Executive

PERSPECTIVE

Penny Cornah, Executive Director Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who attended our Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards night, it was a fantastic event. We recognised the outstanding work, leadership, and growth of apprentices, individuals, and businesses in the Queensland plumbing and gas industry. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners, you should be feeling very proud.

A special thanks to our partners for their support. These companies and organisations continue to back MPAQ and our industry, allowing us the opportunity to promote, assist, and advocate for our members and represent the plumbing and gas industry in Queensland. I would like to acknowledge our Event Partner, Reliance Worldwide Corporation. When RWC partnered with us on this event in early 2020, no one could have guessed what we would have to go through to put this event together. To check out the winners and photos from the event please refer to pages 20-25.

While we are talking about major events, there are less than 4,000 days to the opening of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympics provides a platform to build a better future for all Queenslanders. We have Australia’s third opportunity to host the world’s greatest sporting event and Brisbane intends to build on the innovation and success of Sydney 2000 and Melbourne 1956.

The growth coming for our capital city in the next decade will be enormous, and as an Association we want our members to be at the forefront of the capital infrastructure developments that will be required. Fans can expect unbeatable sports experiences in 37 world class venues set against a backdrop of iconic beachfronts, breath-taking rural hinterland, and exciting cities rich in culture and entertainment. MPAQ will keep members up to date with Olympic news and opportunities, and we will be engaging with government during the next phase.

Thank you to each and every member for your support this year. I wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I look forward to catching up with members in the New Year.

To contact me please call 07 3273 0800 or email penny.cornah@mpaq.com.au.

The Hon. Di Farmer MP, Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, Penny Cornah, MPAQ Executive Director, and the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier and Minister for the Olympics

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Kent Vickers, President Much like the Melbourne Cup is the pinnacle horse racing event in Australia, the MPAQ Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards is the most prestigious event on the Queensland plumbing and gas industry calendar. After a 24-month delay, the 21st Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards were run and won at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 12 November this year.

Let me start by acknowledging all the individuals and companies that nominated, and a special congratulations to the finalists and winners. Once again, the standard of work in each category was extremely high, and the judges had a difficult time deciding who the winners would be.

The Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards is our opportunity to celebrate the Queensland plumbing industry and acknowledge the high quality of work our members deliver to their customers.

When you look around the room, it is difficult to comprehend how the event could get any better, but each year, the MPAQ events team turns it up another notch and surprises us with a new level of sophistication and masterful execution. I must thank the MPAQ staff for their extraordinary efforts that make the awards such a great success.

The Awards is only possible through the support of our corporate sponsors, and I would like to thank each of them for their support year after year.

2022 has a lot to live up to. The state borders are open and international travel has returned. The cynic in me asks the question “does this mean that the business world will slow due to the travel restrictions being eased?”, or will the massive increase in work generated by the COVID-19 lockdowns continue?

I would like to think that both will happen, but I doubt it. I think the Australian population is itching to travel, especially the southern states where the lockdowns lasted longer than anywhere else in the world. Queenslanders, on the other hand, had it pretty good. Time will tell, but I’m quite certain the massive increase in work that most of us experienced will not last.

Training and upskilling remain high on our agenda. There has not been one event that I have attended in the last two years where the shortage of licensed plumbers and gas fitters was not raised.

Stage two of the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) at Beenleigh will open in early 2022 and what a magnificent facility it is. The spectacular transformation from a rundown warehouse to a world class training facility is simply spectacular. The facility has enough room to develop and deliver new technologies as they emerge. There is a specific area for hydrogen training, and all the other facets of the plumbing trade, including fire, are covered. Queensland continues to lead the country in the development and production of hydrogen. The facility at Beenleigh will complement the delivery of this renewable energy source through training and awareness to the end user.

To all our members, corporate supporters, sponsors, staff, the Executive Director, and my fellow board members, thank you for your support over the last twelve months. I wish you all the very best for the festive season and look forward to seeing you in 2022. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families and please stay safe.