Yes your right i shall do that 

I am a Corgi registered Gas engineer and Plumber from England, I ran my own successful business there for 18 years, I have also worked on systems you don’t have here yet, Immigration told me that once I had worked for someone for three months then I could start my own business, but now that I have come here giving up my business in England I am told that I am supposed to work with a craftsman so that he can over see my work! , I feel like an apprentice again, but no apprentice here is overseen by anyone, so it is a nonsense especially as most craftsmen employ several apprentices, how can they watch all of them at the same time? , I have fixed systems here that have not been working properly for years because no one has the knowledge to fix them, also the work I have seen done by so called craftsmen here is way below what should be expected.
I have had several telephone conversations with the plumbers, gas fitters and drain layers board, they told me that plumbers from the uk are no good and that I have to retrain for two to four years at a very high financial cost to me, I think that I should have to carry out a competence check and a quick course on New Zealand regulations and then be able to get on with my life.
I am 45 years of age and feel insulted by the treatment I have had, it is no wonder people get here and turn around and go home, I came here with the intention and money to set up a business and employ others and willing to help the country, what is the country doing to help me? , Things need to change if New Zealand is to keep Tradesman from abroad.
I have come to the other side of the world looking for a good future for my family.




My first bit of advice is to sack the plumbers board and start again but with a separate kiwi gas safety registration board with the emphasis on proactive gas safety, we would have to have gas inspectors which would check 2 installations and give a small test about gas safety and we would also inform the gas fitter of any new rules coming into force and advise if training was needed this would be every 2years.
1)We would introduce new training for kiwi gas fitters which would be taken every 5years this would allow them to install /repair pipe work,  they could sign off pipe work but not the appliances that they fit this would have to completed by the kiwigas engineer who would have to sign the kiwigas appliance cert
2)we would introduce kiwi gasengineers training, which would also be taken every 5 years and after completing the course they would be able to install/maintain/service&test appliances and of course sign of any gas appliance fitted in NZ.
3)we would introduce a kiwigas appliance certificate/service schedule which would come with the instructions pre stamped by appliance manufacturer, who would only guarantee the appliance if it was installed and filled out by the kiwi gas engineer responable for testing for safety then he signs for this appliances then he explains to the owner all the functions and how to use properly and then advises 12 monthly services.
IT HAS TO BE SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE NO GARRENTEE IF NOT SIGNED OR FITTED BY A KIWI GAS FITTER/ENGINEER.
4)the kiwigas appliance cert would also show any ongoing info to show a history of servicing and maintenance for future owners of the property.
5)we would also have a kiwigas cert for pipe work /alterations/new installations.

WE WOULD ALSO INTRODUCE.

kiwigas landlord gas safety certificates which would have to be 12monthly by law to insure all gas appliances in rental property/motels and all tenanted properties.

I feel that if we introduce all of the above and more we would have a plumbing and gas work force that would start to have and show pride in there work but the key is not to bog the system down with stupid fees and rules that demoralize the work force, I feel that the system we have at moment is not good for free trade within the industry because if you work for a bad craftsman he wont help progress because whilst you are training he s got you on poor wages and to his advantage I know this because I and many like me from the uk are restricted to work for frankly poorly trained craftsmen I worked for $15 dollars an hr but was charged out at $75 with no supervision and they are allowed to get away with this because of the pgdb and poorly thought out rules that they don’t police.
If we start to introduce some of these rules we will start to see better running htg systems and this can only be good for the enviroment  and the plumbing and gas industry as this will raise the standards of training and expertise and the quality of the gas appliances we are fitting.

When I was running my businesses in the uk I didn’t rely on being a plumber/corgi gas engineer I built up a good customer base by offering a good service which helped me get a good name  sounds abit old fashioned but it works and can here just give us a chance.

And as I have said before I want a position on the plumber’s board/ kiwigas board as I am passionate about raising the standards of work and training here please don’t be afraid of change.

John dyer