CEO’s Message

At the beginning of the year planning was in full swing for the series of industry forums we were going to conduct in regional areas and Perth. Nobody in our office team could have imagined that by mid-March, just a week after celebrating World Plumbing Day, those events and others would be postponed indefinitely, the office would be closed and we would be working from our homes.

As fear of the disease took hold in the community, the lockdown wrought its effects on the economy and there was a stream of government announcements, we had important work to do. A priority was keeping members informed about the financial assistance available to them and how to respond to COVID-19. So too was being a public voice for Master Plumbers. At one point, we thought we were on for a battle to keep the plumbing industry open. That threat disappeared but more action was coming on other fronts. Some events created ripple effects. This was the case when panic shopping caused a shortage of toilet paper, which in combination with the increased interest in personal hygiene prompted a surge in sales and do-it-yourself installation of douche sprays. We led the way in generating media coverage about the health risks and urging government authorities to issue warnings. Legionnaires’ Disease

We were in the media again with a warning about the risk of Legionnaires’ disease when office workers return to buildings where water has been stagnant in pipes and cooling systems for months. While going public with this message, we emphasised that building owners should use licensed plumbing contractors to perform the required flushing and cleaning work. As well as giving us a lesson in how quickly the world can change, COVID-19 has demonstrated that plumbing will always be integral to the health of the population regardless of what happens. As Master Plumbers, we must never rest in our efforts to make the public aware of the role of our industry and ensure that unqualified operators, home handymen and opportunistic retailers of plumbing products do not create havoc with public health.

Murray Thomas Chief Executive Officer