Member news

New access for QLD apprentices

Apprentices and plumbing businesses in Queensland will be able to access Master Plumbers Group Training in a new partnership between Master Plumbers Queensland and the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia.

Following news released earlier this year that All Trades Queensland Pty Ltd had been placed into Administration, Master Plumbers formed Plumbing Apprentices Queensland, a joint venture to save as many Queensland plumbing apprentice jobs and livelihoods as possible. Master Plumbers is focused on growing the plumbing, roof plumbing and refrigeration sectors to enable talent to enter and succeed in our dynamic industry. This opportunity strengthens the long-standing relationship between Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia and Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland which represents the largest associations of plumbing employers in Australia. Aaron will support our Chief Technical Advisor Gary Bath in delivering technical services and advice to Members. Plumbing Apprentices Queensland will offer a 5% discount on the total invoice to host employers who are members of Master Plumbers and has committed to continuing the current charge out rates (with a legislated cost-based increase to apply from 1 November due to the Fair Work Commission increase in the Modern Award) but applying Supporting Apprentices and Trainees Wage Subsidies once they are received from the Department of Education and Training. Any new apprentices taken on will also be entitled to the wage subsidies. New PAQ staff Brett Beauchamp (PAQ Manager), Wayne Smith (Field Officer and Apprentice Mentor) and Grace Squires (OHS and Return to Work Coordinator) to Master Plumbers will be familiar Prior to joining, Aaron ran his own plumbing business in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. He worked with Master Plumbers PAV in 2014-15 as an apprentice and has been the recipient of multiple awards including the Andrew Letten Gold Medal. to those in the plumbing industry and will be reaching out over coming weeks to see if PAQ can assist MPAQ members in any way. visit plumber.com.au/paq

New technical advisor for Master Plumbers

Master Plumbers is pleased to welcome Aaron Bridger to the Association in the role of Technical Advisor.

For more information, He came first place in the Apprentice Skills Competition, participated in the 2016 Community Plumbing Challenge in South Africa and India and competed in the United Association skills competition in Ann Arbor.

PICAC scores top sustainability award

PICAC Narre Warren was last month awarded the 2020 AIRAH Excellence in Sustainability Award.

PICAC Narre Warren is the first Net Zero Energy (NZE) education and research facility in Victoria and has been designed to utilise the very latest technological advances in water reticulation, heating and cooling systems, training delivery, safety, new product innovation and sustainability practices. The project utilised the building’s own foundation screw piling to

Cooke & Dowsett

Cooke & Dowsett recently announced the appointment of Matthew Quick to the role of General Manager, where he will be responsible for consolidating their construction operations across Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. With more than 30 years’ experience in the plumbing and construction industry, Matthew has worked with leading national construction companies on many high-profile infrastructure projects including the MCG Northern Stand Redevelopment, Crown Casino and the Monash Children’s Hospital. Matthew joins the business at an exciting time in their growth. source geothermal energy for the facility’s heating and cooling requirements. The combination of 220 geothermal energy wells and the rooftop solar made this a groundbreaking project, showcasing how buildings are part of the solution to the challenges of climate change. PICAC has thanked partners International Association of

keen to get started.

“When we launched our business, strategic future planning wasn’t on our minds,” Cat McCarthy, People Development Manager at McCarthy Plumbing Group explains. “My husband (David) had an ABN from sub-contracting, so it made sense at the time to use the name attached to that. “Since then, the business has seen significant growth. We’ve added new machinery, settled into a new factory and met many new clients. The team has also grown quite a bit: Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), Master Plumbers and PPTEU Victoria and all those who contributed to the project, including FMSA Architecture, Hutchinson Builders, Cooke & Dowsett Plumbing Group, Deakin University, GeoExchange Australia, Geothermal Industries Australia, Entire Fire Protection Pty Ltd, AHSCA Research

McCarthy Plumbing Group

When the team at David McCarthy Plumbing entered the industry seven years ago, they were

Foundation & Skott Consulting. just recently we welcomed our first, of hopefully many, female plumbers to our happy, talented team.” After seven years in business, Cat and David, and their team looked at their vision, values and strategy and decided a new, inclusive brand name was required. “We made the decision to become the McCarthy Plumbing Group,” Cat reveals. “The name pays respect to our past and acknowledges the future we are creating with our team.”