Executive

PERSPECTIVE

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in one of our regional road trips with Michael Ryan, MPAQ Board Member. Michael and I travelled from Brisbane, stopping at the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Maryborough, and Bundaberg. We met a number of amazing members on the way up and back and had the chance to

Penny Cornah, Executive Director hear many stories of resilience from the past year. All of the members were very appreciative of the advocacy work MPAQ had undertaken to ensure plumbing and gas fitting remained an essential service during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Jason Searle our Sales and Membership Specialist, who is based in Bundaberg, hosted us and 20 members for a dinner in the evening. The dinner provided a great platform to meet with members and understand some of their biggest challenges. The dinner was well received by local members, and thank you to those that made the effort to attend.

MPAQ is committed to getting out and seeing members in regional areas, and we have already visited a number of regions including Dalby, Chinchilla, Roma, Warwick, Stanthorpe, and Toowoomba. The regional communities are bustling with work, which is positive to see; however, they are experiencing challenges with some product and material delays, a price increase for some products, and struggling to find licensed plumbers and gasfitters.

Recently, I met with the Hon. Di Farmer MP, Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, to share the biggest challenges members are facing. These include managing cash flow, finding licensed plumbers, uncertainty in the market, managing worklife balance, and managing the administrative requirements of a business. MPAQ will continue to work closely with the Minister and the department.

MPAQ has recently created online member meetings, and we invite all members to jump online every two months. These meetings provide useful and relevant information and also allow you to ask questions.

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

Attendees at the 2021 Bundaberg Regional Dinner

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Queensland continues to lead the country with an unrelenting diligence to beat the COVID-19 pandemic. Our members are still reporting positive financial results and that is very pleasing to hear.

The economic recovery has already begun, and the Palaszczuk Government is taking positive steps to ensure that Queensland leads Australia back to economic prosperity. One of the key initiatives is the establishment of the Minister for Hydrogen, Mick de Brenni MP. Minister de Brenni and MPAQ have worked closely in the past when he held the Housing and Public Works portfolio. MPAQ has a solid reputation with the Minister, and this will continue in his new role.

Hydrogen is the new BUZZ word in the mining and energy sector and is quickly taking hold with a plethora of industry support. Hydrogen is the next big thing in the renewable energy space, and Queensland is well placed to lead Australia in the development of this valuable resource. Queensland has the climate to generate the renewable energy

required to successfully produce hydrogen in the facilities already located around the state. MPAQ is actively involved in the development of the training package to ensure that Queensland plumbers and gas fitters lead the way with this new and exciting renewable energy source. The Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) at Beenleigh that will be equipped to not only train apprentices, but also upskill our licensed workforce with the knowledge required to safely work with hydrogen. Hydrogen will be part of our lives in a variety of different ways. It will be injected into the natural gas networks to provide a blended supply to the domestic, commercial, and industrial markets. It will be introduced as fuel cells that generate electricity, and it will provide a huge export Kent Vickers, President market to Queensland with contracts already signed with international customers. These are exciting times for our trade and, although we are all busy, I would like to remind you of the importance of being vigilant around the people we work with and care about. The legacy of the 2020 pandemic is the enormous financial strains some of us are facing, and the impact it is having on our mental health. Please take the time to ask your friends, family, and mates if they are ok. Listen to them, look out for them, and support them if you notice any tell-tale signs that they are struggling.