NZ Plumber June-July 2022

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

J U N E – J U LY 2 0 2 2

GOOD AS GOLD

Discover this year’s NZ Plumbing Awards winners PAGE 24

BEHIND THE WALL Technical tips for the hidden stuff PAGE 30

‘COULD DO BETTER’

How our training system needs to improve PAGE 82

Record numbers at a conference to remember PAGE 17

PGDB/MICO CPD ROAD SHOW 2022

REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN To register visit: https://www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd/

WIN, EAT, LEARN, NETWORK • Attend the interactive training session

• Have a catch up with other industry members

• Your chance to ask the questions you need answering

• We’ll shout you breakfast on morning sessions

• Get the latest product updates at the trade stands • Get access to exclusive trade stand deals

0800 101 999 | www.mico.co.nz

• Have a bite and a drink on us at the Happy Hour • BE IN TO WIN! Trade stand competitions on offer.

A few words EDITOR

Ka pai to mahi!

Volume 74, Number 3

The 2022 NZ Plumbing Conference was awesome in every way.

MAGAZINE TEAM CEO Greg Wallace EDITOR Beverly Sellers 03 543 2008 bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz PRINT Blue Star 81 The Esplanade, Petone Wellington 6141 DESIGN SCG Senior Designer – Julian Pettitt SCG Senior Account Director – LauraGrace McFarland scg.net.nz 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 bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz To order an annual subscription, go to www.masterplumbers.org.nz MAILING LIST For enquiries, or to update your details: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.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 advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz

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letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘Not for Publication’.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

I’ve enjoyed many plumbing conferences over the years, but this one was extra special. Our sector, like many others, has had so much to deal with since Covid arrived on the scene. Yet everyone seemed in great spirits and happy to be back in the company of friends and colleagues from around the country, meeting face-to-face rather than via a computer screen.

There was also a noticeable shift in the focus on wellbeing, diversity and inclusion at the event.

Speaker Michelle Burman of Hatch Talent had us getting into groups to ask each other how we could get more of what we feel we're lacking back into our daily lives—be it fitness, family connection or something else we value.

Wellbeing guy Kereama Carmody reminded the audience that he’s on the end of the phone for any Masterlink apprentice, Master Plumbers member or their teams who may be struggling and need to chat. Keynote speaker Dr Paul Wood also had us asking ourselves if we are present, open and doing what matters in our lives.

Meanwhile, this year’s Women in Plumbing programme reached beyond women to include a panel of men and women of different ages, cultures,

backgrounds and learning styles—each sharing a different perspective on their experience of working in the industry.

At the Master Plumbers AGM, it was raised that we could all do more to incorporate the Treaty of Waitangi principles of partnership, participation and protection into our business and everyday dealings. Here at NZ Plumber, we want to take that on board, and we thank Waikato Master Plumbers member Brent Tupaea for agreeing to help us do this in a meaningful way in future editions.

It was also fantastic to meet Zane Britton and partner Rachel Watson at the conference. Their Northland-based business, BOI Plumbing and Gas, received the 2022 New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year Award. Having chatted with them, I can see why. Friendly, dynamic, positive, hard-working and goal oriented, they have everything it takes to succeed.

Ka pai to mahi Zane, Rachel and the BOIPG team.

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

Bloopers Kristie Sheather managed to capture this priceless moment on camera at the awards night of the Outstanding Project Award trophy tumbling to the floor, as husband Heath tries in vain to make a save Thanks for sharing!

This publication uses vegetable based inks and environmentally responsible paper produced from Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified, Mixed Source pulp from Responsible Sources.

Paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

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J U N E - J U LY 2 0 2 2

ON THE TOOLS

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24 7 WHAT’S UP

7 8 10 11 02

Apprenticeship Boost extended

FEATURES

12

Updates Latest developments for our industry

We Heartwarming stories around NZ

Calendar Training and events on the industry calendar

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CONFERENCE 2022

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‘The Flame’s Not Going Out’ A new gas transition plan towards lowemissions fuels

Retentions in the spotlight (again) What to consider as more construction companies go under

18 20 23 24

Rockin' it in Rotorua Record numbers at this year’s event

Year in review At the Master Plumbers AGM

Innovation on show

30 32 35 36

Awards excellence...

A quick H&S tip to share with the team

Pipe inspections CCTV pipe inspection methods

Keeping the noise down Plumbing considerations in medium density developments

Redundant water pipe safety Why dead legs present critical water system risks

Creating space for the laundry Plumbing solutions for compact laundries

Exhibitor A-listers

Celebrating the winners

Power tool safety

TECHNICAL THEME: BEHIND THE WALL

Action central!

Full-on fun at the social events

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38

Products Latest PGD products and services

MASTER PLUMBERS

43 44 50 52 56

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Member benefit Fuel for less

BUSINESS SMARTS

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It’s crunch time

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Suppliers, contractors & the 3Cs

Bulletin News and new Business Partners for Master Plumbers

Platinum Partner Profile Teletrac Navman has 3 steps to fuel efficiency

Masterlink messageboard Apprentice winners and welcomes

This magazine is subject to NZ Media Council procedures.

A complaint must first be directed in writing, within one month of publication, to the editor’s email address. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the Media Council PO Box 10-879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143; info@mediacouncil.org.nz. Or use the online complaint form at www.mediacouncil.org.nz

Why businesses need to be proactive facing the year ahead

How to manage H&S overlapping duties

66

Striking a balance How this member business has found a happy work-life balance

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69

Think twice!

Dumb decisions can have serious consequences, says Sam Tyson

Property matters Two government changes worth knowing about

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Virtual marketing power

73

HR wraparound

73

Covid realities

CAREER STARTERS

75

75 77

Gateway 2.0

80

Getting going online

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AND FINALLY...

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Launch of a new pilot programme

Dodgy Plumbing When you thought you’d seen it all...

“I can do this” From plumbing admin to apprenticeship

Skills explain how their new online learning works

Training report card New report makes recommendations for improvement

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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

Real-life plumbing business case study

360° service from the Master Plumbers HR team

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J U N E – J U LY 2 0 2 2

Looking after your wellbeing

Please include copies of the article and all correspondence with the publication.

GOOD AS GOLD

Discover this year’s NZ Plumbing Awards winners PAGE 24

BEHIND THE WALL Technical tips for the hidden stuff PAGE 30

‘COULD DO BETTER’

How our training system needs to improve

Record numbers at a conference to remember

PAGE 82

PAGE 17

COVER STORY

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It was action central at the 2022 NZ Plumbing Conference in Rotorua, with daytime business sessions and speakers, evening social events, a partner activity programme, and the Friday afternoon leisure activities. Attendees got to choose from mountain biking, a boat cruise around Lake Rotomahana at Waimangu Volcanic Valley or ziplining in ancient native forest with Rotorua Canopy Tours. Turn to page 20 for a round-up of photos.

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Report CEO

CEO’S REPORT

I’d like to give everyone a big thank you for commented that this was one of the hardest years to contributing to such a successful NZ Plumbing pick the winners.

Conference 2022. We’ve had amazing feedback Zane Britton and Rachel Watson of BOI Plumbing from members, Business Partners and, of course, and Gas have proved that small local businesses can award winners. I do want to personally thank Fleur perform exceptionally well against their peers and Nicholas and Luke Pirie for their huge amount of I’m extremely proud that they were announced as our effort and commitment in organising the event. overall Master Plumber of the Year in 2022.

We were extremely happy with our guest speakers I was also very proud of how all the apprentice and overall content of the conference. Special thanks award winners looked and spoke during the evening. go to Mico, Marley and Dux, and Plumbing World for This is a credit to their employers, not just in terms of their sponsorship of the three evening events. the quality of their on-job training but also in helping As I reminded our members to develop great young people in during the conference, our industry. all our Business Partners We had record numbers at We had record numbers make considerable financial this conference—and to have at this conference—and commitment to Master Plumbers more than 360 at the awards to have more than 360 at to ensure we can keep improving night dinner is testament to the the awards night dinner is our advocacy and membership impressive Master Plumbers testament to the impressive services, and it’s important that member engagement, which Master Plumbers member member businesses show their goes from strength to strength. engagement, which goes support in return.

There is still much to do, from strength to strength.

I’d also like to acknowledge including the delivery of a carbonRod Miller and John neutral gas sector, improving the DeBernardo, who have PGD apprentice training platform, completed their roles as and pushing through with selfnational Master Plumbers board certification for plumbers and directors. Both John and Rod have made a huge drainlayers. I can assure you we will be working hard contribution at board level, as well as through their to achieve these goals in the time to come. participation on Standards committees, advocacy On a final note, if you haven’t yet filled out our projects and their tireless work to support our online conference survey, I’d appreciate if you could industry. I know they will both be missed from a take five minutes to do this. We are always looking to governance perspective. build on each event, and your feedback is important.

My congratulations go to all the award winners at this year’s NZ Plumbing Awards. The standard Greg Wallace, CEO of entries was extremely high and the judges Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ

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We need to ensure we have a steady stream of qualified tradespeople. Now and into the future.

The best way to do this is for more businesses to train more apprentices!

Masterlink exists to support New Zealand’s next generation of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. We help by: CONNECTING

We connect quality learners with quality businesses all over New Zealand.

We register our host companies for employer funding they are eligible to receive - including the Apprenticeship Boost extended to Dec 2023!

SCREENING

All our candidates must pass our robust recruitment process which includes screening and testing. We only promote the best. You can put your own candidate through Masterlink, but we will screen them

KNOWING

We specialise in our trades. We know the latest developments in our industry. Our Regional Managers make it their job to understand your business to help you find the right apprentice

MENTORING

Our Regional Managers keep your apprentice on track to qualify in good time and support their wellbeing

MITIGATING RISK

We employ the apprentice, and you host them for their on-job learning.

If the unexpected happens or if your business changes, we’re here to help.

We will work with you to achieve the best outcome for everyone involved

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? Call us on 0800 502 102 Talk to your Regional Manager Visit masterlink.co.nz

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Get more Informatation www.stiebel-eltron.co.nz/wwk

www.stiebel-eltron.co.nz

INDUSTRY NEWS

What’s up

APPRENTICESHIP BOOST SUBSIDIES EXTENDED With an estimated 3,500 more plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers needed across New Zealand, the industry has welcomed the extension of the government’s Apprenticeship Boost scheme in this year’s budget.

Employers can get funding for up to two years per apprentice until the scheme ends on 31 December 2023. Payments are currently $1,000 a month for first-year apprentices and $500 a month for second-year apprentices, but a new rate of $500 for all apprentices, whether they are in their first or second year, will apply from 5 August 2022.

Construction Industry Council Chair Graham Burke told NewstalkZB that the boost is a good start but not enough on its own to fix the trades skills shortage, due to the increasing number

of baby boomers reaching retirement age and a slowing birth rate in early 2000s meaning lower school leaver numbers.

Master Plumbers and Masterlink CEO Greg Wallace says the industry has been calling for an extension to the Apprenticeship Boost scheme for a long time, and he hopes this will encourage more construction sector employers to take on an apprentice.

Employers can apply for Apprenticeship Boost at www.workandincome.govt.nz

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LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FOR OUR INDUSTRY.

Work Should Not Hurt programme launch Everybody knows a tradesperson with a sore back, crook shoulder, or damaged wrist. Sprains and strains are the most common injury in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry—and backs, shoulders and wrists the most frequent areas of injury, in that order. In 2020, ACC received over 1,200 soft-tissue injury claims from the sector, resulting in a total of 39,000+ days off work at an average of 32 days per claim.

To help change attitudes and get people on the tools working safer, ACC has teamed up with charitable trust Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ) to launch the Work Should Not Hurt programme.

It aims to ensure tradespeople can enjoy long, pain-free careers, without wear and tear injuries forcing them into early retirement.

“At a time of unprecedented stress and demand, we have to help workers to look after their bodies as well as their minds,” says CHASNZ programme manager and ergonomist Chris Polaczuk.

ACC funding has allowed Polaczuk to engage with the construction industry and develop a practical ergonomics programme. This includes educational material for apprentices, resources and guides, equipment trials, ‘Toolbox Talks’ workshops and a customised website for all the major trades to understand their injury data. Master Plumbers has worked with CHASNZ to help identify and

CPD ON THE ROAD

Find your nearest session at www.pgdb.co.nz/ trade/cpd

Work Should Not Hurt is a new programme to prevent sprains and strains in the construction industry, and includes customised information for the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying sector.

solve the particular set of problems faced by the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying sector.

“Specific things people can do to reduce injuries include getting work up off the ground, finding smarter ways of moving heavy stuff, having good planning and communication, keeping healthy and managing stress,” says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace.

“If you get injured it impacts your friends, family and work mates. Injury prevention can also positively influence other factors critical to business, such as retention, career progression, productivity and worker wellbeing.”

Find out more at chasnz.org/wsnh and follow the Save Our Spines Facebook group to get ideas for pain-free plumbing.

PLUMBERS ON IMMIGRATION GREEN LIST The critical shortage of plumbers has been recognised in the government’s new green list of occupations. With the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) open for applications from 4 July, employers on the green list will have an easier way to hire migrants. Once accredited, employers must apply for a job check for each job they want to hire a migrant worker for, including evidence that they have advertised the role to New Zealanders. For occupations on the green list, employers don’t need proof of advertising for the job check.

Find out more about AEWV accreditation and the green list at www.immigration.govt.nz/employ-migrants/new-employeraccreditation-and-work-visa/steps-to-hiring-migrants-on-the-aewv

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nzplumber

What’s up INDUSTRY NEWS

HASTINGS HWC COPPER PINHOLE CONCERNS CONTINUE

Low pressure copper hot water cylinders are continuing to fail at concerning rates in parts of Hastings.

Master Plumbers is recommending its members in the region to tell their customers they will not install these products due to the pinhole corrosion risks and associated warranty exclusions.

Low pressure vitreous enamel, stainless steel, and mains pressure vitreous enamel are all better suited to the current localised water conditions.

PLEASE NOTE: This Copper water heater is not suitable for installation in the postcode areas 4120 and 4122 in the Hastings district due to local water conditions.

BUDGET 2022: BUILDING HIGHS AND LOWS

Funding of $37.485m has been set aside in this year’s budget for the delivery of the construction sector transformation plan 2022-2025, which is being launched this July by the Construction Sector Accord.

Accord Transformation Director Dean Kimpton said the new funding is a significant step up and will allow the Accord to support more sector initiatives.

“In its first three years of progress towards industry transformation goals, the Accord has become the ‘go to’ forum for industry to engage with government and vice versa,” said Kimpton.

“It proved its worth during the first Covid-19 lockdown and has continued to bring leadership to a notoriously fragmented sector.”

New Zealand’s existing homes haven’t fared so well in the budget, according to the NZ Green Building Council.

The NZGBC is calling the one-year extension to the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme “literally the least the government could do”. It is also disappointed there has been no extension to the number of homes covered by the programme, which currently offers insulation and heater grants to 26,000 low-income households.

It wanted to see far more ambitious investment in low carbon home renovation, or ‘deep energy retrofits’ as they’re often called, with programmes of this kind underway in many European Union and OECD countries.

“Ireland, similar in population and economy size to New Zealand, with a similarly poor amount of homes, is working to deep retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030,” said NZGBC Chief Executive Andrew Eagles in May. “The Winter Energy Payment, which is a sugar hit lasting just a short amount of time, is tackling the symptoms not the causes of our poor homes and simply isn’t the long-term solution needed.”

NOT be covered under the Rheem Warranty in relation to pinhole corrosion caused by these conditions. Despite not being covered under the Rheem Warranty, on occasion, Rheem has voluntarily chosen to replace affected cylinders. This practice will cease for cylinders installed in the relevant areas after 1 April 2022.

Rheem has put out a number of advisory materials in the Hastings area, including this cylinder sticker.

ENVIRONMENTAL SITE MANAGEMENT COURSE FROM SITE SAFE

Builders and subcontractors working on small residential sites will be able to learn how to improve environmental practices with a new training course from Site Safe. The online course is initially being rolled out in the Auckland region, co-hosted by Site Safe and Auckland Council. Topics included are erosion and sediment control, on-site waste management, chemical and pollutant control practices, and construction and demolition. As the course is fully online, builders and subcontractors in any part of New Zealand can sign up.

Find out more at www.sitesafe.org.nz

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What’s up INDUSTRY NEWS

This edition’s stories of hope and happiness!

Louwan Van Rooyan, a tradesman at CF Reese Plumbing in Hamilton, was enjoying a family holiday at the beach in December 2020 when the 10m high inflatable water slide he was on with his kids collapsed, causing him significant injuries including an ankle broken in three places and a compound fracture in the other. His injuries and subsequent complications resulted in him being away from work for nearly one and a half years. CF Reese supported Louwan and his family through this terrible time and are now very happy to have him back three days a week. “He still has more surgeries scheduled for the near future, but he is strong and focused—and with the huge support he gets from his family and friends we are sure he will be up and running sooner than the doctors can blink an eye,” says General Manager Dave Morgan. “All the best Louwan, from the team at CF Reese Plumbing.”

Auckland Master Plumbers has come to the rescue of a homeowner dealing with a stressful shower drama.

Clare Smith, a primary school teacher and mother of two, appeared on Fair Go in May, explaining how her family had resorted to 60-second washes in a bucket in the new upstairs shower after she noticed a leak had caused the downstairs ceiling paint to bubble.

After saving for a $5,000 replacement, she was still not happy with the result and rang Shower Solutions, who had carried out the original installation and the replacement. They patched it with more silicone sealant—but the signs of leaking continued.

Master Plumber Reuben Cutts came onto Fair Go to take a look at the shower. He said everything above the base would need to go— shower doors off, lining and Gib off, walls squared up correctly and everything reinstalled with the new liner. Clare cried tears of relief and gratitude when Reuben went on to say the Auckland Master Plumbers wanted to help out and get it sorted for her at no cost.

Shower Solutions apologised for any upset caused and said it is undertaking an internal review of its systems.

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Wendy Johns, Administration Manager at Plumber Dan in Whanganui, is studying towards a New Zealand Diploma in Business at UCOL—18 years after leaving the diploma halfway through.

Determined to finish what she started, the 49-year-old mother of two is now completing her qualification part-time, thanks to a Chamber of Commerce scholarship allowing her to study for free.

Once qualified, she plans to develop and grow her accounting role at Plumber Dan. Loki the Blue Heeler enjoys helping Grayson Allen out on plumbing jobs. Grayson, of Peak Plumbing and Gas in Havelock North, says his 10-month-old pup made his way under this house to see what he was up to. “Cleared the cobwebs away quite nicely and a lick on the face for good measure,” he says. Nice work Loki!

Isovalve™, the brainchild of plumber Andrew Southen, has won Silver and Bronze at the 2021 Best Awards, announced earlier this year. Installed prior to wall linings to enable fixtures to be installed at any time without turning off the water, Isovalve™ was recognised in the Value of Design and NonConsumer Product categories of the Best Awards, which are run annually by the Design Institute of New Zealand.

UK plumber Kev Crane has landed a record contract after a music producer heard him singing along to the radio while working in his house. The 50-year-old plumber has released a record and signed a Hollywood film deal for the rights to his story, according to Stuff—but he hasn’t given up the day job.

Send us your good news stories!

Email the Ed: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz

What's up CALENDAR

TRAINING & EVENTS Events and learning opportunities in the second half of 2022.

Skills Business Advisor Programme

BY APPOINTMENT NATIONWIDE skills.org.nz/employers/businessadvisor-programme

Backflow Prevention 2022

Height Safety Essentials

Confined Space Safety Essentials

ELEARNING

ELEARNING

masterplumbers.org.nz/training

masterplumbers.org.nz/training

Backflow Prevention Refresher

26-28 JUL – CHRISTCHURCH 13-15 SEPT – AUCKLAND 11-13 OCT – NELSON 1-3 NOV – HAMILTON 29 NOV-1 DEC – WELLINGTON

29 JUL – CHRISTCHURCH 16 SEPT – AUCKLAND 14 OCT – NELSON 2 DEC – WELLINGTON

https://nzetc.wsp.com/w/upcoming/ cat-12-plumbing/

https://nzetc.wsp.com/w/upcoming/ cat-12-plumbing/

Marketing 101 for Plumbers 28 JULY – TAURANGA masterplumbers.org.nz/training

wellbeing on tap Wellbeing on Tap Roadshow

Profit Optimiser Programme

2-3 AUG – AUCKLAND 6-7 SEPT – BAY OF PLENTY 5-6 OCT – HAWKES BAY 16-17 NOV – MANAWATU

29 JULY – ONLINE 26 AUGUST – TAURANGA 16 SEPTEMBER – ONLINE 23 SEPTEMBER – AUCKLAND

masterplumbers.org.nz/events

masterplumbers.org.nz/training

Spin Selling Programme for Plumbers 9 SEPTEMBER – AUCKLAND masterplumbers.org.nz/training

For all Master Plumbers 2022 course dates and venues, go to www.masterplumbers.org.nz/training nzplumber

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A gas transition plan towards low-emissions fuels, such as bioenergy and hydrogen, is among the energy targets in the government’s 348-page Emissions Reduction Plan, released in May.

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Feature RENEWABLE GAS FUTURES

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ather than banning new gas connections, the government has signalled its preference to repurpose existing gas infrastructure for low-carbon gases in its Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP), released mid-May alongside the first emissions budget.

The ERP considers bioenergy as significant for reducing emissions, with widespread potential application in the energy, industry and transport sectors.

Green hydrogen will also be significant for reducing emissions in areas of the economy that are hard to electrify, such as hightemperature industrial processes, and potentially in some parts of the heavy transport sector, including aviation.

“The Emission Reduction Plan’s investment in a hydrogen roadmap, expansion of Government’s Decarbonising Industry Fund and in infrastructure, allowing most houses to have kerbside food waste collection by 2030, is great news for Aotearoa,” said GasNZ Chief Executive Janet Carson on the Plan’s release in mid-May. “Last year, we started Future Sure to ensure New Zealanders saw the potential of gas as part of a green future. Our main message was the flame’s not going out, it’s going green. And it is!”

Carson believes that separating food scraps before entering the landfill will make local biogas facilities more attractive.

“Projects already underway, like the plant recycling food wastes into biogas at Reporoa, are evidence of how close we are to getting biogases in our pipeline.

“We already have the luxury of gas infrastructure—a network of pipelines, connections and appliance infrastructure in place—let’s use that for biogas, hydrogen gas and renewable LPG.” A roadmap for hydrogen in New Zealand is to be developed by 2023.

A gas transition plan is to be developed by the end of 2023.

Where the money’s coming from BusinessNZ Energy Council says the government aims to make its climate spending ‘fiscally neutral’, meaning it will only spend revenues from the Emissions Trading Scheme rather than borrowing to fund new climate infrastructure or measures to reduce emissions.

The first spending of the Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was announced on the same day as the release of the Emission Reduction Plan (ERP).

CERF is established with $4.5b from Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) revenue, with an initial allocation of $2.9b over four years invested in emissions reductions—which sits outside the $6b new spending allowance announced under the budget announcement.

Of the $2.9b, $1.17b will be spent in the first two years—most of it to: convert industrial coal boilers fund efforts to encourage a transport mode shift reduce emissions from waste pay for tech R&D to reduce agricultural emissions contribute to funding of low public transport usage during Covid.

THE FIRST THREE EMISSIONS BUDGETS TAKE US TO 2035 Now-2026 290mt – 72mt per year First Budget Second Budget

2026-2030*

305mt – 61mt per year

Third Budget

2031-2035*

240mt – 48mt per year

*Set only in principle.

ERP key actions: energy & industry The ERP relies heavily on the involvement of businesses, who will need to assess their practices, including manufacturing, travel choices and more. BusinessNZ Energy Council will draw on the

“Thanks to Future Sure and extensive industry input individually and together, the government has given the clearest signal to date on a future for gas.”

JANET CARSON

Chief Executive, GasNZ (representing the LPG and Gas Associations of New Zealand)

2022 TIMES model of New Zealand’s energy system to assess the likely impacts of the ERP on businesses, but in the meantime has provided businesses with the key ERP actions and funding.

For the energy and industry sector, they are: $652m for co-investment to decarbonise industry over the next 4 years (the spend on decarbonising process heat in the first 3 years is $482.2m) $5m to strengthen Power Purchase Agreements $18m to develop an energy strategy, hydrogen roadmap and regulation for offshore renewables between 2022-2024 Continued funding of various EECA funding programmes Energy targets of 50% renewable energy consumption by 2035 and monitoring progress towards the government’s aspirational target of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 Review current hydrogen regulatory settings to ensure they are fit for purpose for new hydrogen technologies and consistent with international best practice Investigate need for an implementation of additional market mechanisms and regulation to support affordable and reliable electricity supply, while accelerating the transition to a highly renewable electricity system Develop action plan for decarbonising the industrial sector 2022-24 Finalise Advanced Manufacturing Industry Transformation Plan Implement national direction for industrial GHG emissions Develop a mandatory energy and emissions reporting scheme Implement a gas transition plan Update the NZ Energy Efficiency & Conservation Strategy Protect New Zealanders from global energy price spikes in the long term End reliance on coal with a ban on new low-to-medium temperature coal boilers and phase out existing ones by 2037.

A table of all actions listed in the Emission Reduction Plan can be found at www.environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/Files/AotearoaNew-Zealands-first-emissions-reduction-plan-Table-of-actions.pdf

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Feature SUBCONTRACTOR PROTECTION

RETENTIONS IN THE SPOTLIGHT (AGAIN) Big construction company collapses are back in the news, with Wellington’s Armstrong Downes Commercial going into liquidation in May, owing $9.2 million to unsecured creditors. NZ Plumber looks at the impacts on plumbing businesses.

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iquidators in the collapse of Armstrong Downes Commercial (ADC) say the company had held retentions in a separate account, so it is hoped that all subcontractors will see their money back.

Although the retentions regime was updated in 2017, requiring head contractors and any party holding retentions to hold them ‘on trust’ rather than being able to use them for their own working capital, loopholes remain.

These gaps, which came to light when Ebert Construction, went under in 2018, are being addressed by the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Bill, which has been working its way through Parliament since June 2021 and may be enacted this year.

Until the Act is amended, however, subcontractors should be aware that the current Construction Contracts Act does not automatically create a trust for retention monies, which would legally separate these funds from the company’s assets.

Request financial information “As the law stands, there are still issues with how retentions are being handled, and a lot depends on the record keeping of the holding company,” says Jonathan Forsey, Special Counsel at Duncan Cotterill in Christchurch.

“Enforcement of obligations is difficult but there are still steps parties who are having retentions held can do to help their position.

“The Act as it stands does enable a party which has retentions held to request financial information confirming this is the case, and the holding party is obliged to provide it.

“This is an easy thing to do and should be regularly checked.”

$190,000 by ADC, which has since been paid by the developers. Derek says he thinks it is hard for subcontractors who have successfully tendered for a project to then front up to the head contractor and ask them to reveal their finances.

His business tries to avoid having retention monies held on them, preferring to use bonds.

“We put the money in our bank account as a term deposit, which is then tied to the builder,” explains Derek. “That way, the money is there for the builder if we don’t perform or go bankrupt.”

He admits that not all builders will accept bonds but, for subcontractors who do use this option, it is vital to include a termination date. “Otherwise, the money can be held by the builder in perpetuity,” he warns.

In an ideal world, Derek Plimmer would like to see New Zealand adopting the same practice as in Queensland, Australia, where a project bank account is set up before construction work starts, with money deposited to cover the cost of the contract plus a 10% overrun provision. “Bills are approved by the builder

and paid from the project account direct— never from the builder’s account,” he explains.

Seek wider support Colleen Upton of Hutt Gas and Plumbing, which lost hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight in the Mainzeal collapse, advises anyone caught up in the Armstrong Downes liquidation to seek support and be open with their staff.

Colleen notes that while it was one of the worst times of her life, it was also one of the best things to happen because it made the business carry out a serious and urgent re-evaluation.

“We sought help too—our accountant, a business mentor, and other colleagues,” she says. “We decided very early on that we wanted to move our model from 100% commercial to 50/50 commercial and domestic to aid cashflow.”

“Don’t try and hold it all in, don’t try and do everything yourself—and don’t feel like you have failed and beat yourself up,” says Colleen. “It is a team effort to turn around after something like this.”

Consider using bonds Derek Plimmer, who runs Plimmer Plumbing in Wellington, was owed

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Take steps to ensure your retention monies don’t melt away in the event of a major construction company collapse.

IntelliStation digital mixing solutions enable the safe, efficient delivery of hot water in commercial and institutional facilities. Both products have the same functionality, but at different flow capacities. The IntelliStation, with its large-capacity valves, is designed for use in hospitals, universities, and large hotels.

The only touchscreen interface on the market with IoT capabilities through Watts OnSite mobile and web applications.

IntelliStation Jr. valves have a smaller flow capacity best suited for use in nursing homes, schools, and hotels.

For more information on this product visit hydroflow.co.nz or scan the qr code.

by

plumbingworld

$

CONFERENCE SUMMARY

I

t was full steam ahead for the 2022 New Zealand Plumbing Conference in Rotorua this June, as attendees arrived in droves at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre for three days of back-toback speakers, sessions and social activities. For partners, there was the Partner Activity Programme

Conference 2022

The stunning geothermal landscape of Rotorua formed the backdrop for the 2022 New Zealand Plumbing Conference in June, which attracted record numbers.

to be enjoyed on the first day, including a tour of Whakarewarewa Village, followed by lunch and a soak in the hot pools at the Polynesian Spa. Over the next few pages, NZ Plumber brings you some of the highlights from the conference and the Master Plumbers Annual General Meeting.

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YEAR IN REVIEW Plumbing industry workforce shortages, personal wellbeing, and succession planning were key themes at the Master Plumbers AGM, as the organisation reported back on the 2021 year.

D

elegates from among the 18 Master Plumbers Branches and Associations attended the Master Plumbers Annual General Meeting in Rotorua in mid-June, at the start of the 2022 NZ Plumbing Conference.

In his report on the previous year, national president Jon Lewis said that, whilst the Covid environment had been challenging, the organisation’s results were good, thanks to a great job by CEO Greg Wallace and his team.

Jon highlighted the need for plumbing businesses to consider succession planning.

“Think about your younger people and put the effort in to train them well,” he said. “We need a lot more apprentices.”

In his directors’ report, chair Craig Foley said wellbeing support was huge on

the agenda for the benefit of the entire Master Plumbers membership, and it was great to have Wellbeing Guy Kereama Carmody on board.

Craig also reminded all members of the importance of following the Master Plumbers Code of Conduct, both for their customers and for employee retention.

For CEO Greg Wallace, a highlight of 2021 had been the record growth in member numbers, with many businesses realising the value of membership during the Covid environment.

He said the 2021 membership survey had shown the key issues for the sector to be workforce shortages, supply restraints and consent delays.

Whilst apprentice numbers had increased significantly, largely as a result

In his report, CEO Greg Wallace said 2021 had been a challenging but rewarding year, with a 19.4% growth in Master Plumbers membership.

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At the AGM, Greg Wallace acknowledged Life Members Ray Galt (left) and Mark Whitehead for their wealth of knowledge and all their efforts on behalf of Master Plumbers.

of the Apprenticeship Boost scheme, Greg noted that there was on average a ninemonth delay for qualification completions.

Tutor shortages and Covid restrictions had had an enormous impact on block course delivery, and the transition to the new RoVE training model in October was also likely to cause disruption.

Greg thanked Mark Whitehead and Colleen Upton for their outstanding apprenticeship advocacy as part of the PGD strategic group for the Waihanga Ara Rau construction and infrastructure Workforce Development Council. “We know there are problems and fixing them will take time, but the industry has a strong voice,” he said.

In finishing, Greg thanked all Master Plumbers Business Partners for their continuing support, which enable the organisation to provide a wide range of member services, including lobbying, marketing and training courses.

Masterlink chair Dave Strong reported on a strong year for the Master Plumbers-owned group apprentice training company, with record growth in apprentice numbers and a good number of qualification completions.

Despite an end in sight for the government’s Apprenticeship Boost

Conference 2022 AGM

THANKING ALL CONFERENCE SPONSORS

Master Plumbers would like to thank all 2022 conference sponsors for their significant contribution and support:

The 2022-23 Master Plumbers Board, from left: Dave Strong, Martin de Gouw, Sarah Jamieson, Jon Lewis, Craig Foley, Sam Tyson, Dale Lovell, Grayson Allen.

Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Board 2022-23 Following an online ballot of the Master Plumbers membership, the eight elected board directors were announced at the AGM for the 2022-23 term. Sarah Jamieson of BOP Plumbing was welcomed as a new director.

CEO Greg Wallace thanked Rod Miller for funding, Dave said businesses still needed to take on new apprentices. “If no one develops plumbers, we can only steal them from others,” he said.

Dave noted the positive feedback Masterlink had received around its wellbeing support. “The days of being told to take a concrete pill and harden up are

his huge commitment to the board over the past eight years and acknowledged his technical knowledge and expertise. He also thanked John DeBernardo for his immense and invaluable service to the Board and the membership. gone,” he said. “I encourage all members to look after themselves, their staff and their work environment.”

Masterlink had been able to increase its staff levels in 2021 and Dave thanked the team for doing a great job. “We’ve grown into probably the best apprentice training scheme in the country,” he said.

Plumbing World New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner Mico Welcome Night Dinner Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner MM Brands Keynote Speaker Dr Paul Wood Iplex Pipelines Keynote Speaker Sir Ian Taylor Makita Product Showcase Hydroflow Product Showcase Rheem Women in Plumbing Programme Englefield/Kohler Conference Bag Methven Caroma Friday Leisure Activity: Canopy Tour Ziplining Masterlink Friday Leisure Activity: Mountain Biking Masterlink Catering: Morning & Afternoon Teas, Lunches, & Friday Breakfast Crombie Lockwood Coffee Cart

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Keynote speaker and out-of-the-box thinker Sir Ian Taylor, sponsored by Iplex Pipelines, said he was blown away by the innovation on display at the plumbing conference trade show.

The importance of diversity and inclusion in the plumbing industry was the topic at this year’s Women in Plumbing panel discussion, sponsored by Rheem.

ACTION CENTRAL! The chance to network, socialise, and hear from first-rate speakers is what makes the annual NZ Plumbing Conference such an industry drawcard.

Adversity is the catalyst of growth, said Dr Paul Wood in his keynote presentation, sponsored by MM Brands.

The Mico Welcome Night Dinner was held at Te Puia, where guests could enjoy a spectacular illuminated view of steaming geysers from the restaurant balcony (below).

More than $20,000 was raised for children’s charity Make-a-Wish at the live and silent auctions held during the Mico Welcome Night Dinner.

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Conference 2022 SESSIONS & SOCIALS

W

ith the Mico Welcome Night Dinner at Te Puia, the Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner at Skyline Rotorua and three Friday afternoon leisure activity options, there was no shortage of good fun, food and friendship to be enjoyed at the 2022 NZ Plumbing Conference.

Keynote speaker Dr Paul Wood had the audience absorbed by his story of delinquent to doctor and mental fitness coach. Paul had heaps of practical tips to share on how to build resilience and make personal changes for the better. “The brain’s capacity to change itself is mindblowing,” he said.

Sir Ian Taylor was equally engaging, explaining how the footsteps we lay down in his past create the paving stones where we stand today. For Sir Ian that began as a singer in a rock ‘n’ roll band and led to becoming one of New Zealand’s foremost innovators, developing computer animation technologies that are used by sporting events around the world.

Here’s just a snapshot of some of the action from the three-day conference, held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre in June.

Hosts with the most: Kirby Maxwell and Emma Ngatai of Marley NZ at the ‘70s-themed Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner, held at the fabulous Rotorua Skyline.

Among the best-dressed prize winners were Kiss, aka Hayden Maxey of Maxey Plumbing & Gas and Lance Bennett of Aquatherm, and Elton John, aka Andrew Durrans (below).

Setting off for a boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana in the geothermal wonderland of the Waimangu Volcanic Valley.

Thrills (and spills) on the mountain biking adventure in Whakarewarewa Forest.

Enjoying the Canopy Tours ziplining experience.

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Accessories pictured are for demonstration purposes only

2041_PNT_21_Master Plumber Ad_F2.indd 1

24/05/22 9:18 AM

Conference 2022 EXHIBITORS

Record numbers exhibited at the 2022 trade show.

Innovation Conference attendees were treated to an impressive array of innovative technologies at the 2022 trade exhibition.

There was a record number of exhibitors at the 2022 New Zealand Plumbing Conference.

The trade show ran for the full day on the Thursday, with all morning teas, lunches and afternoon teas served in the exhibition

space to allow attendees maximum viewing time. This was followed by a conference breakfast in the hall on Friday morning— plus plenty of trade stand games, prizes and promotions along the way.

Master Plumbers would like to give a huge thanks to all the exhibitors who attended the event: 43South All Controls (NZ) Allproof Industries APD Apex Valves Aqualine Aquatherm Buteline CablePrice Caroma CHASNZ Dux Industries Englefield Fergus Firstgas Group Greens Tapware Hydroflow Hyundai New Zealand Industry Connection for Excellence

Kohler Makita Marley Master Plumbers Masterlink Methven Mico Milwaukee Mitsubishi Electric MM Brands Mobil pH7 Plumbing World Rheem Rinnai RWC SFA New Zealand SimPRO St Michel Vodafone Waterware

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Conference 2022 NZ PLUMBING AWARDS

This year’s awards night dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World, was held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre on Friday 17 June—with over 360 guests in attendance!

The calibre of entries was extremely high for this year’s 2022 New Zealand Plumbing Awards, and we congratulate all the deserving winners!

Masterful MC Paddy Gower (right) with, from left Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace, his Executive Assistant Verity Vender, and conference organiser Fleur Nicholas.

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A warm welcome to the latest in our Rinnai INFINITY® residential range.

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

The Rinnai INFINITY® EF26 provides a condensing hot water solution for residential applications, using 11% less energy* and weighing 30% less**. * When compared to the A26 ** When compared to the EF24

2022 Master Plumber of the Year

2022 Jackson Women in Plumbing Award

AND THE WINNER IS:

AND THE WINNER IS

BOI Plumbing and Gas – Kerikeri

2022 Graeme Victor Smith Contribution to the Industry

2022 Product of the Year AND THE WINNER IS:

AND THE WINNER IS:

StormSlab from APD

McBeth Plumbing & Gas, Taupo

City 50 range from St Michel

Ralph McBeth

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Helen Mitchell

nzplumber

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Conference 2022 NZ PLUMBING AWARDS

2022 Outstanding Project of the Year

2022 Plumber, Gasfitter or Drainlayer of the Year

AND THE WINNER IS:

AND THE WINNER IS:

2022 Training Leader of the Year

New Plymouth

The Drainage Department, Mt Maunganui

Auckland Plumbers Group

Climate & Plumbing The Floatation Sanctuary, New Plymouth

Sam Arundel

AND THE WINNER IS:

Tom Berkley

2022 James Douglas Medallion AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Plumbing Finalist & Overall Winner

Ryan Wilson (centre) Hutt Gas & Plumbing

Gasfitting Finalist

Kane Milburn

(award accepted on Kane’s behalf by company owner Alister Transom, right)

Manawatu Plumbing & Maintenance Drainlaying Finalist

Henry Rombouts (left) Laser Plumbing Cambridge

2022 Plumbing World Scholarships AND THE WINNERS ARE:

James Moore (right)

(Overall Winner) EG Glennie & Co, Wellington

Bayley Wilkie (centre) Laser Plumbing Te Puke

Jedric Haymes (left)

Plumbing Services Nelson nzplumber

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BE A MASTER PLUMBER

Be the best you can be - for your customers, your staff and your business.

Branding – logo and vehicle decals Fuel discounts with Mobilcard Business Partner deals exclusive to members Master Plumbers health & safety app Health & Safety resources and support Technical support from PGD experts Job leads from our Find a Plumber search tool 12 month consumer guarantee HR resources, guidelines and support Advocating for member and industry interests Networking opportunities Professional development training Latest industry news

Find out more at masterplumbers.org.nz or call 0800 502 102

On the tools

TOOLBOX TIP

POWER TOOL SAFETY A quick H&S tip to share with your team.

Cordless power tools can be worth their weight in gold on a building site, but the high-power lithiumion batteries that make these devices possible are responsible for a growing number of fires, says BRANZ. Tools with the battery in place (and even spare batteries) sitting in the sun in the back of vehicles, where temperatures can reach 40°C in warmer months, can be a fire risk. Batteries left charging for extended periods, such as overnight, are also causing problems.

Fire & Emergency New Zealand is being called out to a rapidly growing number of incidents around lithium-ion batteries, some involving power tools.

To maximise the life of a cordless tool and reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires:

Don’t leave tools in locations where they can get very hot Make sure to use the right charger for the battery Don’t leave them connected to chargers for extremely long periods Use only recommended batteries, not cheaper counterfeits Dispose of batteries properly—don’t add to ordinary rubbish.

Finally, avoid subjecting a battery to excessive mechanical shock and/or vibration. Cracked, dented and/or compressed batteries can catch fire unexpectedly at any time.

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On the tools BEHIND THE WALL

TECHNICAL THEME

CCTV inspection using a high-definition camera attached to a flexible pushrod.

Why modern CCTV pipe inspection methods have the edge over other testing options.

AUTHOR: MICHAEL SNOOK

A

t home, at work, and at the buildings we visit every day, there are pipe network systems above, below and around us providing water, drainage, electrical cable protection and air conditioning 24 hours a day.

Pipe damage can occur from a variety of factors: digging, plant root growth, earthquakes, vehicular damage, maintenance accidents and more. A variety of NDT (Nondestructive Testing) inspection methods are commonly used to check pipes for damage. These include: Hydrostatic testing – filling the pipe with a non-compressible fluid to exceed normal pressure and check for defects. This requires strict testing procedures and can be difficult in existing networks Ultrasonic testing – Using an ultrasonic tester to send a signal down a metallic pipe and analysing the returning signal. This requires specialist equipment and training.

CCTV pipe inspection – A modern, effective and reportable method of inspecting pipe networks. Using a high-definition camera attached to a flexible pushrod, you can clearly see down a pipe to identify potential and actual breaks, blockages and damage in metallic and plastic pipes, ducts and conduits.

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CCTV pipe inspection advantages CCTV inspection provides a clear visual from inside the pipeline, enabling you to quickly determine the cause and recommend repairs or replacement of the affected area.

A good modern system will allow you to record in high definition, with wireless options for sending video directly to your device for further inspection and analysis, on or off site. A camera that features a built-in sonde will allow the user to trace a camera’s position (with appropriate receiver). This enables you to identify the path of buried and hidden pipelines, drastically reducing time spent hunting for the location of the pipe.

With all this technology combined, users can identify and rectify potentially dangerous issues quickly and effectively, without specialist equipment and training.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael Snook has been in the electrical industry for 20 years. For the past 10 years, he has specialised in test and measurement as a Sales Engineer at Pro-Test Instruments Ltd in Auckland, who supply, support and service products from a wide range of leading brands. Find out more at www.pro-test.co.nz and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

UNIVERSAL SHOWER SOLUTIONS COLUMN SHOWER RETRO FIT CONVERSION KIT To use as an easy conversion when replacing an existing shower to utilise the current water inlet. Compatible with Uno, Splash and Splash Plus Square or Round column showers.

Available in Chrome, Brushed Nickel and Black.

COLUMN EXTENSION Rear inlet too low? Here is the perfect solution if the water inlet or the overhead shower is too low. The column rail is secured into the diverter valve with a grub screw. Loosen screw, lift column rail and insert extension piece into diverter valve. Refit column rail into extension piece and tighten two grub screws. Available in Chrome, Brushed Nickel and Black.

+ 200MM

STORAGE SHELF A handy storage shelf features an edge lip for securing items, plus side drainage holes to remove excess water. Two options to fit either 25mm or 30mm rail. Available in 5 finishes: Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Gun Metal, Black and Brushed Brass.

Distributed by:

PH: FAX: EMAIL:

+64 (0)9 573 0490 +64 (0)9 573 0495 sales@robertson.co.nz

DOUBLE CHECK VALVE WALL ELBOW A backflow prevention device designed to protect water supplies from contamination.

It consists of two autonomously acting, spring-loaded check valves. Available in Chrome, Brushed Nickel and Black.

AUCKLAND 25 Vestey Drive Mt Wellington

WELLINGTON 23 Marion St Te Aro

On the tools BEHIND THE WALL

TECHNICAL THEME

dBlue® is WaterMark certified, recyclable, and designed to be installed in accordance with AS/NZS 3500.2.

KEEPING THE NOISE DOWN The New Zealand trend towards medium density developments comes with particular plumbing considerations, as Marley explains.

O

ur cities are changing as we move to higher density housing in New Zealand. The number of building consents for townhouses, terraced houses and low rise apartments exceeds the ones for detached housing in Auckland and this scenario is likely to be replicated in other major cities in the country as councils in our largest urban areas will be adopting Medium Density Residential Standards to increase housing supply.

Medium density housing means more people living in close proximity, increasing the need to minimise noise transmission.

The prevention of undue noise transmission is regulated in Clause G6 of the New Zealand Building Code (NZBC).

To assist with noise reduction, Marley offers the dBlue® Acoustic Plumbing System, which is designed to minimise the transfer of both airborne (internal acoustic) and structure-borne

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(acoustic resonance) noise from sanitary and drainage plumbing applications. As such, it is particularly suitable for intertenancy applications in medium density developments.

The dBlue system is a triple layer pipe structure that offers a combination of acoustic performance, weight, chemical and temperature resistance with mechanical strength. It also has a siphon boss gully trap of the same design as the Marley OPTIM® Compakt®. Both are shorter than the traditional boss gully traps as they don’t require bulky gully bends. As a result, the system allows for more useable space in the building.

With the dBlue® Acoustic Plumbing System there is no need for lagging on site, resulting in less install time, less material used and less space required (in between levels)—and no need for lagging contractors on site to achieve the same acoustic outcome.

Marley’s dBlue® helps to minimise noise transmission in buildings.

A – Airborne noise B – Structureborne noise (acoustic resonance) C – Transfer of acoustic waves onto the building structure (rooms)

The system is a ring joint system, making it quicker to connect and with no solvent to deal with. It also has high chemical and temperature resistance (up to 90°C and down to -10°C), making it suitable for buildings with commercial kitchens, such as rest homes, and for use in hot waste removal. The pipes, fittings and seals can be used continuously at 90°C and up to 95°C for brief periods.

Marley dBlue® is 100% recyclable and has been independently tested by CSIRO. The system meets the Australian Rw + Ctr 25 and 40 benchmarks without the need for lagging when separated from the living space by an industry standard ceiling or wall structure.

The system is not intended for exposed installations. To meet acoustic requirements in habitable areas, the system must be separated from the living space by an industry standard Other tips to consider when ceiling or wall structure. designing and/or building a Marley’s dBlue® Acoustic medium density project: Plumbing System is BRANZ 1. Avoid bend on pipes going appraised (No.610) and straight down meets the 15-year durability 2. The depth of the midfloor requirement of the NZBC.

Mains Pressure Vitreous Enamel

Vitreous Enamel provides the best corrosion resistance to a wide range of water conditions

QUICK TIPS

is important for the pipe diameter and its falls 3. Maintain pipes separated from the structure.

For design details and additional technical information, refer to marley.co.nz

•

•

Available in 25L - 300L capacities Designed and manufactured in New Zealand

Visit rheem.co.nz or call 0800 657 336

GULLY

BOSS NZ

MADE

224

When space is an issue.

The original BossGully made by Allproof for over 10 years

LAUNDRY OUTLET BOX

WM 74706 AS2887

40 GLUE TRAP mm

AVAILABLE

Designed to keep pipework tidy and compact.

NZ

MADE allproof.com

On the tools BEHIND THE WALL

TECHNICAL THEME

Redundant water pipe

SAFETY

Redundant pipework left by plumbers is considered a persistent and often critical source of risk within our water systems, as the Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Board explains.

W

hen piping is left unused or rarely used, it does not have a regular flow of water running through it. This can lead to stagnant water sitting in the pipe works.

Stagnant pipes provide the ideal environment for Legionella bacteria to grow.

When Legionella bacteria forms in the deadlegs of a redundant water pipe, it can be drawn into the flowing water, which leads to the active outlets in the building. From here, people can breathe in the mist from the water that contains the bacteria and get Legionnaires’ disease.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include a persistent cough, chest pain, fever, difficulty breathing and other flu-like symptoms. Those more at risk include people with an impaired immune system, older people, smokers, and those with chronic respiratory disorders.

Plumbers should always remove redundant Combination pipes where possible. If it isn’t possible to boiler remove the redundant pipe, plumbers should keep the dead leg as short as possible.

As the plumber, it is your responsibility to keep your client safe. If your client is hesitant due to the amount of work or costs involved in addressing these issues, explain to them the potential health risks they face.

Thermostatic mixers

Sink Toilet

Bath

Dead leg Sink Sink Toilet

Rising main

Find more guidance about Legionella on the Ministry of Health website.

On the tools BEHIND THE WALL

TECHNICAL THEME

Space is often at a premium in modern laundries, calling for innovative solutions to incorporate appliances in a visually appealing way. Allproof provides installation advice on its Laundry Outlet Box, which enables laundry services to be mounted behind wall linings in homes and apartments.

AUTHOR: ANDREW SMITH, ALLPROOF INDUSTRIES

M

odern buildings have greater requirements for space utilisation, and the traditional laundry room with abundant space and a tub is not always achievable in these designs. With the omission of the laundry tub, the go-to solution of a standpipe and surface-mounted taps is unsightly and takes up floor space, which is at a premium. The surface-mounted taps step into the space and the standpipe is at risk of being damaged, causing leaks and possible tracking of water into adjacent properties or rooms.

The design of the Allproof Laundry Outlet Box allows for these services to be mounted behind the wall linings, increasing usable space and giving a flush line for appliances to be installed into the tightest spaces. Hot and cold taps and discharge pipe are integrated into the injection moulded body, which is fixed to noggings prior to lining. Once lined, a stainless steel or plastic cover plate hides the edge of the wallboard or tile.

The outlet box should be situated higher than the highest water level in the appliance to prevent siphoning. Plumbing of hot and cold feed can be achieved from above or below and the discharge pipe is brought up from below as per 13.25.1 AS/NZS 3500.2:2018.

The use of Allproof’s 40mm glued trap removes the requirement for an access hatch to service a mechanical jointed water seal. The water trap should be located as close as practicable to the bottom plate, or even below the floor to remove the risk of suds building up and overflowing the outlet. The maximum developed length of the discharge pipe should not exceed 1.2m or be located in a separate room (3.3.1 G13/AS1 and AS/NZS 3500.2:2018 clause 6.5).

A floor waste should be provided, and can be charged by the Laundry Outlet Box, vanity or shower. The floor waste will act as an emergency drain due to the blockage of an outlet in the room and is not intended to provide protection for a failure of a fixture or fitting—a pipe burst for example.

Smart use of fittings adds to the useable space in a building.

Removing standpipes and surface-mounted taps means appliances can be pushed back against the wall. The recessed box keeps the services tidy and improves the appearance of the laundry space.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Andrew Smith is Specifications Manager at Allproof Industries. For any questions, feel free to contact Andrew at andrew.smith@allproof.co.nz or 021 625 852.

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This cutaway shows how the Allproof Laundry Outlet Box helps increase usable space and give a flush line for appliances.

FUSION PLUS®

TECHNOLOGY Truly future proof New & Improved • Now works from 20kPa • Increased performance • Smoother control

Saves Time & Money One Mixer for All Designed for all pressures — including unequal Full Front of Wall Access For easy maintenance & future mains pressure upgrades

Pictured: Linea Fusion Plus® Shower Mixer | Patented New Zealand No. 605175

S C A N H E R E TO L E A R N M O R E | W W W. F E LTO N . C O. N Z

THE LATEST IN NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE PGD INDUSTRY. APD StormSlim® APD StormSlim® is the perfect above ground tank for compact spaces!

StormSlim® is an innovative stormwater detention and retention system designed to manage rainwater and stormwater when outdoor space is at a premium. StormSlim®’s compact dimensions mean you can maximise the use of the outdoor space available without the visual impact of unsightly tanks.

The tanks come in a variety of colours to match or complement the home. With multiple sizes available to suit any space, they can also be concealed in cladding or fencing by simply fixing framework to the galvanised support frames.

StormSlim® tanks are designed and made in New Zealand, manufactured to AS/NZS 4766:2020 from water tank grade PE material suitable for potable water, and are engineered to meet the seismic requirements of Zone 1, soil type D. Talk to the team at APD today on 09 263 7741 to find out more about the StormSlim® range, or visit www.apd.co.nz

Makita Max Brushless Right Angle Drill

Kohler expands Components collection Components from Kohler is a full collection for the contemporary bathroom and is now available in a new modern brushed brass finish, along with brushed nickel and polished chrome. The collection invites homeowners to design their own signature look by combining a basin spout with their style of handles.

The different spout and handle combinations within this curated collection allow homeowners to bring a touch of their own personality into the room. All basin mixers and spouts are aerated and have a WELS rating of 5 stars (6L per minute).

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The 40V Max Brushless Right Angle Drill (DA001G) from Makita offers freedom from the cord for demanding drilling applications. A Makita-built brushless motor, two-speed transmission, and variable speeds (0-350 RPM, 0-1,400 RPM), deliver for maximum efficiency and wide range of drilling applications. It can drill up to 159mm holes with hole saws and 118mm holes with self-feed bits.

Added features include a torque limiter to reduce gear damage, soft start for smooth start-ups, an electric brake for maximum productivity, and dual LED lights to illuminate the work area. It includes a side handle which attaches to either side of the tool.

The drill features Extreme Protection Technology (XPT™), a series of integrated seals designed to improve a tool’s operation in harsh conditions. Water and solid debris that enter a tool are redirected through carefully engineered channels and ducts to prevent damage to key components, such as triggers, motors, and other electronics.

On the tools PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Dux expands grease management offering...

Allproof expands Sureflow & VRTW roof drain range Allproof has expanded their range of heat applied membrane compatible PVC roof drains to include new 88° outlets and sizes.

This update introduces a 65mm and 80mm Thick Walled Vinylrite (VRTW) with 88° outlet. The VRTW is an excellent choice for internal gutter and balcony applications due to its smaller overall diameter and thick-walled body, allowing for heat applied roofing membranes. In addition to this, a 100mm x 88° Sureflow has been introduced to the range, providing more flexibility to the Sureflow offering with a compact 100mm side outlet drain body.

The 88° outlets add versatility by reducing the overall depth should side outlets be required. The PVC drain bodies feature solvent connection ends to ensure a watertight installation and connection to pipework. By integrating the 88° outlet within the drain body it can reduce the overall depth by up to 100mm, which in turn can provide significant design advantages in compact roof and balcony cavities.

Introducing the Endura Solids Interceptor, Solids Basket Accessory, and Endura Sediment Trap! Designed to intercept solids and general debris from wastewater before it enters the Grease Converter/Trap to enhance the level of grease interception performance.

The Solids Interceptor (GCESOLINT) comes pre-assembled with a Solids Basket Accessory (GCEBASKET) and is used as a standalone tank, designed to be installed upstream of a grease interceptor to capture solids and general debris. The Solids Basket Accessory can also be fitted directly into an Endura Grease Converter to provide a Solids and Grease Interception solution where space is restricted.

The Sediment Trap (GCESEDTRAP) is used to separate fine sediments, such as coffee grinds, plaster, and general debris, from wastewater where grease isn’t present to prevent blockages in the plumbing and sewer systems. www.dux.co.nz/grease

GCESOLINT

GCEBASKET

GCESEDTRAP

Waterware supports commercial sector WetZone – Commercial Projects has been developed by Waterware to support the commercial building sector with a variety of high-quality products for their projects.

Waterware’s latest release, Pioneer by Tune, offers durability and functionality, and has been developed to support a move to lead-free conscious builds, making it safe for users and the environment.

Pioneer is manufactured in high-quality, corrosion-resistant stainless steel, both for the front-of-wall fixings and the behind-the-wall mixing valve castings. It has been designed to give the construction industry style options, with an extended colour palette, while meeting the desired price points.

Future additions are planned, offering further colours, a choice of faceplates and handle options, including texture and detailing—keeping pace with Waterware’s desire to offer unique solutions.

The colour palette includes chrome, brushed stainless, matte black, gun metal, antique copper and soon-tobe-released brushed gold. The product range includes basin mixers, bath spouts, rain showers, shower diverters, shower towers, shower/bath mixers, wall mount basin mixers, slide showers and kitchens mixers. nzplumber

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On the tools PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Heat pump comfort & efficiency Temperature compensation Waterware ecoTEC gas and aroTHERM air-to-water heat pumps feature temperature compensation—a new style of control system that reduces running costs and increases comfort relative to previous generation thermostat-based systems. Rather than reacting to the current temperature in the building, temperature compensation works proactively by predicting how much heat is required in the building to keep a constant temperature. It adjusts the water temperature of the system rather than just turning it on or turning it off—and, by running continuously at a much lower temperature, efficiency can be increased by more than 25%.

Dew point management Dew point management is another key feature of the aroTHERM airto-water heat pump, preventing condensation from forming on radiant cooling surfaces. The system measures the indoor temperature and humidity and calculates a theoretical dew point where condensation will be produced. This value is then used to set the system water temperature, which is circulated to the radiant cooling system. This is

Two NEW ranges of Buteline fittings

calculated dynamically and changes in real time as the indoor conditions change—maximising the power and safety of the radiant cooling system.

Contact Waterware for more information on 0800 Waterware; waterware.co.nz

BTM18X

Copper Press Extended Male Adaptor The engineers at Buteline have been working on designing the new Copper Press Extended Male Adaptor. This range of Buteline to copper transition fittings are available in Australian copper sizes and are extremely easy to use because of their Copper Press method.

1. BTM18X: 15mm Bute x ½”Au Cu 2. BTM22X: 20mm Bute x ¾”Au Cu The new extended male wingback elbows are used in masonry and brick construction buildings where a longer thread might be needed.

1. WM200: ½”BSP x 15mm x 200mm 2. WM202: ¾”BSP x 20mm x 200mm

BTM22X

WM200

PF1515: 15mm BUTE x 15mm NZ CU

WM202

PF2020: 20mm BUTE x 20mm NZ CU

Copper Push-Fit Adaptors Buteline has responded to the plumber’s request for an easy adaptor fitting to fit on a copper pipe.

They have developed a fast and easy connector to connect Buteline & Pexline to copper pipe. For the ease of the plumber, they have also colour coded the copper tail end to black for NZ size and orange for AU size copper pipe. These have also been rated at 1600KPa @ 20 degrees and tested by the quality assurance team at 1.5 times the rated pressure.

Available in NZ & AU sizes Available in 15, 16 & 20mm Quick, easy and reliable No requirement for Hot Works Permit Perfect for retrofits.

Visit your nearest plumbing merchant or go online at www.buteline.co.nz to learn more about these innovative fittings.

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PF1515A: 15mm BUTE x 15mm AU CU

PF2020A: 20mm BUTE x 20mm AU CU

PPF1615: 16mm PEX x 15mm NZ CU

PPF2020: 20mm PEX x 20mm NZ CU

PPF1615A: 16mm PEX x 15mm AU CU

PPF2020A: 20mm PEX x 20mm AU CU

Green Reverse Osmosis System The Pentair GRO-2550 system includes the new high-performance Green RO encapsulated membrane, providing high quality reverse osmosis water while wasting three times less water to the drain compared to a standard membrane.

The pre-filter reduces particles to prolong the life of the RO membrane, which separates water molecules from dissolved salts and minerals. The RO filtered water is sent to the storage tank until you need it. When you turn on the drinking water tap, the filtered water from the storage tank is sent through a carbon polishing filter which provides final taste and odour filtration before the water reaches your glass. Cleaner, fresher water whenever you want it!

Please contact sales@taylor-purification.nz for further details.

ADVERTISEMENT

A PROUD PARTNER OF THE COPPER MARK.

As the demand for copper increases so to has the industry’s commitment to responsibly produced copper. The Copper Mark responsible production program now provides the framework to demonstrate that commitment and is why MM Kembla is proud to be a partner of The Copper Mark.

D

esigned for and in participation with the copper industry, The Copper Mark aims to demonstrate and improve the industry’s contribution to sustainable development over time by assessing the performance of copper mines and refiners against responsible production criteria and verifying performance through the Copper Mark Assurance Process.

Through The Copper Mark, investors in copper production and copper consumers will be able to make informed decisions about responsibly produced copper in their supply chains, recognise and demonstrate their support for committed suppliers, and make positive contributions to sustainable development.

MM Brands is proud to provide you with leading piping, plumbing and building brands and products.

Get whatever you and your customers need in one order, delivered quickly no matter where you are located in New Zealand. For more information go to: www.mmbrands.co.nz MM Brands a division of Metal Manufactures Ltd

MM Kembla’s Executive General Manager Tony Bova believes The Copper Mark will not only hold the industry accountable for its practices but also help customers and copper consumers make informed decisions on what they are purchasing. “ We strongly believe our customers will always choose responsibly produced products if it can be demonstrated to them. The Copper Mark program now provides the avenue for copper mines to demonstrate their commitment to responsible production and just as importantly help fabricators, resellers and users of copper make an informed decision on their source of supply.

The intention of The Copper Mark program is to have created a “Chain of Custody” NORTH ISLAND MM Brands - Auckland (Head Office) 263 Ti Rakau Drive, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013. P.O.Box 51-525, Pakuranga, Auckland 2140.

Phone: +64 9 274 0111 or 0800 536 252 Fax: +64 9 274 0347 Email: sales@mmbrands.co.nz www.facebook.com/mmbrandsnz

system by 2022, whereby manufacturers and fabricators like MM Kembla can further demonstrate their commitment to responsible production processes.

MM Kembla has a rich manufacturing history in Australia and we pride ourselves in supplying the highest quality copper tube – that often starts with decisions that focus on reputable and responsible sources of supply.

All our copper cathode is sourced from BHP Olympic Dam in South Australia, one of the sites included in BHP’s letter of commitment to The Copper Mark. It has also been pleasing to see the support of other organisations that use or rely on copper in their business like Google, Intel and Ford Motor Company. who are now Copper Mark Partners.”

SOUTH ISLAND MM Brands - Christchurch 9 Syd Bradley Road, Dakota Park, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch 8142.

P.O.Box 51-525, Pakuranga, Auckland 2140.

Phone: +64 3 341 1271 Fax: +64 3 341 1271 Email: sales@mmbrands.co.nz www.instagram.com/mmbrandsnz

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

GOLD PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

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MEMBER BENEFIT

FUEL FOR LESS

Master Plumbers

To celebrate the 10-year partnership between Master Plumbers and Mobilcard, members can enjoy additional fuel savings through to 31 August.

When it comes to fuel savings, the Master Plumbers Mobilcard is worth its weight in gold.

If your business is guzzling through gasoline, a fuel card is a great choice. Members of Master Plumbers enjoy significant savings on petrol and diesel with the Master Plumbers Mobilcard.

12 cents per litre discount on petrol and diesel at the pump price, OR 20 cents per litre discount on diesel at the national price.

Track expenses easily with one monthly invoice instead of many receipts.

Mobilcard also provides reliable online tools that help you sidestep the paperwork. You get accurate fleet and fuel information automatically—and every Mobilcard can be customised and designated to a particular vehicle, or for a driver to use in any vehicle.

PINs are provided on all cards as well as purchase restrictions, transaction limits, daily spend limits and monthly spend limits on each card.

ENJOY EXTRA SAVINGS UNTIL 31 AUGUST!

Until 31 August 2022, Master Plumbers members can save even more with their Master Plumbers Mobilcard, with 15c per litre off the pump price for petrol and 23c per litre off the national price for diesel!

The Master Plumbers Mobilcard is accepted at over 350 Mobil acceptor sites across New Zealand. Find all locations at www.mobil.co.nz/en-nz/find-station

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AWARD WINNERS, MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES, NEW BUSINESS PARTNERS AND MORE...

Zane Britton and partner Rachel Watson of BOI Plumbing and Gas were absolutely thrilled to collect the 2022 New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year trophy at the NZ Plumbing Awards.

2022 NZ Plumbing Awards winners Master Plumbers congratulates all finalists and winners at this year’s New Zealand Plumbing Awards. We are delighted to announce that BOI Plumbing and Gas is the 2022 New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year. Owner Zane Britton began his career as an apprentice in 2000, setting up his business in 2018 on returning to New Zealand with his partner Rachel Watson and their young son after 12 years working in Australia. In the past year,

NEW GOLD PARTNER 43South Master Plumbers is excited to be partnering with 43South.

43South is a New Zealand family owned and operated pump and filtration business focused on delivering a brilliant customer experience.

Their story started in 2017, bringing a fresh approach to the industry. With

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the business has grown staff numbers from three to 10, with five technicians, two apprentices, a skilled labourer and two office staff able to offer more services to the Northland community.

warehouses located in Christchurch and Auckland, the company specialises in pumps, motors, filtration, and aquatic products and pride themselves on their family of brands. They also value building great relationships with their distributors and customers. Without them, their business would not be possible.

The team at 43South has an active part in the local community, supporting charities and organisations close to home.

They’re here to help, here when you need them, and here for the long haul!

You and your customers can rely on a high level of technical support and local industry knowledge. 43South will ensure

Turn to page 24 to discover all the winners on the night and look out for a profile of BOI Plumbing and Gas in the next edition.

you get the right pump for the right job! Bigger isn’t always better—as a local company, they are remarkably agile. The team will get onto it quickly and professionally, saving you time and headaches.

The 43South team is diverse and comes from a range of different backgrounds.

Call the friendly 43South team on 0800 654 112 or visit www.43south.co.nz

Master Plumbers

NEW SILVER PARTNERS Halo We are very pleased to welcome Halo as a new Silver Business Partner. Halo gives owners of independent trades businesses benefits which save them time, money and stress—to make business ownership more financially rewarding and fulfilling.

Halo members enjoy: specialised business mentoring, coaching and advisory.

Whether you’re starting your business, selling/exiting, or any stage in between—you’ll get the help you need group buying allows plumbers to win more business, and lower monthly costs access to admin support who can save you time by answering your phones, booking jobs, scheduling work, reconciling job material purchases, book-keeping and more. That frees you up to focus on high value activities or enjoy some downtime introduction to best practice business services who understand plumbing businesses belonging to a community where everyone genuinely cares about your success and wellbeing. Great for knowledge sharing, networking, and socialising.

Want the power of big without losing your freedom, flexibility, or identity? Get the edge with Halo. Enquire: justin@halotradegroup.co.nz

Zenith A warm welcome to Zenith Water as a new Silver Business Partner. Zenith Water is part of Culligan International, world leader in water treatment and a wholly owned subsidiary of Zip Water Australia.

Founded and manufactured in Australia, Zenith Water remain committed to advancing and perfecting drinking water technology to improve the health of people’s everyday lives. Today, thousands of homes and offices around the world use Zenith Water drinking water dispenser technology to provide Zenith Classic Plus in Chrome Finish—the much loved and filtered, instant boiling, popular choice to suit any home. chilled and sparkling/ lightly carbonated water through their range of HydroTap systems.

Zenith Water have a dedicated team of technicians in greater Auckland and a network of authorised service providers available to assist you with installation, maintenance, and service wherever you live or work in New Zealand.

UPDATES

ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS FOR ALLPROOF The process is as important as the product.

This principle has underscored Allproof’s local manufacturing focus in recent years.

Allproof is striving to be an environmentally conscious manufacturer, whilst continuing to produce premium products for the plumbing and drainage industry. This has led to targeted investment in its North Shore head office and manufacturing facility, including new energy-efficient injection-moulding machines and clean, renewable solar energy to power them.

In a key milestone for the company, 449 solar panels have been installed on the facility through solar installation company Solarcraft. The installation took six months of planning, followed by 900 man-hours by a team of five tradespeople over a fourand-a-half-week period.

The impressive 1,700m2 installation saves 50 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year. The projected daily average of 750kWh of energy generated is sufficient to meet nearly 50% of the energy needs of Allproof’s headquarters, which includes its injection moulding, product assembly and outward goods departments. To give context, this is enough power to supply around 34 average New Zealand homes*. Excess power generated through peak production times is supplied back to the grid for the benefit of local homes and businesses.

Another benefit to the onsite production of clean energy is the ability to charge Allproof’s plug-in Electric Vehicles (EVs)—significantly reducing the emissions of kilometres driven. Alongside the EVs, Allproof is upgrading its fleet of sales vehicles to hybrid EVs. These vehicles have improved fuel efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions whilst allowing the sales team to continue to offer the high level of service required by customers nationwide.

In addition to these environmental developments for its manufacturing hub, the company continues to increase its range of drainage and passive fire protection products made from 100% recycled plastic. Recycled materials are sourced locally from kerbside collections and allow Allproof to provide a large range of secondary recycled products.

Allproof also holds the Best Environmental Practice (BEP) Certification for the production of PVC products, as part of its wider AS/NZS 1260 product certification. *www.ea.govt.nz/consumers/what-is-electricity

The new solar panel installation at Allproof’s manufacturing hub in Auckland’s North Shore saves 50 tonnes of CO2 each year.

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Master Plumbers

UPDATES

This photo flashback shows spa baths being tested at the Englefield factory in Glenfield in 1994.

HAPPY 40TH TO ENGLEFIELD!

This year Englefield celebrates its 40th birthday—marking the milestone with a brand refresh and new logo. Since 1982, Englefield has been the bathroom brand synonymous with quality, great design and affordable prices.

Roger Englefield began his working life as a plumber in Waimate, but his trademark entrepreneurial flair enabled him to start a number of very successful related ventures, specialising in plumbing and large injection moulded products.

Based in Auckland since 1982, shower and bath manufacture soon followed, along with innovative products such as the complete shower enclosure. Roger and his son Derek continued to expand the business, exporting predominantly to Australia and

Asia, and winning a plethora of Plastic Institute and Design Awards along the way.

Englefield quickly became a leading brand in Australasia, with a reputation for supplying top quality products that could be trusted to endure. KOHLER purchased Englefield in 2001. Englefield were market leaders in showering and bathing products. KOHLER added vitreous china toilet suites and basins to the range—so completing Englefield’s Total Bathroom Solution.

Englefield prides itself on quality bathroom solutions to suit a range of tastes and a variety of budgets. Englefield bathroom products have been relied on, relaxed in and trusted for generations.

Teigan Jopson, a Masterlink apprentice at the Property Services Division of Otago University, was selected as a finalist at the 2022 NAWIC Excellence Awards.

OBITUARY: Bruce MacMillan It is with sadness that we report the passing of Bruce MacMillan in May. A dedicated member of Master Plumbers for many years, Bruce was the President of the Auckland Association from 1977-79. Bruce’s father Alec established MacMillan Plumbing & Gas in the 1930s, with Bruce and his wife Jeni taking over the reins in the late 1960s. Now their sons Rohan and Angus run the business—Rohan in the Auckland office and Angus in Christchurch.

Our thoughts go to the MacMillan family at this time.

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NAWIC SUCCESS STORIES

Three plumbers were among the finalists at the 2022 NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) Excellence Awards—and all three work at Master Plumbers’ member businesses!

Congratulations to Nikita Porterhouse of Hutt Gas & Plumbing and Billie McDonnell at Chenery Contracting, who were both selected for the Tradeswoman of the Year category, and to Teigan Jopson, one of five finalists in the Apprentice Excellence Award category. Teigan is a Masterlink apprentice, hosted by Otago University Property Services. The award winners were announced at a ceremony in Wellington on 1 July, as NZ Plumber went to print.

NEW RANGE

Polite Plumbers in Auckland win this edition’s Best in Brand prize.

BEST IN BRAND PRIZE WINNER

When there’s an emergency, Polite Plumbers are on their way!

Steve Terblanche and the team win this edition’s Best in Brand $200 Prezzy Card prize for the way they’ve incorporated the Master Plumbers branding on their eye-catching vehicle!

Are you next?

Send in your photos to admin@masterplumbers.org.nz by 22 July for your chance to win!

COFFEE AND CATCH UP

The Auckland Master Plumbers held a coffee cart catch-up in May, inviting local plumbers to have a chat and grab a free coffee from the cart parked up at Plumbing World Mt Wellington branch before heading off to work. A recent Canterbury Master Plumbers campaign also saw Master Plumbers billboards up around the city, supported by social media and radio advertising.

Arcas Greens is introducing a new square all pressure range and features the patented FloBOOST® technology.

This is a full range of bathroom tapware including Side lever, Tower Basin, Basin, and Wall Basin, adn Shower Mixers.

Greens Tapware - designed and engineered in NZ since 1935 – and available through plumbing merchants NZ wide.

Catching up at the Master Plumbers coffee cart.

www.greenstapware.com/ranges/arcas

Get to know the Master Plumbers team with our quick Q&As. industry, supplying car and truck parts to the automotive trade and doing the visual merchandising for retail stores as the retail coordinator.

Can you tell readers a bit about you?

I was born in the UK. When I was around three years old, my family did a year exchange in NZ through the fire service. My parents decided NZ would be a good place to grow up for me and my sister, so we moved here when I was five. I have permanent residency and am currently going through the dual citizenship process.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Cars are a big hobby of mine. Two years ago, after the first Covid lockdown, I built my first drift car, bought a house and went drifting at Manfield. I have now done a handful of drift days and last year I brought another drift car to add to the collection. I’ve always had friends in the trade, and I like seeing projects coming together, whether it’s organising parts or getting my hands dirty. I also quite enjoy the satisfaction of doing renovations on my own home.

NAME: Stephanie Holmes ROLE: Administrator What does your day-to-day role entail?

As well as doing administration work for Master Plumbers, I am the team’s national health and safety representative and handle the advertising for NZ Plumber magazine.

Stephanie in her drift car at a Manfeild back track day last May, learning cone work and car control. She’s transformed her once rusty car into a reliable drifter, giving it a new look and building a turbo engine.

What is your work background?

I previously worked in the automotive

1,000 ON LINKEDIN!

Thanks to everyone who has followed Master Plumbers on LinkedIn—we’ve reached the 1,000 milestone! LinkedIn is a great way to read the latest updates and thought pieces from CEO Greg Wallace.

NEW MEMBERS

Hot pink, pastel pink, coral pink—the Master Plumbers and Masterlink teams wore it all to work on Pink Shirt Day in May.

IN THE PINK!

The Master Plumbers and Masterlink teams donned shades of pink for Pink Shirt Day 2022 in May to show their support for taking a stand against bullying. Pink Shirt Day is all about working together to celebrate diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness.

All donations go to supporting the Mental 48

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Health Foundation for raising awareness about bullying prevention, funding education workshops and supplying free resources to workplaces, schools and communities.

Find out more at www.pinkshirtday.org.nz

A very warm welcome to new Master Plumbers member businesses: On To It Plumbing Ltd, Auckland Naki Plumbing & Gas Ltd, Taranaki Red Beard Plumbing and Heating Ltd, Hutt Valley/Wairarapa Southland Plumbing and Gas 2020 Ltd, Southland Tait Plumbing Ltd, Southland

Master Plumbers

Membership milestones Congratulations to all our 2022 Membership Milestone certificate recipients, who were acknowledged at this year’s New Zealand Plumbing Awards.

70 YEARS

30 YEARS

Willcox Plumbing Ltd

Quix Auckland Ltd

60 YEARS

20 YEARS

Ian Stephens Plumbers Ltd Nero Developments Ltd

B&M Plumbing Ltd Barry Dell Plumbing (2001) Ltd Les Francis Ltd, T/A Best Plumbing

50 YEARS Hoffman Plumbers Ltd Tasman Plumbers (Wgtn) Ltd

40 YEARS BR Turfrey Ltd Barsanti Plumbing Co Ltd Graeme Lowen Plumber & Drainlayer Ltd Illingworth Plumbing Ltd Klee Plumbers Ltd LB White Ltd Ryan Plumbers (Milton) Ltd

UPDATES

CELEBRATING MOTHERS EVERYWHERE

“Oh, my goodness how amazing!

Thank you!!!” said Candice Morgan on learning she was one of five winners in the Master Plumbers and Rheem NZ Mother’s Day prize draw.

Candice and fellow winners Rocky Beer-Williams, Amy Graham, Mary Orbell and Sandra van der Vliet each received a pampering selection of luxury bathroom goodies, including a bamboo bath shelf, wine glass, bath towel body wash and lotion.

10 YEARS Cape Plumbing Ltd DMI Plumbing Ltd Heron Plumbing Ltd ML Plumbing and Drainlaying Ltd Paul Summerfield Plumbing (2006) Ltd Rea Plumbing and Renovation Ltd Tech Mechanical Urban Worx Ltd Water FX Ltd

5 YEARS Advanced Plumbing HB Ltd Aqua Pro Plumbing and Drainage Ltd Auckland Plumbable Plumber Ltd CM Plumbing Ltd CV Plumbing Ltd East Coast Plumbing and Gas Ltd Easyflow Drainage Ltd Fairfield Plumbing Ltd Flow Pro Ltd Gas Appliance Specialists (2005) Ltd George Phillips Plumbing and Gasfitting Ltd Harbour City Plumbing Hutchison Plumbing Gasfitting & Drainlaying Ltd Natoli Plumbing & Drainage Ltd North Shore Plumbing Ltd Queenstown Plumbing & Gas Ltd RM Plumbing and Electrical Ltd, T/A Plumbing and Electrical Napier RNR Plumbing Ltd Scotties Potties Ltd Semtex Plumbing & Gas Tibbits Plumbing Ltd Tricklebanks 2016 Ltd Waterworx Plumbing and Gas Ltd Graeme Lowen was at the NZ Plumbing Awards to collect his 40 Year Membership Milestone certificate.

WANT TO JOIN?

Master Plumbers is here to support all businesses in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry.

Members are Quality Assured and backed by the Master Plumbers Guarantee. We offer a wide range of business resources, health and safety, HR & technical support, plus training and member discounts— and we advocate for our members as a collective industry voice. Get in touch to discuss our two-year membership deal!

Alana Fourie 021 985 894 afourie@masterplumbers.org.nz Or contact 0800 502 102 membership@masterplumbers.org.nz

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Master Plumbers

PLATINUM PARTNER PROFILE

There are simple ways to prevent your daily driving from breaking the bank when it comes to fuel usage, as Teletrac Navman explains.

AUTHOR: MEGAN DUNCAN, TELETRAC NAVMAN

K

iwis everywhere continue to take a heavy blow to their wallets from soaring fuel prices. It’s hard on everyone, but especially for tradespeople like plumbers, who travel from job to job every day.

With no immediate end in sight for these high fuel costs, reducing fuel consumption is a priority for most trades. Here are some simple ways for plumbers and plumbing companies across New Zealand to improve fuel efficiency.

1. Vehicle tracking

Telematics is an effective way to reduce fuel consumption across your entire company. Key factors that can produce excessive fuel usage are inefficient job allocation and overdue maintenance needs. A fleet management system can really make a difference here by tracking the location of your company’s vehicles and monitoring each one’s maintenance needs.

By having access to real-time insights from a fleet management solution, you can more easily keep track of which vehicle is at which job site. This makes it easier to redeploy your vehicles based on location, eliminating unnecessary refuelling trips and optimising routing. Given the real-time view on vehicle locations in relation to job sites, you can plan the most efficient routes for each plumber, ultimately improving fuel efficiency and saving them time.

Receiving automated maintenance alerts based on odometer readings also allows you to stay on top of required servicing and issues impacting fuel efficiency. For example, keeping your tyres properly inflated can increase your fuel mileage by 3.3%, which is why it is important to regularly check tyre pressure. Automated maintenance alerts can help you stay on top of this, and ensure your vehicles are operating at maximum fuel-saving capacity!

can help you identify trends and any other shortcomings contributing to excessive fuel usage.

Using built-in sensors that analyse every minute of driving time and telematics data, Smart Dashcams offers real-time high-quality footage and analytics. With a better understanding of what happens on the roads in real time, you are in a better position to help your company save on fuel costs.

Armed with insights from fleet management solutions, you can use this behavioural data to better coach your team on improved driving habits that will save on fuel. This encourages them (and yourself) to be more mindful with everyday driving.

The price of fuel is affecting everyone, tradespeople and office workers alike. For plumbing companies, whose drivers can spend hours on the road between job sites and base, it’s particularly important to take action to combat fuel costs. Utilising telematics is an efficient way to do this.

2. Economical driving

Fuel-efficient driving techniques not only save money, but also ensure road safety and reduce vehicle damage. A good rule of thumb for economical driving is to accelerate gently. To avoid falling back into the old habit of fast acceleration and sharp braking, imagine there is an egg carton under the accelerator or a cup of water on your lap! Sudden changes of speed increase fuel usage up to 20%, so when driving from job to job, coach your drivers to avoid rapid stops and starts and excessive idling—and to consider using cruise control for long trips where available.

3. Improved on-road habits

Have you ever wondered how to monitor driver performance at any time? Telematics, through insights, analytics and reporting,

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By keeping track of which vehicle is at which job site, you can redeploy your vehicles based on location, eliminating unnecessary refuelling trips.

About the author: Megan Duncan is Director of Global Marketing Operations at Teletrac Navman, a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider leveraging locationbased technology and services for managing mobile assets. Teletrac Navman’s fleet and asset management technology uncovers information that would otherwise go unseen, helping customers reduce risk and confidently move their business forward. teletracnavman.co.nz

For more information about Mobilcard contact us on: 0800 662 458 | mobilcardsales@exxonmobil.com

MOB3678_Master Plumber_210x135

2021

M S AL L BUSINE

S

MO ST

S ER M

Manage the cost of fuelling your business with Mobilcard.

IED CUS TISF TO SA

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The fuel card that gives you more control.

FU EL CARDS

Master Plumbers

MEMBER PROFILE

Time to reconnect

The impact of Covid-19 has had a silver lining for Joel Eddington, who is now happier with the shape of his plumbing company and the work-life balance it affords him.

AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE

T

he Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant loss of about one-third of their workload overnight forced Joel Eddington to downsize the Aucklandbased Your Local Plumber business he took charge of in 2015. Through the early years, Joel had increased the company’s number of vans on the road from seven to 13 but was forced to cut back to seven tradespeople once coronavirus struck.

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The restructure also saw the company ditch its Onehunga site—only retaining a lock-up for some equipment—and shift to having staff working remotely across the city.

“Everyone goes from home to their jobs, which is achievable with so much being digital now,” says Joel. “We also found we did not need the huge premises we had in Onehunga and leaving there has reduced costs and kept the company alive.

“I’ve actually found the smaller company is much more to my liking. I did not like running such a big company where I felt disconnected from the staff and the jobs we were doing. Since downsizing, we have a more personal, family touch. While we’re not such a big company, we are a more smoothly run and profitable enterprise that can weather the strange environment we’re dealing with at the moment.”

Another benefit of the digital era has been the extra time Joel has with his family—wife Claire, who also works for the company, and two daughters Charlie, six, and Georgie, three. They have enjoyed making the most of a lockdown-free summer exploring the North Island. “I enjoy the ability to work remotely and have worked out of a tent on numerous occasions when we’ve been away,” he says with a laugh.

“The digital era is great for that. It’s made family life brilliant and given me the flexibility to help out with the kids and do school pick-ups, which has created a great work-life balance. I’m still putting in 50hour weeks, with work into the evening

Low Pressure Vitreous Enamel

Ideal for areas where copper or stainless steel water heaters are unsuitable

Joel Eddington says he has struck a great work-life balance with Your Local Plumber.

Joel with his wife Claire, who also works for the business, and their daughters Georgie and Charlie.

•

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Available in 90L–270L capacities Manufactured in New Zealand with triple inlet as standard

Visit rheem.co.nz or call 0800 657 336

Master Plumbers

MEMBER PROFILE

A keen fisherman, Joel enjoys some time on the water with Georgie.

or first thing as necessary, but it’s around the rest of the family. That’s probably the best benefit of the downsizing of the company and I see the girls’ milestones more than I would have otherwise.”

Buying the business Joel started out in plumbing as an apprentice with JC McCall in Auckland but was made redundant during the global financial crisis and from there joined Dan Pollard at Mt Albert Plumbing. Dan renamed the business Your Local Plumber before deciding to sell it to concentrate on Fergus Software, which specialises in job management programmes for tradies.

As a result, Joel, who has a bachelor of business degree from AUT and had risen to the role of operations manager, says he “donned a suit, wrote a business plan, went to the bank and got a sales and purchase agreement, and slapped it on Dan’s desk”.

He notes it’s been a whirlwind since September 2015 when he bought the company, which focuses on renovations,

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repairs, maintenance and gas installations.

It has also introduced a drainage side, as well as specialising in leak detection and water main repairs.

Other major changes since Joel took charge have been the creation of a new website a couple of years ago, which he says has been revolutionary for the business, and expanding its digital presence.

“We built a larger, more direct website that’s also got good mobile connectivity and layouts,” he explains. “We have made it easy to find all the action buttons, like call now or book now, on our mobile site.

“Plumbing is very reactive. If someone’s looking for a local repair online and can’t get through to you almost straight away, they quickly move on to another business.”

On the Auckland executive Besides being in charge of Your Local Plumber, Joel is keen to have greater involvement with Master Plumbers and recently became part of the executive team for the Auckland region.

“I can see me being involved in the industry right up to retirement and I am keen to give back more.”

“I find running a plumbing company can be quite a lonely job and, while you have your staff, you’re still left making a lot of decisions on your own,” he says.

“Being part of Master Plumbers, you get to associate with a lot of people in similar situations and there’s a wealth of knowledge and experience you can tap into.

“I love being able to get into a room and surround myself with people on a similar level and with similar levels of drive, which Master Plumbers allows you to do.

“I can see me being involved in the industry right up to retirement and I am keen to give back more—hence my involvement with Master Plumbers and bringing on new apprentices.”

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“I can see exactly how much each job costs me and how much profit I am making per job. I like the fact I can quickly look through previous jobs and customers and see how much work I have done for them.”

Andrew, Watersmith Plumbing

THERE’S BEEN PLENTY TO CELEBRATE AT MASTERLINK, WITH NO FEWER THAN 14 SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENTED TO DESERVING APPRENTICES—PLUS THE CREATION OF A NEW NATIONAL AWARD.

Plumbing World Scholarship winners, from left, Jed Haymes, Bayley Wilkie and James Moore (overall winner).

Plumbing World Scholarship winners Each year, Plumbing World awards a $1,000 scholarship to three Masterlink apprentices who have shown diligence in their studies and maturity and personal growth. The overall winner also receives complimentary NZ Plumbing Conference registration, flights and accommodation.

The 2022 winners are James Moore (overall), Bayley Wilkie and Jed Haymes. Congratulations!

James Moore is now the senior apprentice at Glennies in Wellington and has made excellent progress in his career, says host Mike Gooch. Good communication with colleagues, management, other tradespeople and customers has become one of James’ strong points. He has also developed sound problem solving methods and excellent forward planning skills.

James was also the 2021 winner of the Master Plumbers Apprentice Outward Bound Scholarship.

With Laser Plumber Te Puke handling heavy workloads, fourth-year apprentice Bayley Wilkie has risen to the 56

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challenge of working independently and is eager to learn all facets of the company’s work. She is also self-motivated and organised at her block courses, coordinating a Facebook Messenger group that is helping her and her cohorts stay on top of their paperwork. Bayley won the national Laser Plumbing Employee of the Year Award in 2021 and is described by her hosts as a great asset to the team.

Apprentice plumber Jed Haymes puts his all into his training at host business Plumbing Services Nelson.

Always looking for opportunities to learn different skills, Jed also takes health and safety at work very seriously, asking to run the weekly office health and safety meetings. A personable, respectful worker, Jed took ownership of more than his share of the workload towards the end of 2021. The business was fully loaded up with projects and Jed could see the heavy workload— volunteering his time on Saturdays to help work through all the projects.

Master Plumbers

MASTERLINK

GREENS VANTAGE SCHOLARSHIP Masterlink apprentice Brendan Wood was extremely grateful to be the recipient of the 2022 Greens Vantage Scholarship, worth $2,000, which he plans to invest in specialised plumbing tools. Brendan works at Plumbing & Gas Works in Hamilton, who say the Greens Vantage tapware range is a go-to for its performance and reliability.

Brendan is having a stellar year, having also won a 2022 Masterlink Outward Bound Scholarship!

Brendan Wood with, from left, Masterlink RM Russell Walsh, Greens Tapware National Sales Manager Mark Lunjevich and Jacob Smith of Plumbing & Gas Works.

MASTERLINK APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR Masterlink is marking its 20th anniversary by establishing a new national Masterlink Apprentice of the Year award to recognise gold-standard apprentices. We are delighted to announce that the very first winner of this award, supported by Makita, is Editor (Eti) Sauvao, a fourth-year plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting apprentice hosted by Ben Mayne Plumbing in Auckland.

Ben says Eti came to the company in 2020 wanting to learn as much as possible and complete his life goals. With good problemsolving skills and natural leadership ability, Eti is an inspiration to other apprentices at the firm. He is always willing to help others and is liked and respected by everyone he works with. With a solid gold work ethic, he brings his best to work every day—and always with a smile.

Above all, Eti is a forward thinker, turning up to work early with all the gear sorted for his job because he planned for it the night before. He is a fantastic asset to his host business, enhancing both their reputation and profitablity.

Eti Sauvao is shown here with his trophy and awesome Makita XGT 6-piece power tool combo kit prize, worth over $3,000.

7 GO OUTWARD BOUND! This very minute, seven winners of this year’s Masterlink Outward Bound Scholarship are enjoying their 16-day Marlborough Sounds adventure. This incredible opportunity would not be possible without the generous support of Methven Caroma and the host businesses who have generously released their apprentices for this life-changing experience.

Congratulations: Brendan Wood Maria Contreras Huerta Basil Carpenter Troy Haronga (pictured)

Nathan Smith Sebastian Sekene Thomas Gadsbey

NZ Plumber looks forward to catching up with the winners and reporting back in the next edition.

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Master Plumbers

MASTERLINK

SAFE DRIVER TRAINING

“THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS”

Driver behaviour is the main cause of road accidents. That’s why Masterlink ensures all new apprentices complete a driver safety course as part of their induction. “Our series of online modules is designed to help our people become better drivers and stay safe,” says Training Manager Jason Goei. “This training is also available for our existing apprentices.”

As a bonus, each apprentice completing the Masterlink Driver Training Programme is given three course links to share with colleagues, friends and family—completely free of charge.

Masterlink milestones WELCOME

A warm Masterlink welcome to new apprentices:

Harry Heath Waiheke Plumbing and Gas, Auckland

Antony Donaldson Alba Plumbing Gas and Heating, Wanaka

Lachlan Thorne On To It Plumbing, Auckland

Lisala Situa Aqua Plumber Auckland

Noah Pearce Heron Plumbing, Auckland

George Kerr Hardy Plumbing and Gas, Wanaka

Harry Udy Certified Drainage, Auckland

Alec Shackleton Hardy Plumbing and Gas, Wanaka

Finn Gallagher JP Drainage, Auckland

Trent Toomey University of Otago, Dunedin

Bradley MacGregor MT Carroll, Napier

Vanshaj Mehra Venture Commercial Plumbing, Auckland

David Hodges Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Palmerston North

Conor Murphy Kumeu Plumbing, Auckland

Daniel Morgan Aquacraft Plumbing, Christchurch

Thabani Mbangwa Kumeu Plumbing, Auckland

Bryn Nelson Tech Mechanical, Napier

Fourth year Masterlink apprentice Andrew Smith features in the latest edition of Leaving School magazine.

This free publication showcases a variety of different study and career options for high school students.

Andrew, 21, who is hosted by Glennies Plumbing in Wellington, came to plumbing through the school Gateway programme and says you just need a good attitude, to work hard and be willing to learn as much as you can. “The great thing with Masterlink is you have a mentor, who acts as a middle person and who is with you and supporting you, all the time,” says Andrew.

His goals are to finish his apprenticeship, pass all his exams and get his Certifying licence. “Once you have got that, the possibilities are kind of endless,” he says.

Masterlink has also created a new promotional video to encourage school leavers into a plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying career.

QUALIFIED

Congratulations to Carlos Donnell Brown and Sean Berry for completing your Level 4 Plumbing & Gasfitting National Certificates!

Masterlink RM Russell Walsh (left) presenting Sean Berry with his Gasfitting National Certificate. Sean began his plumbing & gasfitting apprenticeship at age 30, leaving a desk job to pursue his new career. He is extremely grateful to his boss and mentor Mark (Mario) McMinn of Mario’s Plumbing for giving him the opportunity and teaching him the ropes. Sean is now working towards Certifying registration.

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Andrew Smith, hosted by Glennies Plumbing in Wellington.

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OPINION

Business smarts The economic cycle has turned. Night follows day. There will be casualties. There always are. Businesses need to be proactive and not reactive facing the year ahead, says economist Cameron Bagrie.

AUTHOR: CAMERON BAGRIE, DIRECTOR, CHAPERON

T

he economic environment is changing rapidly.

Inflation has risen to 6.9 per cent, construction cost inflation is more than 18 per cent, and cost escalation letters are widespread. Inflation is a thief that steals savings and lowers profitability, if not properly managed. Taming inflation means tempering, and potentially belting, growth.

Interest rate sensitive sectors who have done well when interest rates were low are now on notice as interest rates rise, and housing activity slows.

Business basics still apply The economic environment has been stunning for many but is getting more difficult as a brutal combination of slowing housing activity, staffing challenges, cost escalations, and material availability hit existing cashflow.

But how do you forecast cashflow too and plan, with continued uncertainty over supply, staff, inflation, and Covid’s twists and turns in the background?

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Business smarts OPINION

Some business basics still apply. Margins are everything, to state the obvious. Improving working capital means making the cashflow cycle as short as possible—aka high inventory turnover and collecting debtors fast. Remove unnecessary costs.

Make sure the debt structure matches the business asset profile and cashflows appropriately.

A changing banking landscape It is tougher to get a housing loan, driven by loan-to-value ratio restrictions, rising test mortgage serviceability rates, the implementation of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), rising interest rates and house prices starting to fall.

The implementation of CCCFA drew a furore from mortgage brokers, borrowers, and banks. The CCCFA made accessing credit more difficult and it went down like a lead balloon. People overlooked the fact that double-digit housing credit growth is not sustainable. A tightening environment for credit courtesy of the CCCFA, or shifting bank risk tolerance, does not only impact the housing market, though. Caught in the net too are businesses with lending secured by residential property. The house is the implicit financing and working capital vehicle for many businesses.

There are also long-standing issues in terms of firms accessing credit and many businesses’ bankability.

BE A BETTER BANKABLE BUSINESS

The finger cannot just be pointed at the environment and banks. Want better access to working capital? Then being a better bankable business is a major step. A better bankable business is also a better saleable one. Here are five things we see at Chaperon: 1. Go early to your bank for any request—it now takes longer to process due to the CCCFA. Support application with plans and forecasts, and make sure you detail how you are mitigating risks and challenges.

2. Never present a problem—present a solution.

The issue What caused the issue What you are doing about it: plan A and B What is required from the bank and how it will be repaid.

3. If you have covenants, make sure you fully understand how they are defined and calculated. Businesses with lumpy profitability (make losses in some months), or strong seasonality, who are measured on a quarterly or rolling quarterly basis, can be caught in breach of interest cover or debt to earnings type covenants in quiet months or Covid-impacted periods.

4. Understand your sales, profitability drivers, gross margins, labour productivity and overheads, so you can forecast your breakeven position along with the negative cash impact of downside performance.

5. Understand where your cash is in your balance sheet and be able to explain the length of your operating cashflow cycle and the steps you take to minimise it.

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Improving working capital means making the cashflow cycle as short as possible—aka high inventory turnover and collecting debtors fast.

Tighter credit conditions and a turn in the housing cycle could make 2022 a crunch year for undercapitalised small-to-medium sized businesses (SMEs), which have so far hung on through Covid, surging inflation, supply chain challenges and staffing difficulties.

A net 60 per cent of businesses expect it to be harder to get credit over the coming year according to ANZ’s Business Outlook Survey.

It has been negative (harder) since 2016 and trending lower.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Economic Survey on Australia in September 2021 pointed out various issues around accessing finance and highlighted longstanding concerns about financing constraints on SMEs in Australia.

The same applies in New Zealand but dialogue on the issue is missing. Chaperon is championing businesses on business credit issues. Access, terms, or more bluntly, ensuring businesses get a fair suck of the sav.

Business impacts as banks shift gear One-size-fits-all loan assessments appear the norm now, lacking flexibility with insufficient recognition of an individual’s balance sheet strength. The days of a clever business banker dressing a business loan in housing attire look to be ending. People are turning more and more to non-banks who appear to offer more flexibility and a quicker turnaround, though at a price.

Small businesses will be a potential casualty of the CCCFA and turn in the property market, with these changes limiting access to working capital at a time when disruptions to cashflow are rising.

The views expressed in this article do not represent financial advice.

About the author: Cameron Bagrie is the managing director of Bagrie Economic and partner and director of Chaperon – helping businesses navigate banking. www.chaperon.co.nz

Is your business struggling to access credit?

Are you being priced fairly or want to improve your bankability?

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SUPPLIERS, CONTRACTORS AND THE 3CS Consult, cooperate and coordinate—follow these three Cs for effective health and safety management of contractors and suppliers.

AUTHOR: GREG DEARSLY, FIRST 4 SAFETY

T

hey’re contractors—health and safety is their responsibility!!

An all too familiar approach from businesses in years gone by. Now it’s all about sharing the load; you are all playing in the same sandpit.

Overlapping duties was a term introduced into the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The question nowadays is, “Who is responsible for health and safety?” The alltoo familiar answer is, “Everyone of course.”

But how do we apply that in reality, when dealing with contractors and suppliers?

Businesses must consult, cooperate and coordinate (commonly known as the 3Cs of health and safety) activities with all other businesses they share overlapping duties with. Successful approaches to this occur when PCBUs: plan ahead and think through every stage of a project, considering how the work could affect other businesses and the public make sure risks that need managing have been clearly identified, and consult with other PCBUs working with them to gain agreement on who will manage each risk and how they will do that clearly define roles, responsibilities and actions, and explain these so everyone knows what to expect.

Four-step process to 3Cs A simple four-step process will help you with the 3Cs of contracting and health and safety.

1. Know your supply chain – While most think of their physical works contractors,

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there are also the other suppliers you might engage in your business—such as designers, architects, engineers, importers, manufacturers and commissioners. They have health and safety obligations and, as the head contractor, you have a duty to satisfy yourself that all your suppliers have taken account of their responsibilities.

2. Define the type of relationship you have with each one of these suppliers – It could be different for all of them. Consider where the work is done, whose tools, plant, equipment or substances are being used, who is the person in control of the workplace. Consider who has the ability to influence and control operational risks. Is it you as the head contractor or your supplier?

3. Define responsibilities, accountabilities, who you need to consult with and who you need to inform on a RACI matrix – Identify those important aspects of health and safety and then determine where they fit for each relationship type on the RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix. You might include actions such as the management of incidents, training of workers, provision of advice and PPE issues.

4. Formalise key information in a contract with your suppliers – Keep it simple. Maybe insert new clauses into contracts or legal agreements when it comes time for renewal. Have a separate clause for each relationship type. If you separate how you manage your suppliers, based on their risk profile, that might

only mean three extra clauses for high, medium or low risk exposures.

The most important thing to do is to engage directly with your suppliers and explain why you are making these changes.

It provides clarity about what you expect and what the contractor or supplier can deliver.

Day-to-day management

Of course, there is another layer to this, and that is how you manage contractors and suppliers day to day. Consider the following steps.

Scope the work – Make sure that YOU have a clear understanding of the work you want a contractor or supplier to perform.

Pre-qualify the contractor – Make sure your potential contractors and suppliers have the systems to effectively manage health and safety.

Select contractors and negotiate terms – Provide information to potential contractors on the health and safety matters of the particular contract. This applies in both tendered and nontendered contracts, although they may be delivered in different ways.

Award the contract – For larger projects, develop a job-specific health and safety plan. For smaller jobs, or ongoing work, maintain agreed standards, systems and processes. These can be modified to suit the circumstances of the individual contract.

Monitor the contractor’s performance – Monitor or check performance throughout the duration of the contract. Respond

Business smarts HEALTH & SAFETY

to information and keep the contractor informed of the results of monitoring. Are they meeting the agreed standards?

Post contract review – Review overall performance to determine the success or otherwise of the contract.

Businesses must consult, cooperate and coordinate with all contractors and suppliers who share overlapping duties.

Client

Taking a structured approach to the management of contractors and suppliers means there is clarity about the work to be done, who has responsibility for key tasks associated with health and safety, and performance criteria contractors will be measured against.

Overlapping duties

HOW DO I CONNECT THIS TOGETHER?

Create a list or a map of your contractors or suppliers Satisfy yourself that your contractors are committed to consultation, coordination and cooperation on matters of health and safety Understand who has the ability to influence and control operational risks, and define responsibilities and accountabilities Monitor your contractors’ performance—are they working safely, following your rules and their own procedures?

Review your contractors’ performance at the end of the project.

Sub-contractor

Contractor

About the author: Greg Dearsly owns First 4 Safety Ltd, a generalist health and safety consultancy. He has been involved in the provision of occupational safety and health advice and assistance for 20 years. Greg holds a Masters in Advanced Leadership Practices, a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health, and the National Certificate in Adult Education. His work has involved supporting industries in their H&S development. He encourages organisations and their senior people to show good H&S leadership, conduct effective risk management and ensure their workforces are able to contribute. Greg is a Professional member of the NZ Institute of Safety Management (NZISM) and was NZISM President from 2016-2020.

He represents NZISM as President Elect on the Board of Directors of the International Network of Health and Safety Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO) and will be INSHPO President in 2022.

First 4 Safety offers Master Plumbers members tailored health and safety support and advice at competitive rates. Order through the Master Plumbers member website (Health & Safety).

FRANCHISES AVAILABLE DrainPro has franchise opportunities available around the country.

Whether you are an existing company struggling or a tradesman looking to go out on your own, we have the experience, systems and industry contacts to help you develop a successful business. We are members of the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ), and can give you all the assistance you need in deciding if a franchise is the right thing for you.

Contact Nathan to register your interest nathan@drainpro.co.nz

www.drainpro.co.nz nzplumber

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Business smarts EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVES

THINK TWICE! A spur of the moment dumb decision can have serious consequences, says Sam Tyson.

O

ne of our apprentices had finished his work and had a half hour to spare before going home.

He went out back into our workshop looking for something to do and saw that one of our tradespeople had loaded up their van for tomorrow and was about to head off to one of our merchants to grab some more gear.

Another apprentice was already in the passenger seat, so he decided to jump into the back of the van and go along for the ride without a seat or seatbelt.

When they got to the merchants, the two in the front told the apprentice to lie down

so he wouldn’t be seen. Another one of our tradespeople turned up with some gear belonging to the passenger apprentice and thought he would chuck it into the back of the van. On lifting the back door, he discovered the freeriding apprentice hiding in the back.

It was reported to our operations manager, who in turn let me know. Our operations manager, normally a cool, calm, and collected kind of guy, was fuming and so was I. By this time, it was 6pm so we decided to sleep on it and talk to them in the morning.

Overnight I came up with a bit of a plan. Generally, on a Friday morning,

An apprentice’s decision to freeride in the back of a van could have had serious consequences for him and the business.

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our operations manager has a 90-minute training session with our apprentices. My plan was to take them through an incident report, using this incident as an example.

Rather than tell them off in the first instance, get them to realise how serious it could have been, and turn it into a lesson.

We met in my office and used my computer to fill out the report. We told all the apprentices we were going to do a health and safety session on incident reporting and use an actual incident that had happened yesterday.

You could see they were curious to find out about the incident. As I started populating the form in front of them with what type of incident it was (safety violation), what happened, where it happened and who was involved, the penny started dropping for the two apprentices involved.

When we started listing the hazards and the harms, you could see them starting to understand the seriousness of the situation.

If the driver had braked, the apprentice could have been hit with flying objects. If there had been an accident, he could have been seriously hurt, possibly killed.

The Police and WorkSafe would have been involved, which could have led to hefty fines, our business reputation ruined, and the security of 35 people’s jobs put in jeopardy.

Once we had completed the report we paused and let the other apprentices leave while we then turned our lesson into a disciplinary meeting. They were both pretty embarrassed about what had happened and clearly understood how a spur of the moment dumb decision could have had serious consequences.

The freeriding apprentice was issued with a safety violation written warning, as was the driver after a separate meeting.

The other apprentice, who had the previous week told us he wanted to be a leader in our industry, was told he was going about it the wrong way, and we also discussed the seriousness of the incident at our next toolbox meeting.

About the author: Sam Tyson has been Managing Director of Climate & Plumbing since 2010. She is an active member in the industry and, with a background in strategic business development, shares the knowledge and experience gained from her award-winning business to help others obtain better results in their businesses. Sam is a Director on the national Master Plumbers Board.

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Business smarts TAX & FINANCE

A government attempt to reduce investor demand for residential properties has led to two key changes worth knowing about.

AUTHOR: BRETT CROMBIE, STRAIGHTEDGE ACCOUNTING

A

t the end of March, a hefty piece of tax law was passed by Parliament.

Called the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Act 2022, it brings into force some controversial, hot button tax changes.

The new Act was accompanied by a Special Report, which clocked in at 216 pages. Only true tax enthusiasts are likely to read this report, but it is helpful to have a general understanding of the rules. Here is an overview.

1. Bright-line extension

The new Act clarifies the bright-line rules, which state that income tax is payable on gains from residential land if it is bought and sold within a 10-year period (or 5-year period if bought between 29 March 2019 and 26 March 2021).

For new builds bought after 27 March 2021, a 5-year period applies. Reasons given for this change were to discourage the practice of speculating or trading in properties for gains, while encouraging new builds to increase the housing supply.

There are certain exemptions to the rule, the key one being that it does not apply to a person’s ‘main home’, generally meaning the one a person is living in. There are also exemptions around inherited property and certain other types of less common ownership transfer. Property used for dual purposes (such as mixed residential and commercial) is also an area of complication that the new Act covers.

Given the complexities around these rules, it is always good practice to seek expert ‘bright-line’ advice before purchasing an investment property, launching a new build or selling a property.

2. Interest limitation changes

The interest limitation rules are another

government effort to reduce investor demand for residential property by making it a less attractive investment proposition.

Previously landlords were allowed to deduct all interest costs when calculating their income tax. These deductions are now limited, and the extent of the limitation depends on whether the property was acquired before or after 27 March 2021.

Properties acquired before 27 March 2021 For these ‘Grandparented’ properties, interest deductions are progressively denied over a transition period between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2025.

Period that ‘Grandparented’ residential interest is incurred

Percentage denied

Income tax return due date reminder The 2022 tax year ended on 31 March 2022, so now is the time to keep an eye on due dates for income tax and have a plan to prepare your accounts. Note that tax returns for the 31 March 2022 period are due on 7 July 2022.

If you have an extension or use an accountant, this due date can stretch to 31 March 2023.

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25%

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1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

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On and after 1 April 2025

100%

Properties acquired after 27 March 2021 For these ‘Disallowed’ properties, deductions are fully denied from 1 October 2021.

Like many tax rules, there are various exemptions and special scenarios covering things like refinancing, changes of use and transfers to or from companies or trusts.

These two new tax rules demonstrate how government tinkering with tax is easier said than done. When every new rule comes with an enormous explanatory report, it is little wonder the public and small business owners feel swamped trying to keep on top of it. Even accountants have a challenge on their hands keeping up with it all.

For trade business owners, rather than trying to know every nook and cranny of tax law, the aim should be to have enough knowledge to know when to be cautious and when to stop and seek expert advice.

About the author: Brett Crombie is a trade specialist accountant at Straightedge Accounting.

For assistance developing a business plan, or for tax and accounting services, contact Brett on 021 301 022 or email brett.crombie@straightedge.nz

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Business smarts MARKETING

In this real-life case study, Campbell Plumbing & Gasfitting discover how a strategic approach to digital marketing can attract the right audience and generate real business leads.

AUTHOR: KIT WATSON, SIDEKIT

W

hile Campbell Plumbing & Gasfitting’s management, admin and trades teams are strong, their digital marketing didn’t reflect this, so the business asked for the help of marketing specialists SideKit. At this point, Campbell Plumbing had a website that was not user friendly or optimised for SEO, driving traffic, and converting sales. Their presence on Instagram was good, but the overall social media plan and content wasn’t generating leads.

They had also set up their own Google Ads, which was not performing well and wasting advertising spend on the wrong viewers. Overall, their digital marketing needed a professional makeover to provide return on investment and continue to innovate and grow their team.

Like many of us, Campbell Plumbing was cautious about signing up with a marketing agency, and some of the offers they were presented with seemed astronomical and not overly transparent.

When SideKit came on board, the arrangement was to build an ongoing relationship as an external marketing team. They decided to break the project into incremental steps to spread the budget and focus on getting each stage right along the way.

Starting with the website Campbell Plumbing works on residential and commercial projects in Auckland, providing plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting services. They also have maintenance and projects divisions.

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“I had to ensure all areas and facets were covered in their brand messaging and website,” says SideKit founder Kit Watson. “The Campbell Plumbing website is now full of the services the team provides, as well as who they are, what the company represents, its pricing, finance options and more.

“The website included full design, build, SEO, and copywriting of more than 70 pages. It was built based on intensive research and strategic implementation.”

Moving into Google Ads and analytics With a robust, relevant website in place, it was time to start getting more targeted on Google by implementing Google Ads on the services and locations Campbell Plumbing serves.

The depth of the new website allowed for ads to be broken down by service type and location, ensuring viewers landed directly on the right page for the service they needed.

Next up, social media advertising Once Google Ads had been set up, tested and tweaked, SideKit helped Managing Director Rowan Campbell out with social media advertising. Rowan is hands-on with daily social media content, so he only needed help with advertising setup and implementation to target the locations and services the company provides.

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The Auckland-based Campbell Plumbing & Gasfitting team.

“We worked in gradual stages to test results and spread the budget further,” says Kit. “After instant sales results from a plumbing promotion, we tested various other advertising styles and campaigns to see what worked best.”

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Going beyond digital marketing SideKit continue to meet with the Campbell Plumbing office team fortnightly. They report monthly on the previous month’s marketing and keep up to date with what the team is doing and the types of marketing and digital technology they want to try next.

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Other avenues to help SideKit have also helped Campbell Plumbing: Save admin time by setting up an online form that automatically loads into its job management system and notifies the admin team Set up payment and finance options Build company bios and proposals.

“We continue to work with this company to ensure growth, development and improvement, taking pressure off the admin and management teams so they can focus on other work,” says Kit. Rowan Campbell and his team at Campbell Plumbing & Gasfitting are good at what they do, passionate about growth, and have a professional and fun culture.

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About the author: SideKit founder Kit Watson and her team are helping Campbell Plumbing & Gasfitting with their digital marketing. SideKit loves working with NZ trade businesses. If you are a plumber based outside Auckland or another trade within Auckland, SideKit would love to hear from you and help you grow.

Email hello@sidekit.nz or get in touch at www.sidekit.nz/contact

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Business smarts YOUR PEOPLE, YOUR WELLBEING

The Master Plumbers HR team provide members with a 360° service to help with good employment processes.

people. Along with our online HR resources, we often get involved in helping businesses conduct employee surveys. It is often better to have an external party help manage this process, so employees feel more comfortable about being honest with their views.

Your employees are sitting on a goldmine of insights you can use to improve your business, and it’s more important than ever to connect with them to understand how they are feeling about their environment.

Doing a survey is a great start!

An HR check-up is another way we can help your business. We can work with you to ensure you have the processes and procedures in place to manage your people the right way. This includes reviewing your employment agreements, policies and HR practices, and helping you put in place 1:1 check ins with your team, performance reviews, and opportunities for your people to learn and develop while working for you.

With so many member businesses expanding at speed, let Master Plumbers help you with your growth and getting good support on your side—ensuring you have all the right HR processes in place to manage your people well.

Did you know... Over the past seven years, the Master Plumbers HR team have developed a suite of guides and templates for members to use in their own business.

We also regularly provide helpline support to members with their own in-house employee relationship issues and have a direct line to employment lawyers at

Lisa Duston from the Master Plumbers HR team is available to Master Plumbers members to discuss any employee situation. Contact Lisa on 021 245 1704 or email lduston@masterplumbers.org.nz

KEREAMA CARMODY Master Plumbers Wellbeing Guy

COVID REALITIES Everyone is talking about how we are ‘on the other side’ of Covid challenges— borders are opening, mandates are gone for

Duncan Cotterill for any sticky issues.

Duncan Cotterill also gives our members a competitive rate if help is needed with an employment issue that goes beyond HR. The Master Plumbers HR team are very passionate about employee engagement, the wellbeing of the people in our industry and ensuring members are doing right by their

most, and mask wearing is largely optional.

But for many running a business, we are still very much in the thick of it.

With staff having to stay home with Covid or as close contacts, workforces are stretched.

Completing jobs can be hard when there are shortages of materials due to supply chain issues. You can end up juggling multiple jobs while waiting for a full contingent of staff and supplies to finish things off.

How do we keep our heads in the game when juggling all this as well as issues at home with health, family and overall uncertainty?

As the Master Plumbers Wellbeing Guy, I’m available to member business owners, your staff and families. Even if it’s just to get a few things off your chest and vent to someone who is not going to get offended!

When we’re stressed, we’re also less likely to make sure we are looking after ourselves.

My stress reliever is to take Winston the wellbeing dog for a walk in the park and

meet up with his dog mates for a runaround.

It’s like Hairy Maclary come to life!

Don’t forget to reach out if you need to catch up.

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

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G A T E W AY P R O G R A M M E

Ten Wellington secondary school students are getting a taste for plumbing by spending one day a week at a local plumbing firm this term and next.

The students are part of a new pilot programme looking to create a more structured approach to the long-standing schools Gateway programme.

Masterlink is working with the Ministry of Education on the pilot, which identifies willing

employers and matches them with students selected by their schools for showing genuine drive to enter a plumbing career.

Thirteen Wellington colleges have got behind the pilot, and high schools in Auckland and Tauranga are also keen to be involved.

The eventual aim is to roll out Gateway 2.0 to the whole of New Zealand.

Career starters

A new Gateway pilot aims to strengthen the relationship between schools and plumbing businesses to get more young people started on a trades career.

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Plumbing apprentice Brydee King works at Master Plumbers member business Deep in Plumbing, owned by her partner Frans van Diepen.

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Career starters APPRENTICE PROFILE

To say Brydee King has taken the road less travelled to her plumbing apprenticeship doesn’t quite do it justice. NZ Plumber talks to Brydee about her journey to date and why she thinks more women should get stuck into a plumbing career.

AUTHOR: NICK WALKER

I

n her past jobs, Brydee has helped develop human medical treatments from pig cells, taken 111 calls for the Police, and managed the admin for major mechanical projects. All this while raising her two sons, Thomas and Sam, who were three and one at the time.

But when she saw a chance to get on the tools and start a new career with Deep In Plumbing in Taupō, she jumped at it.

While on maternity leave, Brydee helped out with some of the admin at Deep in Plumbing to support her partner Frans van Diepen, who owns the business. Then, when an apprentice left, they needed another pair of hands to help run water pipes at a corn chip factory.

“I was like, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ I really enjoyed it, and it just felt like I’d done something really constructive during the day,” she recalls.

The initial idea was that, by getting some on-the-job understanding, she’d be able to process the paperwork better and spot any gaps. However, she enjoyed being on the tools so much she didn’t want to go back to the office.

Juggling business and family life often means their two boys coming with Brydee and Frans to work sites. Brydee is shown here with son Sam, who’s four.

A passionate advocate That was three years ago, and in that time Brydee’s love for plumbing has continued to grow. As well as improving her own skills and capabilities, she has become a passionate advocate for women in

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Career starters APPRENTICE PROFILE

Brydee and six-year-old son Thomas dig in together.

trades—to the point where she has other women reach out to her via Instagram.

“I’ve had a few girls who’ve wanted to get into plumbing contact me about what I think of it. I’m more than happy to encourage them and I tell them to just get stuck in.”

Brydee doesn’t mind being a relative rarity as a woman plumber, and almost pokes fun at herself by spray painting her tools pink. She draws the line at pink work boots, though.

“My favourite boots were discontinued in New Zealand and it was so hard to find women’s boots that weren’t overly pink or purple,” she says. “They think that’s what chicks want I guess… I don’t hate pink, but I just want normal boots like anyone else.”

In fact, Brydee would love it if her gender wasn’t a big deal at all.

“I remember going to a house in Manurewa to replace a shower. I showed up and the kids there said, ‘Mum, I thought you said the plumber was coming,’ and their Mum said, ‘She is the plumber.’

“I thought, ‘Yes! This is what I want—I want kids to see that women can do this stuff.’ It’s so great if people can see someone doing something and not be shocked by it.

Those kids might then think becoming a plumber is something they could do.”

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“I want kids to see that women can do this stuff. Those kids might then think becoming a plumber is something they could do.”

No special treatment Frans is all for it too. He admits being the boss of a company where your partner is an apprentice is a bit different, but insists Brydee has to pull her weight just like anyone else.

“I just think it’s awesome. I don’t give special treatment, she’s just a typical apprentice—she gets under the house and all the usual stuff. She’s really good at work; she just gets on with it. Then we go home and she’s the boss again.”

Brydee’s help has been crucial in enabling Deep In Plumbing to set up in Taupō, after being run in Auckland for the last 10 years. Frans is back and forth between the two regions, and Brydee holds the fort while he’s away.

That’s just one part of the juggle of being a family-owned business, which often ends

up with one of their boys coming to work sites. Brydee considers them lucky for having the flexibility to cater for their kids.

“For school trips or if the kids are sick, with us both being the boss we can make it happen. In the same breath, it’s tricky because often it’s me who has to take the early days to pick them up or drop them off, so it means that I can’t do consistent 40 hour weeks like other apprentices.”

Strength in difference All told, Brydee says the fact she’s a woman doesn’t really change too much. She doesn’t mind admitting she isn’t as strong as some of the other plumbers, but says she brings strengths in other areas.

“I knew a guy 20 years ago who was a cop, and I was trying to join the Police at the time. He said, ‘If you wanna be a female cop, you don’t need to be manly and butch.

The benefit of you being a female cop is your sensitivity and different ability to reach people.’

“It’s the same working in trades; I can tackle things in different ways, explain things to customers and relate to them well.

The skills that come from being female are actually really great, and definitely not a weakness.”

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Career starters SKILLS COLUMN

GETTING GOING ONLINE Skills explain how their new online learning works for year-one apprentices.

During 2021, Skills reviewed our apprenticeship programmes to include online learning components. We wanted to ease demand on block course availability across the provider network, and help trainees complete their programmes quickly.

In 2022, we’ve rolled out the revised Plumbing and Drainlaying, and Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying programmes (v3) for all new trainees. This includes those who have already entered a training agreement but haven’t yet started block courses.

To access the online learning components, trainees should set up their My Skills login as soon as they’ve completed enrolment.

They’ll also get a learning pack containing all the year one materials, such as study guides and year one on-job assessments.

There are now four main components to training as an apprentice: 1. Learning and experience gained on-job 2. Online learning modules the trainee works through 3. Online assessments for their theory 4. Practical block courses attended with a training provider.

Employers are encouraged to keep track of their trainees’ online learning progress and provide on-job experience in the practical aspects. Ask to look through your trainees’ year one on-job assessments and help them plan when these could be completed.

ICE acquired by Skills Consulting Group Industry Connection for Excellence (ICE) is a PGD training provider based in East Tāmaki and Ōtaki. Founded by PGD industry groups, The Skills Organisation and Auckland polytechnics in 2016, ICE recently won recognition from NZQA as a PTE. As of 1 June, ICE has joined Skills Consulting Group’s stable of education and training brands. The team at Skills intend to keep investing in innovative training techniques and supporting trainees to achieve their best outcomes.

Looking further ahead, ICE is soon to start working with the Roofing Association of New Zealand as they continue meeting the roofing industry’s shortage of training provision. It’s also preparing to expand into a new location. Watch this space.

For more information, contact Skills at skills.org.nz or 0508 754 557. Reach ICE at icexl.co.nz or 0508 442 395.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE TRADES WHEN YOU GET OFF THE TOOLS. If you're an experienced PGD professional who loves to share your knowledge, we need your help training the next generation of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers.

With innovative training techniques like Hololens™ augmented reality and online delivery, your future looks bright.

Talk to us today about becoming a trainer at ICE. Phone: 0508 4ICEXL (0508 442 395) or visit icexl.co.nz.

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Helping you choose the right products

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We put each and every Master Plumbers’ Recommends plumbing product to the test. When the product has met all the requirements, then it gets our tick of approval. Helping you to choose plumbing products that are right for your home.

Find out more about Master Plumbers’ Recommends by visiting tickofapproval.co.nz or phone 0800 502 105.

A new report from the Waihanga Ara Rau Workforce Development Council makes a number of recommendations for improvement to the current plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying training model.

A

perfect storm has caused unacceptable delays to PGD apprenticeship timeframes, with apprentices currently taking six-and-a-half years to complete a five-year apprenticeship. This, at a time when plumbing businesses are crying out for skilled tradespeople to bolster their teams and help meet heavy workload demands.

The transition of The Skills Organisation into Te Pūkenga in October 2022 under RoVE reforms, coupled with Covid-19 disruptions to block course training and a 200% increase in new apprentices since 2020, without equal investment into training facilities and tutors, have combined to create a dissatisfactory situation for apprentices, plumbing companies and the general public that use their services.

When members of the industry approached the Waihanga Ara Rau Infrastructure and Construction Workforce Development

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Council (WDC) to voice their concerns, the WDC decided to establish a baseline picture of the current Level 4 training environment by interviewing training providers, employers and apprentices across New Zealand.

The resulting report takes a constructive approach, making recommendations where common themes and issues have been identified. It is up to the industry to take ownership and lead the way forward, notes the WDC. Short-term recommendations focus on addressing the immediate issue of ensuring apprentices complete on time. Longer term, the focus is on ensuring a flexible and ‘transformational’ training environment.

All recommended actions in the report have been agreed to by the recently formed PGD Strategic Reference Group, chaired by Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace. The next step is to implement a project team to work through the priorities.

Career starters PGD TRAINING REPORT

2022 PLUMBING, GASFITTING, and DRAINLAYING REVIEW

Mike Grumball Waihanga Ara Rau Workforce Development Council

achievable in a work-based environment. It has been suggested that some unit standards contain range statements that are unachievable in the workplace.

8. All providers offering PDG programmes to transition to the unified Version 3 Level 4 programmes as of 1 January 2023. This includes those providers that are currently offering curriculumbased programmes. This will align all training and potentially open up additional capacity within the system.

9. The industry to investigate the opportunity to set up dedicated Centres of Excellence (potentially three) for PDG training and to introduce a final capstone practical examination. This would ensure dedicated facilities with quality, up-to-date equipment, and dedicated educators with the appropriate qualifications and support to deliver and assess quality outcomes for the industry.

Any capstone assessment would need to be worked through with the PGD Board and Waihanga Ara Rau.

Short-term recommendations 1. Year 3 and 4 apprentices to be given priority for block course completion. A schedule of open block courses to be made available for apprentices to book with the provider of choice from selected providers who are able to meet demand. They will need support from their employers if they are to move out of their region for a block course. Additional support will need to be put in place to work with affected apprentices.

2. Apprentices to be given the opportunity to gather evidence within the workplace, have it verified and signed off by approved assessors for practical tasks. This workplace-based assessment relies on identifying approved assessors and ensuring apprentices have the chance to gain exposure to the required tasks in their workplace. Apprentices will then not need to attend the respective block course.

3. Theoretical components to be opened up to apprentices undertaking workplace-based assessment, so learning can occur in the workplace and assessments can be submitted to an approved assessor for marking.

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Long-term recommendations 1. There has already been a review of PDG training and a new delivery model for Version 3 was released at the beginning of 2022. However, this needs to be reviewed to ensure the model is fit for purpose, can cope with the increased demands, and includes workplace-based assessment.

2. The eLearning material for Version 3 to be fully completed by the end of 2022, financed by The Skills Organisation on behalf of, and in consultation with, industry.

3. The Learning Management System (LMS) platform for the eLearning material needs to be finalised as soon as possible to prevent the need for redevelopment of the learning content should this need to change in the future. It also allows for the platform to be further developed to allow access from learners, employers, facilitators, and assessors to the learner journey.

4. All remaining apprentices on Version 2 should be transitioned over to Version 3 as of 1 January 2023. The exception will be apprentices on the short-term recommendation pathway (see above).

5. Block courses no longer to be cohort based. Apprentices and their employers should have the opportunity to book into a scheduled block course at a provider and date that suits.

6. Block courses to be subject based, and contain both tuition and assessment, supported by evidence of undertaking tasks in the workplace.

7. Practical unit standards to be reviewed to ensure they are

The cost to place a classified advertisement is $120+GST for Master Plumbers members; $200+GST for non-members.

Email advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz

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And finally... DODGY PLUMBING, GAS & DRAINAGE

Dishwasher disaster Thanks to David Hillock for sending in this photo of a dishwasher drain and power supply. “The installer may have had second thoughts about the drain connection, hence the exterior waterproof switch socket,” says David.

Mon Dieu!

Just when you thought you’d seen it all...

Chris at Mainstream Plumbing & Gasfitting found this on a job in Hobsonville.

“Apparently done by a French backpacker advertising on Facebook,” he says.

Patchwork “We are sorting this beauty out now,” says Craig Tremeer.

Nailed it!

“No wonder the pressure test failed,” says George Astridge, Senior Building Officer Inspections at Hastings District Council.

Send your dodgy photos to the Ed: bsellers@masterplumbers.org.nz. The bigger the file, the larger we can show it on the page.

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