hi fellow plumbers

The plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers act states under direction of registered persons

registered plumbers must be directed by a craftsman plumber by receiving verbal and or written instructions and being observed. The supervisor must inspect the work being undertaken at its completion, to ensure that all safety and compliance requirements have been met.

In my understanding this means any work done by a registered plumber who has spent approx 8000 hours plumbing, completing national certificate and passing the board exam is still according to the board not yet experienced or skilled enough to engage in plumbing work without supervision.

If after all of this you still need to be supervised then isn't the current registration a total waste of time?

Who has the time or resource's to check every job done by registered plumbers
tap washers, ball cocks,even more substantial work that registered plumbers have prov-en they are capable of through their qualification.

I would like your thoughts on this subject as maybe a petition to government could change the act to allow registered plumbers to work without direction.

Or does the title registered need to be removed after all are you a plumber or not?

Does being a registered plumber count for anything?

does the board have a apprenticeship in place to advance you to craftsman status?

are we left on our own once registered?

after completing your apprenticeship should you be fully capable and qualified to work under your own knowledge and direction?

I will be interested in reading our responces

thanks
plumber78

Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/pgdb-new-zealand-plumbing-gasfitting-and-drainlaying-board/30/do-we-need-a-change/325/

hi guys, this is the reply from minister of building on several issues that i e-mailed him on.
Office of Hon Maurice Williamson
MP for Pakuranga
Minister for Building and Construction Minister of Customs Minister for Land Information
Minister of Statistics Minister for Small Business
0 4 NOV 2QQ9
Thank you for your letter of 8 October 2009 and subsequent emails of 21 and 23 October 2009 regarding:
•   industry   wide   communications   from   the   Plumbers,   Gasfitters   and Drainlayers Board (the Board) in respect of the recent gas certificate fraud
•   employment matters currently under investigation by the Board
•    the need for the Board to exist
•   the need for sensible training initiatives within the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry.
Industry wide communications from the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (the Board) in respect of the recent gas certificate fraud
Following a review of the Board's processes a range of recommendations have been made. These will be considered by the Board shortly, I have asked that the Board keep me informed of what they intend to do to ensure the future risk of such fraud occurring is minimised.
In respect of self-certification, you make some good points. Government has agreed to review certification by 31 March 2011. This review will be lead jointly by the Ministry of Economic Development and the Department of Building and Housing. I would encourage you to participate in the review when comments are asked for. It is likely the review will begin towards the middle of 2010.
You also mention in your letter that you "know of craftsman gasfitters who have sold gas certificates to other installers because it is lucrative". Those who seek to perpetrate fraud not only place consumers at a risk of serious harm but also bring your trade into disrepute. While the Board can put in place processes and systems to try and stop fraudulent use of gas certificates, it is only possible for the Board to do its job with the support of industry and in particular conscientious practitioners such as yourself. While I understand the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying community is small in
New Zealand and even smaller in Christchurch, I hope that you will make the Board aware of these individuals. I would expect the Board to take all possible steps to ensure your identity is not disclosed.
Employment matters currently under investigation by the Board
In your email of 21 October you question the competence of the Board following a news article noting that the Chief Executive has been suspended pending an investigation. It is not possible for me to comment on the current employment matters under investigation. However, I am confident that steps being taken by the Board will result in the Board being served by a high performing secretariat in the future.
The need for the Board to exist
In your email of 23 October you question the need for the Board to exist. Parliament has deemed that there is a risk to the public from incompetent practitioners practising in the industry. Parliament has also determined that the Board is the appropriate mechanism to provide oversight of practitioner competence. I do not believe the existence of the Board is the problem but rather the way in which the Board has been operating.
The Board is currently in a period of transition between the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 1976 and the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006. The Board has taken this opportunity to review the way in which it is regulating the industry and is developing measures to significantly improve its performance. I am expecting that this work will come together in time for the implementation of the 2006 Act and will be communicated to industry at this time.
The need for sensible training initiatives within the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry
Training of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers is outside my responsibility as the Minister for Building and Construction. This issue falls within the portfolio of Hon Anne Tolley, Minister of Education.
I would also note that industry training falls outside the Board's realm of responsibility. While the Board must stay linked into industry training, they are not responsible for the quality of apprentices. The Board's role is simply to ensure that once trained apprentices meet the standards the Board has set for practise.
However, both I and Hon Tolley are aware that training issues exist within the industry. We are also aware that the Board has been working with the Industry Training Organisation to assist it in addressing these issues. Both Hon Tolley and I are keeping an eye on progress and expect to see results in the first three months of 2010.
I have forwarded your email, and a copy of my response to you, to Hon Tolley for her consideration.
Thank you for taking the time to write. Again I would like to reiterate my hope that you will make the Board aware of those individuals you know of who are fraudulently using gas certificates.
Yours sine
Maurice Williamson Minister for Building and Construction
cc       Hon Rodney Hide
Minister of Regulatory Reform Parliament Buildings WELLINGTON
cc       Mr Aaron Gilmore
Member of Parliament Parliament Buildings WELLINGTON

Feel free to comment on anything here.

Hey guys reading through all these forums. your board sound like the biggest F*ucken idiots around we never get treated like this from our state boards here they help you they inform you there is no dobbing people in...! You work on a site in Australia you produce your plumbing licence or you don't get on site you do more than 500 dollars worth of work you supply a compliance certificate this system works and keeps the untrained and unqualified guys out of the industry. If you don't know your AS 3500 you wont last long. 3 year licence $300 if you want to start your own business you have to have insurance and a business course which is a 3 day course on business not plumbing... No insurance no compliance certificates... Maybe get your board to see how its done over here then maybe your trade will get cleaned up over there... I really doubt they would get away with half the sh*t they carry on with there over here.... Or you could just leave NZ and move to Australia heaps of work its nice earn $50 an hour on wages... and probably pays twice as much...Good luck guys!