plumbing and heating category at the Melbourne event, having won Gold in this category at the WorldSkills NZ Nationals last year.

No fewer than 16 countries were represented in Melbourne,

with around 500 competitors battling it out in 24 skills categories.

We’re mighty proud of Lauren’s achievements thus far.

Acknowledgement must also go to her host employer Fairbairn Plumbing in Winton and the Masterlink South Island regional manager team of Roger Herd and Brendan Parker.

CPD pulls the crowds Our trade stand is attracting plenty of attention at the CPD roadshows—and our $1,600 toolkit prize is an extra drawcard!

When the 2019 PGDB & Mico CPD Roadshow rolls into town, be sure to come and visit the Masterlink and Master Plumbers trade stand to go in the draw to win an awesome toolkit, worth $1,600.

All remaining roadshow venues are in the North Island.

Check out the schedule and book your place at https://ecommerce. skills.org.nz/pgdb2019

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Above: Good numbers at the Dunedin CPD trade show. Roger Herd and Brendan Parker manned the Masterlink & Master Plumbers stand.

MASTERLINK MESSAGEBOARD PAGE TAG

Well done to our winners

Masterlink was well represented at the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards—congratulations to all!

It’s great to be able to celebrate deserving apprentices and the Plumbing World Scholarships do just this. Five Masterlink apprentice scholarship winners each receive $1,000 to spend at their local Plumbing World branch, having been selected for showing personal growth and diligence in their studies towards getting qualified. Turn to p74 to read more about this year’s winners.

We were also extremely proud to see former Masterlink apprentice Te Tane McGuire receiving the overall James Douglas Medallion award, presented to an outstanding newly qualified tradesperson. For the past four years, Tane

has worked at Master Plumbers’ member business Tech Mechanical in Napier, run by Brad Above: 2019 Plumbing World Ellison. Read Tane’s profile Scholarships went to five highperforming Masterlink apprentices. on p28.

Masterlink hosts play a huge part in giving apprentices the on-job training they need to get qualified and we were also thrilled to see Aaron Jamieson of BOP Plumbing & Gas in Rotorua winning this year’s Training Leader of the Year award.

Young Plumber of the Year branch winners Several Masterlink apprentices are among the branch event winners at Plumbing World’s 2019 Young Plumber of the Year competition.

The 51 branch events for the 2019 Young Plumber of the Year competition ended in June, with the regional events coming up in late July and August. As NZ Plumber went to print, 38 of the branch winners had been announced and it was great to see Masterlink apprentices and staff from Master Plumbers’ member businesses among them.

Masterlink apprentices Akida Shimamoto, Patrick Sweeney, Carlos Donnell-Brown, Ben Stanley and former Masterlink

Completed!

Getting qualified at the end a four-year apprenticeship is no mean feat—and we like to mark the moment.

All Masterlink apprentices receive a framed Certificate of Completion to recognise their success in completing their National Certificate (now New Zealand Certificate) qualifications.

Shown here is Fraser MacKay receiving his certificate from Masterlink South Island Manager Roger Herd. Fraser, who works at RHE Mechanical & Flints Plumbing & Drainage, is now qualified in plumbing and gasfitting.

apprentice Brett Trilford have all won their respective branch competitions in Oamaru, Henderson, New Lynn, Hastings and Paraparaumu. All now go forward to their respective regionals in August. Go well!

Above right: Akida Shimamoto receiving his prize for winning the Oamaru branch event.

6 great reasons to use Masterlink If you’re looking to take on an apprentice, Masterlink is a great way to go. We interview, screen and recruit apprentice candidates and place them in host businesses nationwide.

We manage the apprentice’s: 1. admin and paperwork 2. payroll 3. block-course arrangements 4. tools and PPE 5. health monitoring 6. study progress.

0800 502 102; admin@masterlink.co.nz; www.masterlink.co.nz

Left: Fraser MacKay receiving his Certificate of Completion from Masterlink South Island Manager Roger Herd.

June/July 2019 75

NEXT GENERATION

Get prepared for your PGDB exams Help is at hand for all those planning to sit their Certifying and Tradesperson registration exams, as Nik McIntosh of Trade Lab explains.

IF YOU HAVEN’T taken an exam in a while, preparing to sit your registration exams can be a nerve-wracking experience. Other than a few face-to-face refresher courses around New Zealand, there traditionally hasn’t been much on offer to help people prepare. Trade Lab launched this year with the express purpose of filling this gap by providing an online platform for those preparing to take their Tradesperson or Certifying exams in any of the three trades.

Available anywhere and any time,

Q&A with Trade Lab co-founder Nik McIntosh What’s your own experience of sitting exams?

I did my four-year plumbing and gasfitting apprenticeship when I was 16 and sat the registration exam at 20. I hadn’t been in an exam situation for a while by then and I remember feeling nervous walking into the room.

Why did you set up Trade Lab? New Zealand isn’t producing enough qualified tradespeople and I wanted to do something to address that. There are many people who don’t like sitting exams and some decide to remain on a Journeyman licence rather than take an exam. Knowing you might be tested on something you learned about in the first year of your apprenticeship can be daunting if you haven’t refreshed your knowledge beforehand.

There’s also a cost attached to sitting an exam, so it would be good to see a

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Trade Lab levels the playing field for those wanting to access the knowledge needed to be successful in the exams.

Guides, videos and quizzes assess a person’s progress as they near the exam, and it’s possible to complete the course in around six weeks, based on two-and-ahalf hours of content each week—though you can go as fast or slow as you like (it’s recommended you allow 12 weeks).

Information is provided in a logical sequence and is based on the key competencies required by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB). Practical guidance on how to study and how to sit an exam is also included, with everything presented in a user-friendly way.

Each lesson has a comment section, allowing learners to ask questions as they go. There’s also a Facebook community group for each upcoming exam, so

higher percentage passing. Trade Lab’s goal is twofold: to encourage more people to sit the exam and to help more people pass.

What experience do you have in the industry?

I completed my apprenticeship with Peter Downey of Hydraulic Consulting Services and spent six years designing plumbing and drainage systems for the company. During this time, I also completed a Bachelor of Construction at Unitec, graduating as a Senior Scholar.

Beca then approached me to run their hydraulic engineering department, and I have worked there for the past three-and-a-half years, growing the team from three to 25 across Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne and Brisbane. It was at Beca that I met Nick Fleckney, who is Deputy Chair of the PGDB, and we got talking about challenges for the PGDB,

Above: Trade Lab is a new online resource to help people pass the PGDB exams.

participants can have shared discussions to help everyone feel prepared.

By providing a one-stop-shop for anyone sitting their registration exams, Trade Lab’s ultimate goal is to help people feel confident and prepared, so they can pass with flying colours. ■ The cost to sign up to Trade Lab is $250 per exam being taken. For more information, visit www.tradelab.co

one of which is the number of people getting qualified each year. From this we looked at ways to help increase the number of people sitting and passing their registration exams. Trade Lab was the result—and it’s independent from but endorsed by the PGDB. What’s different about Trade Lab from a traditional refresher course?

First of all, there aren’t many refresher courses on offer. Those that are available are face-to-face, which means they’re only accessible to those who live nearby. Being online, Trade Lab is available nationwide and it’s on demand, meaning learners can go at their own pace, studying at whatever time of day suits them. It’s also highly visual, with most of the content provided in video format.

NEXT GENERATION

New Tech Park for MIT

Construction is set to begin on MIT’s new trades and engineering centre on a vacant site across the road from MIT Manukau.

SOUTH AUCKLAND WILL have more capacity for training plumbers, among others, when the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT)’s new Technology Park opens in June 2020.

MIT is currently the largest plumbing training provider in the country and will grow still further when the new 9,000sq m facility opens, bringing under one roof over 1,200 engineering and trades students in plumbing and gasfitting; electrical; building and civil construction; engineering; automotive; and refrigeration.

Construction of the new Tech Park is due to start later this year, and its central Manukau position has been welcomed by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff in helping reinforce the Council’s plans to regenerate the area. “Manukau will benefit hugely from the new learning institutions, cultural centres and new houses planned for the area which bring jobs, homes and educational opportunities,” he said.

“Tech Park isn’t just about bricks and mortar, it’s also about preparing our students for the increasing use of new energy sources including solar and electric vehicles,” said MIT Chairman Peter Winder. “This means making new technology available as well as refreshing our programmes.”

Above: ASC Architects’ drawing of the entrance to MIT’s new Technology Park, due to open next June.

Above: The new 9,000sq m building will house over 1,200 engineering and trades students, including plumbing and gasfitting trainees.

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NEXT GENERATION

Scholarship class!

Congratulations to the five Masterlink apprentices who won Plumbing World Scholarships at the 2019 New Zealand Plumbing Awards.

THIS YEAR’S PLUMBING World Scholarship winners each receive $1,000 to spend at Plumbing World, with overall winner Ben McCulloch of Jackson Plumbing (Nelson) also winning attendance at the NZ Plumbing Conference and NZ Plumbing Awards Night Dinner in Queensland in May.

Ben McCulloch Age: 24 Stage of apprenticeship: Fourth year Masterlink host company: Jackson Plumbing (Nelson) Plumbing and drainlaying apprentice Ben McCulloch has always shown great problem-solving skills says his host employer Grant Jackson. “Ben is very dependable, showing great time-keeping skills, an eye for detail and running a very tight ship on the job, whether it’s new housing, commercial or maintenance.”

Aside from his project management and hands-on skills, Ben’s happy nature, great manners and calming influence are star qualities in the workplace and with customers.

Right: Overall Plumbing World Scholarship winner Ben McCulloch (centre) with host employer Grant Jackson (right) and Master Plumbers Business Development Manager Sam Timlin.

Jesse Dodd Age: 19 Stage of apprenticeship: Second year Masterlink host company: Baxter & Neilson Plumbers, Invercargill Second year apprentice Jesse Dodd was nominated by Masterlink Lower South Island Regional Manager Brendan Parker for his humble, hardworking attitude and for showing maturity beyond his years. “Jesse has been able to identify his strengths and focus on them,” says Brendan. “Over the past 12 months he has taken on more challenging roles and stepped up to the plate.”

Jesse, who started his apprenticeship straight out of school, is keen to raise awareness about men’s mental health issues and will be running the Queenstown Marathon in November to help raise funds for mental health research. He also took part in his Plumbing World Young Plumber of the Year Branch competition and says it gave him a real sense of achievement having to step outside his comfort zone.

Right: Jesse Dodd (centre) with host employer Ray Galt (left) of Baxter and Neilson Plumbers in Invercargill and Jesse’s Masterlink mentor Brendan Parker

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These five Masterlink apprentices were all nominated by their host employers or Masterlink Regional Managers for demonstrating personal growth and diligence in their studies over the past year.

NEXT GENERATION

Dave Hodgson Age: 23 Stage of apprenticeship: Third year Masterlink host company: The Lewis Plumbing Company, Rotorua Dave Hodgson has shown maturity from day one, says his host employer Jon Lewis. “His ability to communicate and follow through on instructions has never been a problem and passing on any knowledge to him is always received with an open, honest and enquiring mind.”

Dave gives 100% to any tasks he’s given and says he understands the importance of completing a job to a very high standard of finish. “Jon has taught and challenged me a lot throughout my apprenticeship to date, and I believe more recently I have had to step up in my role and have been given a lot more responsibility.”

Above: Dave Hodgson and partner Dora Remmerswaal with Jon and Jan Lewis of Dave’s Masterlink host firm The Lewis Plumbing Company

Ben Stanley Age: 21 Stage of apprenticeship: Third year Masterlink host company: East Coast Plumbing and Gas, Hastings Host employer Sean Patrick says he’s begun giving apprentice plumber and gasfitter Ben Stanley more responsibility in managing and carrying out his work in the past 12 months, and Ben has exceeded expectation. “He is spending a lot of time outside of work hours studying,” says Sean, adding that Ben now easily relates and applies that theory knowledge to practical work situations, which makes him a valued team member.

Ben is particularly proud of helping with standard operating procedures at the company. Among these was a money- and time-saving on-job material tracking system that he developed and that has been adopted by the business. “At the end of the day, paperwork is half the battle!” he says.

Above: Ben Stanley (left) with host employer. Sean Patrick (centre) and Ben’s Masterlink mentor Bob McCoy.

Jack Powell Age: 19 Stage of apprenticeship: Third year Masterlink host company: BT Plumbing & Gas, Auckland Initially unsure of his own abilities, apprentice plumber Jack Powell now exudes confidence, says his host Bruce Trenwith.

“Jack doesn’t cause any drama and is always willing to go the extra mile. He will do anything and at any time to help the team and the company.”

Always ready to help out others instead of putting himself first, Jack is the type who can be overlooked for awards because he just gets on with his work and doesn’t seek recognition. This is a great quality to have, says Bruce, and makes Jack a fantastic team player.

Jack entered his Plumbing World Young Plumber of the Year Branch competition last year and will do so again this year, describing it as an awesome experience to be part of. “All the skills I have been developing over the last 12 months have helped my apprenticeship click into place and meant that I can now focus on improving my capabilities to ultimately become the best tradesman I can possibly be in the future,” he says.

Above: Scholarship winner Jack Powell couldn't be there on the night, so Masterlink Regional Manager Tania Forsyth went along to his workplace to present him with the award.

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“Masterlink has gone really well for us” art arning! art living!

“Masterlink ensures a good match for my business. I look for apprentices with a good attitude. As long as they’re willing to learn, I can teach them the skills.”

– Bruce Trenwith BT Plumbing, Auckland

“I like the fact that there is someone else supporting the apprentice in the background, someone you can fall back on if there are any issues.”

– Richard Graves Inside Systems, Invercargill

esses in Oamaru are g for plumbing and gasfitting ntices right now.

sterlink apprentice, we pay you while n for a great Get qualified and Morecareer. of the support you need and less risk: up for life!• Recruitment & Testing

• Mentoring and appraisals ave good hands-on, practical skills • Apprentice PAYE and HR oy real job •variety, send your CV and Block Course arrangements tter to roger.herd@masterlink.co.nz • Health & safety management

Link.co.nz•

Starter toolkit and PPE

“Using Masterlink has gone well for us. They offer good support and communication. It takes the stress off you because they do the vetting and pre-employment testing.”

– Aaron Jamieson BOP Plumbing & Gas, Rotorua

Too easy!

Contact our team today 0800 502 102 admin@masterlink.co.nz www.masterlink.co.nz

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

New products & services Discover some great new products in the marketplace.

Buteline Pexline Plumbing System New from Buteline is the Pexline Plumbing System for discerning plumbers and architects/specifiers in New Zealand.

Pexline utilises PEX pipe (rather than Buteline Polybutene-1 pipe) and is available in 3 sizes: 16mm, 20mm & 25mm. There are both polymer and brass fittings in the range, with the polymer fittings coloured black. They are of the same one-piece easy-toinstall design as Buteline fittings, with high tensile strength and excellent chemical resistance. The installation procedure is easy and similar to that of the Buteline Plumbing System: Cut, Insert, Clamp, Complete!

The Buteline 15mm ProClamp Tool (PRO18) can be used on 16mm Pexline and vice versa.

The Pexline Plumbing System complies with the Australian and New Zealand joint standards AS/NZS 2492, AS/NZS 2537 and WaterMark. Quality controlled and tested in-house, the Pexline Plumbing System is covered by extensive worldwide patents.

Cement the job Aqualine’s new recipe Pressure Cement is a first for New Zealand.

By working closely with their supplier, Aqualine have been able to create a new formula Pressure Cement that removes the nasty carcinogen chemicals without compromising on quality.

Their new Pressure Cement can be used for both pressure and non-pressure jobs. It has a long open/working time but sets in 20 minutes on interface jobs and achieves a high initial bond strength (minimum 4 bar). Approved to AS/NZS4020 standard for drinking water, it’s ideal for use in irrigation, plumbing, pool and spa applications.

“We are confident that our new Pressure Cement will meet plumbers’ and drainlayers’ needs, ensuring that Aqualine products remain the first choice for Kiwis,” say the company.

Look out for the new Aqualine Pressure Cement in your local plumbing or building merchant

Cost competitive with start-up packs available, enquire at your local quality plumbing merchant!

Rheem product info at your fingertips Rheem have completed a total refresh of their website, making access to their product information even easier.

The new comprehensive website has a clean, uncluttered design, making it easier to navigate. Rheem have focused on improving the site’s functionality and streamlining access to technical product information. Accessing the website from mobiles has been significantly improved for those working on-site.

Creating a MyRheem Pro login will provide access to additional technical product information such as service manuals and spare parts, product updates and trade promotions.

The improved website reinforces the company’s focus on customer service and provides plumbers, merchants, specifiers and homeowners with a better experience when they want information on water heating products in the Rheem range.

Visit the new website at www.rheem.co.nz

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Product Showcase

At the 2019 NZ Plumbing Conference, five Master Plumbers’ Business Partners showcased their latest products to participants. We profile some of them here.

Rinnai Infinity® A Series

New Hydroflow products

For Rinnai’s latest range of premium gas fires, the Linear Collection, Rinnai’s designers took their inspiration from Aotearoa’s unique landscapes.

They hand-selected driftwood washed up on our wild West Coast beaches, and stones to match those shaped by our rivers and tides. These were painstakingly recreated as perfectly lifelike ceramics. Rinnai’s engineers have completely reinvented gas fire technology to achieve even more lifelike looking fires. With FlameTech, flames emanate from the logs themselves just as they do in real life. Flames also burn more realistically thanks to a class-leading flame height. The new technology even extends to the embers, allowing them to glow more brightly and naturally.

All in all, these Rinnai fires look and feel more like real fires than ever before. With demand for double-sided fireplaces becoming increasingly popular in new builds and renovations, Rinnai has created both single and double-sided options in 800mm, 1000mm and 1500mm-wide iterations.

Find out more at www.rinnai.co.nz

Two press-fit systems from Hydroflow make plumbers’ lives easier.

Rinnai INFINITY® Fault-finding Workshops Rinnai is facilitating a series of regional training workshops in July and August on the basics of INFINITY® faultfinding, common installation issues and the new A-Series.

Workshops are planned for Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Lower Hutt, New Plymouth, Hamilton and Auckland. For details, please contact 0800 RINNAI.

Hydroflow imports and distributes over 9,000 products from leading global brands, with its key distribution hubs in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Melbourne.

New products include: HydroPress HydroPress is a newly branded stainless steel press-fit system that has been sold in the NZ market for over 20 years. The European quality 316 S/S fittings are suitable for food grade applications, and are quick and easy to install—no welding required.

Pegler Yorkshire – Tectite The Tectite range draws heavily on Pegler Yorkshire’s extensive experience in the plumbing industry. Tectite provides plumbers with a swift and clean fitting system that simply pushes together in seconds to create a perfect joint. The system is ideal for domestic maintenance and refurbishment and new build.

Tectite DZR brass fittings can be used for applications where a demountable fitting is required.

Find out more at hydroflow.co.nz

Dux AdjustaPit™ With two sizes available, you can pick the AdjustaPit™ that suits your needs.

Faster installation times, no pit adjustment call backs, an integrated trap and internal access plug—there’s nothing else like Dux AdjustaPit™. The 350mm AdjustaPit™ is the only height adjustable code compliant silt pit in New Zealand and purposefully designed to handle vehicular traffic. Or, if you’re looking for the perfect finishing touch to a patio or pathway, the 250mm Dux AdjustaPit™ with its precision cast aluminium grate is, quite simply, stunning.

Find out more at www.dux.co.nz

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PRODUCTS & PAGE SERVICES TAG

Caroma Smart Command

Smart Command represents the next chapter for Caroma in providing Winner: 2019 innovative water-saving solutions that New Zealand revolutionise the way we all use water.

Product of the Smart Command is an ecosystem of Year Award intelligent products that enable building managers to monitor water use in realtime and make smarter decisions that reduce maintenance costs, while improving hygiene and up time.

A range of tapware, urinals and invisi toilets has been developed to integrate seamlessly with Caroma’s Smart Command technology. These products incorporate the latest in touch-free technology for optimal hygiene to create a bathroom design that requires less cleaning and maintenance.

Smart Command-enabled bathrooms allow building managers to track every detail and collect data in real time—from water usage to the number of activations. This data can be accessed locally from a mobile app or integrated to an existing Building Management System (BMS), or on cloud platforms.

Find out more at www.caroma.co.nz/smartcommand

Master Plumbers Recommends:

Featured Product

Look out for our new Master Plumbers Recommends feature product each edition.

Allproof Tile Waste Kit Check out this stand-out product in the extensive Allproof Industries catalogue.

Allproof Industries have built a strong reputation for providing excellent product quality to the New Zealand construction market over the past 30 years. The highly convenient Tile Waste Kit was developed by Allproof over 15 years ago and provides the complete floor waste system all in one box. This product is proudly NZ made, with the PVC components moulded and assembled at Allproof’s manufacturing facility on Auckland’s North Shore.

The Tile Waste Kit includes a leak control flange, pipe riser, floor waste gully, construction cap, spigot and a wide selection of grate options. These include chrome on brass, stainless steel Elegance grates, Invisi Drain and more, with metal collection finishes available on a wide range of the grates.

Buy the brand you trust: the original Allproof Tile Shower Waste Kit. • www.allproof.co.nz/drainage/tile-floor-wastes/tile-waste-kit • www.masterplumbers.org.nz/homeowner-info/masterplumbers-recommends/bathroom/

Master Plumbers Recommends product

Master Plumbers Recommends shows consumers the products they can trust: for performance, quality and a manufacturer’s guarantee. View all recommended products at www.masterplumbers.org.nz/ homeowner-info/master-plumbers-recommends/

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LOOK OUT FOR THE TICK OF APPROVAL

We put each and every Master Plumbers Recommends plumbing product to the test, assessing all aspects, such as ensuring replacement parts are readily accessible, they’re easy to install and they look great. Of course it goes without saying that they also come with a solid manufacturer’s guarantee. Once it ticks all those boxes, it gets our tick of approval.

To find out more call 0800 502 102 or visit tickofapproval.co.nz

AND FINALLY

DODGY Plumbing

Keep them coming! Send your Dodgy Plumbing examples to the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz

A couple of tiny house dodgy pics this edition… a warning shot across the bows, perhaps?

Pardon the smell Portadoozy!

“Picture self-explanatory—and, yes, the house stunk,” says South Wairarapa District Council Building Officer Stan Bossom of this photo.

Ed’s note: Nearly fell off my chair when these photos came across the desk. Good to read that it was going to be reported to the PGDB...

Cover up

“Paint will not hide this,” says Craig Tremeer of Complete Plumbing.

Fail

Thanks to Todd Smith at Tech Plumbing and Gasfitting for this photo of a drinking station at a Hawkes Bay high school. “No traps and run into downpipe… and there’s more done like this around school,” he says.

Please send the biggest size photos you have.

The bigger the file, the bigger we can show it on the page!

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AND FINALLY

DODGY Plumbing

UED

CONTIN

Go right on through

And another sent in by Craig Tremeer. This one reminded the Ed of the children’s classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. “Uh oh! We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh no! We’ve got to go through it!”

“A fibre cable through a 80mm soil pipe. Guess where it blocked and leaked,” says Craig.

Sweet dreams?

“Gasfitter asked to investigate smell of fumes in bedroom,” says Henny Russon of Henbridge Plumbing & Gas. “Client wondered if this could be harmful?!!! Is this the future of tiny house living? Situation remedied.”

How to report dodgy work The quickest and easiest way to notify the PGDB about non-compliant work: • Go to the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (android) • Type PGDB in the search bar • Download the Report A Cowboy (R.A.C) app free • Get using it!

Two for the show

“Here’s some good laughs,” says Jamie of Hubs Plumbing and Gas. “First one with the two valves was on a urinal in a pub down in Picton. Must have been a drunk night fix up…”

“Second one with the trap where the owner was asking for some help on DIY tiny house.”

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If you come across a gas installation you think presents immediate danger to life or property: • advise the property occupant immediately • seek permission to make the scene safe • contact Energy Safety/WorkSafe on 0800 030 040 or via the online installation fault notice form at www.energysafety.govt. nz/forms/installation-fault-noticeform

®

INTRODUCING THE NEW RHEEM 26 This popular size replaces the Rheem 24 and features:

you’re in control

•

Flamesafe overheat protection system

•

6 star energy efficiency

•

Common inlet/outlet configuration for easier installation

•

Frost protection down to -20°C (as long as power remains to the unit)

•

Natural Gas or ULPG models

The new EZiSET® control module and app allows you to set water temperature and bath fill levels from your smartphone. Compatible with 8748, 8746 and 8646 series continuous flow gas models.

Trusted by Plumbers and Gasfitters Welcome to the new RHEEM.CO.NZ Your destination for everything hot water Check out our new easy-to-use and mobile-friendly website with improved navigation, product data and features.

The MyRheem Pro area is your hub for all things Rheem, including resource libraries and trade promotions.

Sign up today at rheem.co.nz/login

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PROVEN PERFORMER MARLEY RP80® 80mm ROUND DOWNPIPE SYSTEM For the ultimate downpipe system, Marley RP80® performs every time.

Featuring concealed sockets, compact curves, adjustable clips and stormwater adaptors – the perfect system for any job.

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