4 minute read
Executive
PERSPECTIVE
In October, we celebrated 22 years of success for our Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards program, where we hosted over 720 people, our largest celebration ever. We are honoured to run this program, which consistently
Penny Cornah, Executive Director recognises the high level of professionalism and excellence in our industry.
We also experienced record numbers of nominations for these awards. It was great to see that so many people recognise the importance of celebrating excellence in our industry.
The high standard of nominations has truly surpassed our expectations, and every single nominee deserves praise for what they have achieved. We wouldn’t be able to celebrate these achievements without the support of our partners, and I would like to thank all of them.
I would like to give a special appreciation to our Event Partner, Reliance Worldwide Corporation. Thank you for continuing to support MPAQ and the industry; we couldn’t be more thrilled to have such an amazing supporter on board.
Full details of our awards night and winners are on pages 14-19.
It has been a huge year for MPAQ, advocating and supporting our members. I hope you can have a break to recharge your batteries over the Christmas and New Year period. Thank you to each member and associate for your support this year. We look forward to continuing to provide services and support in 2023.
Thank you to our MPAQ Council for their strategic guidance, passion, and dedication this year. These individuals give up their time to give back to our industry and for that, I am truly grateful. Our Council is led by our President, Kent Vickers. Kent is determined to make a difference in our industry and for that, I would like to say thank you.
I would also like to thank the MPAQ team, for your hard work and your contribution. You go above and beyond, putting our members first, and we couldn’t deliver the high level of services and support that our members expect and deserve without your contributions. I would like to especially acknowledge my deputy, Ernie Kretschmer, and the MPAQ management team, Summer, Tracy, Cara and Ashleigh.
Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
To contact me please call 07 3273 0800 or email penny. cornah@mpaq.com.au.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Congratulations must go to all the finalists and winners from the 22nd Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards night, hosted by MPAQ on 14 October this year. Once again, the night was a runaway success and the MPAQ team must be acknowledged for organising another excellent event. A thank you must also go to the Event Partner, Reliance Worldwide Corporation, for their generous support.
Kent Vickers, President After a couple of delays, the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) at Beenleigh was officially opened by the Premier and Minister for the Olympics, the Hon. Anastasia Palaszczuk, on 16 November. The Queensland Government has been a supporter of the college since day one and the generous grant awarded to the stakeholders to complete the development has been well spent. The Queensland Government recognises the importance of providing state of the art training for our apprentices, but this college goes one step further to ensure that our current workforce can upskill and engage in continual professional development.
The college will play a pivotal role in filling the ever-widening gap that we are experiencing when it comes to labour supply. Construction Skills Queensland modelling indicates that the growth that we expect to see in the next three to five years will out-strip our current available labour force many times over. It is so important to keep training and upskilling the younger generation to ensure we have a sustainable workforce to supply the future building boom.
The jewel in the crown at Beenleigh is the hydrogen training centre of excellence. This facility will be the hydrogen training hub for Southeast Queensland. It will provide a fantastic opportunity for our members to upskill their qualifications and allow them to install and maintain hydrogen appliances.
There is no doubt that the rising interest rates and the increased price of living have left their mark in 2022. Although we were all warned that this was an inevitable consequence of the last two years, it still comes as a shock when the pain is finally delivered.
With electricity, fuel, and mortgage repayments all heading north at an alarming rate, we must remind ourselves that the last two years have been some of the most profitable times the construction industry in Queensland has ever experienced. MPAQ has developed a charge out rate calculator to keep a check on the markup and margins each business is charging to ensure they remain profitable and competitive. If you would like to know more, please contact the office on 07 3273 0800 or email info@mpaq.com.au.
As another year draws to a close, I want to thank every one of our members for their support and continued dedication to MPAQ. We are here to service your needs and to provide representation at all levels of government and industry. Without your support and continued membership, we do not have the strength in numbers to be heard.
On behalf of myself and my board members, I want to wish you all a happy, healthy, and relaxing Christmas and New Year. I hope you all experience some quality time with your family and make some new memories. I look forward to 2023 and thank you for your support.
