Hi Wal and guys, robbo here, glad that someone has been reading with interest I’ve wondered whether I was a voice in the wilderness and totally out of touch. I saw your piece on one news and was me who posted it here just in case all interested parties had not seen it. I agree with what you say that we need a collective voice that can make these law makers see sense. I believe that in the past people in our industry thought that the pgdb were there to help and assist us all and so did not rock the boat too much, but when they came out with the statement of: we are not here to protect Plum/Gas/Drain tradesmen, but are here to protect the public against you in the name of health and safety: they then became the enemy, I don`t quite think that we have all realised that yet.
It has always been my opinion that apathy has always won the day for the board and the figures that you supply reflect that point of view and I see in the latest consultation release that the ‘Balance Of Comment’ says ‘most submissions supported the options favoured by the board, that is purely because of apathy. Reading the whole thing, it seems that the proposed changes will get watered down somewhat because the master plumbers who represent a lot of tradesmen are putting up opposition to some of it but c.b.training will probably not be opposed. I have always been a bit concerned about the master plumbers; it has appeared to me that they stand to make a lot of money out of points training so do not oppose it, I could be wrong but the figures that I see for training begs the question of, who can afford to do this year after year and what about if costs keep going up which is inevitable once they are made law. It is money that is driving this thing, everything else is just an excuse. If you remember back when the minister of finance (there’s a clue) Cullen sacked the board we all thought ‘Great’ he has sussed them out for what they are, not a chance, he sacked them because of the money the govt had wasted on funding training that did not produce results because of the board not recognising that training, so money was the big driver nothing else, the problem is that they believe that they can get it from underpaid tradesmen, I personally believe that they cannot. I don`t believe that the minister M.Williamson is very concerned, Yet, because I noticed that the last time he had accepted the proposals from the board, the board had still not even finished analysing the consultation, also that he has stated that the hardest decision he had ever had to make was whether or not to put the ‘H’ in Wanganui. What I personally propose to do is, if and when points training come into force for plumbers (I’ve already given up gasfitting because of it) I am going to register as unemployed, citing un-affordability of obtaining an operating licence so not legally able to work, cheers.             

hi guys, for your information i have just recieved a reply from the ministers office,here it is,cheers.

I don't think as an industry we are against "upskilling" at all.  Plumbers and gasfitters (and I presume drainlayers) have always attended courses and learned about new products and how to fit them.  As a general rule tradesmen like to fiddle with things and find out how they work!  The danger with all of this is that now courses that once were free and run by manufacturers will now cost money - the reason for this is the administrative empire that has been forced on this regime by the requirement to "log" points.  Course papers must be marked and then the results notified to the PGDB - all this takes time and costs the companies who are delivering the courses money.  I don't think there is a huge profit in trade training - goodness knows the polytechs have been moaning about how much it costs them and how little they make for years - but these costs will and must be passed on to the consumer.  It was relatively easy to pass on the costs for gas upskilling - our charge out for gas certificates went up markedly and covers the costs of sending my staff on courses and lost production time.  I am in a quandry as to how to pass on the costs for plumbing and drainlaying upskilling - it will have to be in the hourly rate unless all tradesmen across NZ want to introduce a training levy surcharge on their accounts.  The public won't like it - but ultimately it must be paid for unless it is repealed.  I just wish they would treat us like grown ups and there would be recognition for professional reading (say the Plumbers Journal or other trade publications) and for turning up to meetings around technical issues.  But there is no room in the current system for recognition of this. 

Hi Everyone.

Well I've said my bit at the Beehive and Outside the PGDB for three days this week.  Got so cold I nearly had to put on two pair of shorts. 

Be in quick to enroll for the latest Master Plumbers and PGDB Course Its a must for upskilling.. It's a 6 point course over four hours and covers the reasons for trapping and venting sanitry plumbing systems.  This must be a new concept. Course Cost $101.25 inc GST for Master Plumbers members generally more for the rest of us, time away from work 6 hours, travel and parking own responsibility. I'm so excited about the prospect of cources to come. W*#kers

Hi guys, has anyone had a letter inviting you to’ MEET THE BOARD’ this is a letter that I received asking me (and I presume others) to meet the board members and listen to B.S. and to partake in food and drink (at our expense). I don’t know if any other tradesmen in ch-ch visit this site but if you do, what do you think? What really annoys me is that we get personal letters to support this junket which will not improve our lives one bit but is aimed at getting as many people as possible to attend, yet the recent very important submission document was an on-line only effort which would have marginalised tradesmen who are not on-line obviously aimed to limit returns. I will not be attending this meeting and hope others will see through it, they can`t buy support for their luxury lifestyles with a few eats and drinks, they are obviously travelling the country at high cost to us, cheers.   

HI GUYS i was asked to go and talk at one of these meeting in wellington and curse the man routhan banned me from talking as i was an expert in gas servicing and gas maintenance and his board new nothing and still no nothing of this subject or plumbing the waŁ$^rs

the master plumbers are not much better as i used to write jdscorner and they didnt like the fact that a uk plumber was coming up with good ideas

so i say back wal alan me and the guys and dont pay the board

Hello everyone.

Things are moving along by legal means and eventually we will win.  I certainly do not support not paying the fees.  If you do that you are only playing into the Governments and the Boards hands. Everything we do must be legal unlike them, so take the high ground, keep your pride and morals and meet your legal requirements.


Wal