Sure is roberto                      

 Just another daylight robbery. They are probably chilling out in there impressive board room now wading through mountains of cash, diving board set up etc (CEO pictured diving head first into a pool of $20 notes)...laughter, smoking of cigars and high fives all round. They have successfully convinced the govt they need $600k + a year to operate effectively. The "Board" is now a huge success. Meanwhile in the rest of NZ,... plumbers families are struggling to keep their heads above water and are, cancelling family trips, struggling to keep up with  paying bills and just looking for anyway forward in life. Will it end at $367.22 or is the cost for 1 license  set to increase again soon so the "Board" can build a new bigger improved office from which they will expand to gather even more revenue for their cause. If they keep it up eventually it may not be worth going to work?? Electrician I recently spoke to said they pay $90 for a 2 year license....I myself owe $990 that I cannot afford...
x1 Reg Plumber,Gasfitter, Drainlayer licenses, x1 Discipline levy, x1 Offences Fee, x1 $357 first time drainlayer rego fee(to be added to the register)= $990

Remember if your not licensed and your working...the ''Board'' considers you a danger to yourself and a danger to society...go figure lol

Its because the PGDB doesnt cost the govt any money to operate, they bring in their own through us, and if they are bending or breaking the rules no one in govt wants to really have a go at bringing them down or doing away with them because  if they had to reorganise how things are done and not have a board it will just be another cost the govt has to fund. Right now paying out for things is just not on the govts agenda, its like you say Thunderhead. They are closing some overseas embassies to save cash, no way they will touch a self funded ''Board" in this financial day and age.If the "Board" were a govt funded organisation who performed poorly it would be easier to get all this BS sorted as money from the govt wouldnt be such a major issue as they would already be giving them money to regulate/discipline us. I dont know a lot of the finer points but its not hard to see.

 You would think the "Board" as a registered charity would benefit greatly from being one as it enables them to legally avoid
obligations that similar boards may have to pay the govt. I am presuming this is the case otherwise why would they do it. There must be some financial factor around it that keeps their money paid in by us with them, without leakage going to the govt through who knows what.

I think with the new budget coming out the board is more comfortable as the govt is tightening up.They arent going anywhere anytime soon. The only way forward is to get membership up for the PGDF so they can cease using their BS quotes like "It is only three people causing trouble", it may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow but one day many days from now the federation will outnumber all other industry groups thus becoming the majority and
a leading force to advocate change of our governing regulatory system we call the PGDB. Wal is right its not a battle, its a war fought one battle at a time.
Change will come, I am sure of that. But the question is how long will this war last for.

One things for sure I am tired of the "Board" being able to beat down on who ever they please for making even a small error but when they make monumental mistakes in legislation concerning there regulatory powers at the highest level its all a hush up and it is quickly remedied and they carry on, "Hey,lets go and steal some more money from practitioners lol lol lol." Business as Fu**en usual then......but their days are numbered.



Comments??

Yes $367.22 for a single license, if your sitting your gas next month too you would have already had to fork out the $306 exam fee which would have sucked.

It gets worse though, if you pass your gas exam when the results come out in August I think it is it will cost you a further $357.78 to be added to the register of gasfitters. Basically this fee covers the "Board considering you for addition to the register even though you have met all the prerequisites and also for someone to do a bit of data entry and add your name to the register of gasfitters, update their details on you etc. If you wish to get a official PGDB certificate of registration ( I must say they look good on the wall) it will cost an additional $51.11.

Then you must uplift a practising license for gasfitting which will be another $102.00 for the rest of the license period.

At a minimum if you dont get the certificate  and you want to be a licensed gasfitter inside this license period your looking at $459.00, add on your $367.22  for your plumbing (which already inc the one off yearly discipline levy & offences fee) your total cost to work for the year if you successfully pass your exam will be $827 to be a registered plumber and gasfitter. $878 if you want the $51 certificate though

Next year it will cost you $469.00 for two licenses for one year. One thing though if you pass your gas exam you will be awarded 12 CPD points which will at least give you a reprieve from having to do anything CPD related to gasfitting for a year. Its all on the boards website.

So steep huh, im in a similar boat.

Hi guys/Rodza, you could have been a qualified engineer by now! If I were you I would be moving in that direction or architectural/engineering CAD drawing, there is no future in our trades (unless you are a Board member) we just seem to be cash cows for everyone, cheers

hi guys/ Willis more guys should follow your example, like you i learned AutoCad 25yrs ago and still use it, being self-employed i did not move to the office role but sometimes wish i had (never too late i guess) as you say it is a much more friendly enviroment, if any guys out there are interested in design then go the AutoCad way and get out of this `board `controlled system i don`t see it getting any better anytime soon, you still have the plumbing skills for your own use when you need it,cheers

Hey willis your bang on there, Im in the exact same position as you I left the trade and employed as a services engineer for a construction company to work with the engineers and design team.  I have stayed registered this year but it will be the last time, I have absolutly no plans to head back to the tools and help line the coffers of the PGDB. On another note there are 2 guys I know of based in auckland that are actually trained hydrualic engineers Ex plumbers who went to aussie to study and they are real good.

just got off the phone with the pgdb,

I have to pay 367.22 for my plumbing this year then every trade you get on top of that you have to pay 102.22 for each, so if I was to be licenced in all three trades it would cost me

$571.66 per year, not over $1000 like I thought! still a shitload thou!!!