Master Plumbers

A building that once made am******on for New Zealand’s war effort is now being brought back to life as a place for people to make things of a very different kind.

Built in 1942, this old timber building in East Hamilton’s Flynn Park was part of the Colonial Am******on Company factory, employing up to 1,200 people, and more than half of them women.

After sitting empty for six years, it’s now being transformed into the Community Woodcraft and Arts Hub, the new home of the Waikato Guild of Woodworkers. The space will eventually host hands-on workshops, youth programmes, community groups and public exhibitions.

The Guild approached Waikato Master Plumbers for help, and around 12 local plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers have volunteered their time, from project managers through to 3rd and 4th-year Masterlink apprentices. Masterlink covered the apprentices’ time, giving them the chance to be part of the project alongside the wider team.

There was plenty to work through. The water and power had been off for years, and with no plans showing where the services ran, the team had to start by working out exactly what was actually there.

Behind the old walls, they also uncovered chalk writing left by factory workers more than 80 years ago, including their handwritten lists of wounded workers and prisoners of war. Some of it has now been preserved and displayed behind vision panels for visitors to see.

Plumbing World NZ , GWA, Marley Trade and Rheem New Zealand all donated products for the project, including sanitaryware, a hot water cylinder, pipework and fittings. Stage two of the project is due to get underway soon.

Projects like this are a big part of what makes the Kava Cup such a special award. It recognises Master Plumbers branches that get behind worthwhile local causes and make a difference in their wider community.

Well done, Waikato. A pretty special bit of mahi. 👏🏆

You’ve got three options. Which one are you taking?

1, 2 or 3? Let us know in the comments. 👇

A few more moments from last Thursday, when we marked the rollout of self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers with Minister for Building and Construction Simon Watts, in Wellington.

It was great to have some of our members there, including Jason Bellman, co-owner of Mana Plumbing 2024 Ltd and one of the first plumbers approved under the new scheme 👏, alongside the wider Mana Plumbing team and the teams from JLP and OVP Plumbing and Gas.

Minister Watts spent time talking with members and heard what self-certification and inspections look like on the job. Master Plumbers also presented him with a 125-year commemorative pin to mark the occasion.

A big thanks to Jason, Kirstie, Josh and the team at Jason Brown Plumbing and Gas for hosting us, and to all our members who took time out of their day to be part of this milestone.

Construction was the biggest contributor to NZ's GDP growth in the June quarter — up 2.7%, the largest increase in construction activity since June 2023.

Plenty has been said about what that means for the building sector. Just not 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 as much about the plumbers, drainlayers and gasfitters who are part of it too... 👀

So to every plumber, drainlayer, gasfitter and apprentice around the motu — this ones for you ⭐👏

We traded our usual blue for red yesterday to show our support for MATES in Construction New Zealand and Fly the Flag Week, 7–11 September.

Our team dressed in Mates in Construction colours and if you drove past our Wellington office, you would have seen our flag flying in the window 🚩

Our Masterlink Regional Manager, Emma, also rallied by putting on a BBQ at her local Plumbing World NZ branch in Christchurch, with a great turnout. Our awesome business partners got behind it too, with Marley New Zealand providing the coffee cart and Hirepool Ltd supplying the food.

Mates in Construction do a huge amount of practical, on-the-ground work across New Zealand, from getting out on sites and delivering toolbox talks to providing resources, connections and support for people in the construction industry.

If you or someone you know could use some support, Mates in Construction have a FREE helpline: 0800 111 315.

The August-September issue of NZ Plumber is out!

With the General Election just around the corner, we’ve put 8 big issues facing our industry to the key political parties, asking what they would do to support the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying in Aotearoa.

Plus, relive the best moments from the NZ Plumbing Conference, celebrate this year’s NZ Plumbing Awards winners, including 2026 Master Plumber of the Year, Optiplumb Ltd, and get a look at the latest kitchen and bathroom innovations worth knowing about for your next job.

If it's being sold, specified or supplied, you'd expect it to be OK to install. Right?

Leaded products are still on the market, making the new lead-free requirements tricky to navigate in practice. They can be sold, promoted, specified or even purchased by customers, leaving you to work out whether the product you're being asked to install actually meets the new requirements — and whether or not you should.

The PGDB’s article in this week’s Info Brief is a useful reminder that being available on the market doesn’t necessarily mean a product meets the lead-free requirements. Copper alloy products in contact with drinking water must have a weighted average lead content of no more than 0.25%.

Visit the Master Plumbers website for information and practical resources to help you navigate the changes, including a range of business partners with lead-free products displaying the Proudly Lead Free’mark through Master Plumbers Recommended.

www.masterplumbers.org.nz/leadfreeforPGD

Being busy is a good thing. But a full diary and plenty of work don’t necessarily mean your business is making the return it needs.

Costs keep changing. Pricing changes. And it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day without stopping to check whether the numbers still stack up.

• What does it really cost to run your business?
• Is your current charge-out rate covering those costs?
• How much profit are you making from every hour you work?
• What would an increase in your margin mean for your business?

If you're not sure, you won't be alone — and we’re about to make finding out a whole lot easier for Master Plumbers members 👀

Meet our cover stars from the June–July issue of NZ Plumber magazine, Kewa and Ashleigh McMillan-Parata of Ka Pai Plumbing!

Kewa started Ka Pai Plumbing in Porirua in 2020, working solo. Six years on, he and Ashleigh have grown the business into a team of six — and creating pathways into plumbing for local young people has played an important part in that growth.

Through the school Gateway programme, they’ve been able to give students the chance to experience the industry and see where a career in the trades could take them. As Kewa says, “By giving them work opportunities through the school Gateway programme, we want to show them that a plumbing career is within their grasp.”

Read Kewa and Ashleigh’s full story in the June–July issue of NZ Plumber:
https://issuu.com/nzplumber/docs/nz_plumber_june-july_2026/38