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2021 Plumbing & Gas Industry Awards
On Friday 12 November, the industry came together at the annual Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards to recognise the outstanding achievements, hard work, and dedication of individuals and companies from all around Queensland across 16 award categories. It had been 847 days since the industry last celebrated in 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the celebrations in 2020.
Presented by Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland (MPAQ) in partnership with Event Partner Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), this year’s record-breaking 630 attendee event was hosted by former AFL player Richard Champion. The night was filled with a star-studded line up of entertainment including the colourful samba dancers and Brazillian drummers from Sambalicious, death-defying disco ball acrobatics from Disco Diva, and groovy tunes to dance the night away from Groove Elements!
MPAQ’s Executive Director, Penny Cornah, has praised the number of nominees who applied this year and the high calibre of projects put forward.
“The outstanding achievements of all the nominees in 2021, whether they made it to the finalist stage or not, should be acknowledged, as it was challenging for our judges this year to determine our finalists and winners,” she said.
“It has been great to see the outstanding efforts and successes that the professional individuals and companies in our industry have made this year, which is a testament to the emphasis that has been put on further training and development. The advantages of this increase in upskilling are reflected in the innovative approaches to work and business operating methods.”
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The 2021 Winners Are...
Jarrod Pienaar and Nicole de Vries, Australian Industry Trade College (AITC)
(Left to right) Hon. Di Farmer MP, Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, Bailey Hodges, and Toni Hillman, Brisbane City Council and MPAQ Ambassador.
Justin Maxwell, Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union and Andrew Thompson. Brett Schimming, Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) and Jack Hardie.
Jarrod Pienaar, Up A Creek Plumbing – Australian Industry Trade College School Based Apprentice of the Year
Jarrod is passionate about the plumbing and gas industry and works hard to establish and foster new relationships with customers to achieve business growth for his employer. In his short time in the industry, Jarrod has demonstrated strong leadership skills, gaining recognition from his teachers at the Australian Industry Trade College, and even winning their coveted Plumbers Award. Jarrod’s employer has praised his forward thinking and labelled him an incredibly competent and hard worker who is advanced beyond his years in his trade.
Jack Hardie, Prime Plumbing – Construction Skills Queensland Merv Harris Memorial Bursary Award
Jack started his apprenticeship in 2018, after his hard work and tenacity led to him gaining work experience and a school-based apprenticeship while he completed high school in Central Queensland. Jack is described by his employer as a driven, confident, and enthusiastic team player with a great attitude and good communication skills. Jack enjoys being challenged and is always thinking of ways he can work more efficiently. He is looking forward to completing his apprenticeship in early 2022 before continuing his training with a Certificate IV in plumbing.
Bailey Hodges, Cahill Plumbing and Gas Pty Ltd – Second Year Apprentice of the Year
Bailey is currently studying at TAFE Queensland, having now moved on to the third year of his apprenticeship. Working with Cahill Plumbing and Gas in Brisbane, Bailey is learning to provide quality plumbing services to new units, schools, and townhouses in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. When it comes to the plumbing and gas industry, Bailey is most passionate about commercial buildings and civil, and for him, there’s no greater feeling than working on a job from start to finish.
Andrew Thompson, Cooke & Dowsett Pty Ltd – Plumbers Union Queensland Third Year Apprentice of the Year (EBA)
Andrew, as a current employee of Cooke & Dowsett, and throughout his entire apprenticeship, has shown an exceptional desire to learn and further his studies. Having undertaken his training at the Service Trades College, as well as completing a project management course this year, Andrew has now set himself goals to expand his career in the plumbing industry and eventually move into a managerial role.
Drew Hughes, D and P Plumbing – Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland Third Year Apprentice of the Year (Non-EBA)
Beginning his plumbing career with a school-based apprenticeship in 2019, Drew has worked hard throughout his apprenticeship and takes immense pride in delivering an exceptionally high standard of work. Working in the regional Queensland town of Emerald, Drew has been able to experience a wide range of work from mining sites to domestic properties, and he enjoys the challenges that come with troubleshooting an issue, and the satisfaction that comes from successfully repairing or fixing a problem.
William Cross and Mathew Cooper, The Services Trades College Australia (TSTCA). Nick Lambie, Reece and Drew Hughes.
Andrew Garden, Lead Hydraulics Services Engineer from MRP Hydraulic & Fire Services Consultants and Chris Tritton, Qld Chapter President, AHSCA
The Hon. Mick de Brenni MP, Minister for Energy, Renewables, and Hydrogen, and Minster for Public Works and Procurement, and Luke Wren Corey Steven and Peter Piroso, Reliance Worldwide Corporate (RWC) William Cross, Slade Brothers Plumbing – The Service Trades College Fourth Year Apprentice of the Year
William is a fourth-year apprentice with Slade Brothers Plumbing in Brisbane and entered the plumbing industry with a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps. Since beginning his plumbing apprenticeship, William has made significant waves in the industry and celebrated immense success by winning several awards, including School Based Apprentice of the Year, the ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award, and 2019 Second Year Apprentice of the Year.
Drew Hughes, D & P Plumbing – Reece Queensland Apprentice of the Year
‘One in a million’ is the way Drew is described by his employer. With a reliable and punctual attitude and exceptional recall skills, Drew looks forward to gaining as much knowledge as possible from his employer to set himself up as a highly skilled tradesperson who can one day start his own business. Add to this a natural ability to understand plumbing concepts, show initiative, and communicate, and Drew is an asset to his employer and the plumbing and gas industry.
MRP Hydraulic & Fire Services Consultants Pty Ltd – AHSCA Hydraulic Consultant Design of the Year
Andrew Garden from MRP Hydraulic & Fire Services Consultants is the leading hydraulics services engineer on the Ipswich Civic Centre Precinct redevelopment project. Ipswich Civic Centre Precinct is a purpose designed council office building and council chambers with an integrated, environmentally rated development with both a 5 Star Green Star and 5 Star NABERS rating. This once-in-a generation redevelopment has been a long-term vision for Ipswich City Council that incorporates the areas surrounding this building and provides a thriving new area for the community with a cultural precinct that is described as ‘the new city heart’. In addition to the environmental design targets, this project also included natural disaster mitigation to ensure suitable long-term accommodation for the council and other government agencies during and after natural disasters.
Luke Wren, Wren Plumbing – Department of Energy and Public Works Tradesperson of the Year
Luke is an established business owner, mentor, and tradesperson who is proud to represent regional Queensland. As the owner of Wren Plumbing and with a plumbing career that spans more than 20 years, Luke is a passionate and dedicated industry and community leader. During Luke’s career he has successfully executed a relocation of his business from Emerald to Yeppoon, expanded Wren Plumbing’s service offering, and fostered a positive working environment that is committed to furthering the careers of its employees, all whilst still getting his hands dirty and working alongside his staff whenever possible. Throughout all his plumbing and business success, Luke’s number one priority has always remained family, and within his business he is focussed on creating a safe and happy work environment for all staff, by promoting a healthy and balanced life where family time is a priority.
Corey Stevens, AC Plumbing QLD – RWC Businessperson of the Year
After Corey completed an apprenticeship in 2006, he went on to start AC Plumbing QLD with himself and an apprentice. Under Corey’s enthusiastic leadership, AC Plumbing QLD now employs a team of 14 dependable and highly skilled men and women who are influenced by Corey’s positive and proactive nature daily. Corey’s vision for AC Plumbing has always been to be the best plumbing company, with the highest quality of workmanship and the best service by friendly and knowledgeable team members. He inspires his team to give their best, teaches best practices, and encourages team members to step up, use initiative, and share technical knowledge. Through inspired business practices driven by Corey, AC Plumbing QLD has built a reputation of great service and quality workmanship with a repeat customer rate of 73 per cent over the past five years.
Madonna Hodge, O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing Coopers Plains – Andrea Vogler Women in Business Award
Madonna became a business owner in the plumbing industry over 30 years ago when she and her husband Peter started Galaxy Plumbing, which has since grown, having joined the O’Brien Group in recent years, where they now employ 27 staff as O’Brien Electrical and Plumbing. As a strong advocate for both the plumbing industry and female representation, Madonna loves to be engaged and strongly believes that to make an impact and have influence in the industry and her business, she can’t sit on the side lines. Madonna also believes in developing others and giving back to the industry, which is evident in her involvement in networking opportunities with other business owners, suppliers, and industry stakeholders.
Michael Ryan, Beavis & Bartels Pty Ltd – Zip Water Industry Leadership Award
Michael began his career at Beavis & Bartels in 1997 as an apprentice and worked his way up the ranks to inevitably become Managing Director. Michael has taken his passion, leadership skills, and commitment to giving back to the industry and turned Beavis & Bartels into an equal opportunity employer with a strong reputation for training, professional development, mentoring opportunities, and an enviable workplace culture. Leading a team that has delivered some of Queensland’s landmark developments across a diverse range of sectors and industries, Michael has taken his involvement in the industry even further with his role on several industry sub-committees, an active involvement in the MPAQ Major Contractor’s Group, and his role as a member of the MPAQ Council.
AC Plumbing QLD – BUSSQ Service Excellence Award
AC Plumbing QLD is an enthusiastic, familyoperated plumbing business that employs honest, reliable people who are great at what they do. They possess a strong commitment to each and every customer’s request, and their business thrives due to repeat customers. With a respectful and considerate team, they ensure every single customer receives the best plumbing service possible from the office to the field, and they back their work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. AC Plumbing QLD cares about their customers, their team, and their community, offering a membership program that gives their customers peace of mind that they will always receive the highest quality service and access to additional benefits.
Origin Energy – Elgas Gas Project of the Year
Origin Energy was engaged to upgrade the burners and control system at the Australian Professional Galvanisers facility in Stuart, Townsville. This project included installing, adapting and commissioning the entire combustion and control system for a new galvanising kettle. The combustion system is the first of its kind in Australia and is more efficient than existing designs, maximising the kettle life from a current 10 year lifespan to 15 years. The professional outcome delivered by Origin Energy within the tight timeframes imposed by the customer ensured that the project was delivered on time and on budget.
LPW Plumbing & Gas Solutions – Domestic and Residential Technical Award
LPW Plumbing and Gas undertook a domestic residence in Hawthorne, designed by Renee Dunn Architects, that resulted in a large scale, high end smart home that operates efficiently and effectively. Requiring the finest level of attention to detail and execution across all aspects of plumbing, drainage, and gas, LPW Plumbing and Gas delivered an innovative sanitary drainage pumpwell and pump to overcome non favourable access to gravity feed, a 1,500L stormwater pump station, 6-star gas continuous flow hot water units throughout, and a commercial gas meter to accommodate high gas loading.
Accuplumb – QLeave Commercial and Industrial Technical Award
Accuplumb were awarded the tender for the install of a specified vacuum drainage system at Spicers isolated bush camp retreat by Vacuum Toilets Australia. The project design requirements included limited water usage for all amenities as the site generated its own power and water supplies due to its remote location. The site location was rugged and challenging and required innovative sanitary solutions that used little water because of the environmental limitations. This project required Accuplumb to employ multiple innovations in plumbing and focus on sustainability and the environment.
