Member profile

Order of MERIT

Peter Jackson says when he and wife Carol first opened the email about his MNZM appointment, they thought it must be spam. “It was a big surprise,” says Peter, who has worked in the plumbing industry for the past 45 years. “Many people have commented how fantastic it is that a tradesperson was on the honours list and I’m very proud of this recognition for our industry.”

Announcements of this kind usually come by formal letter, but COVID-19 restrictions put a temporary halt to that. The awards ceremony has also been delayed, with Peter and his family now looking forward to a November date for their trip to Government House.

Bringing young people through Peter’s award is for services to the trades industry and business, which perfectly reflects his passion for bringing young people into the industry and seeing them become successful business owners in their own right. “If you are able to train, it’s very rewarding to see people come through,” he says. “Over the years, we’ve trained more than 80 apprentices, and many have gone on to become successful in business for themselves and to train their own staff.”

One of those apprentices won the prestigious James Douglas Medallion, another collected a WorldSkills International medal, and another went on to run a large plumbing business in California. Positive encouragement is the key to successes of this kind, says Peter. “One thing I’ve always said is that it’s easy to do someone a good turn rather than a bad one.”

Importance of mentoring Peter himself was thrown in at the deep end as an apprentice, taking over the family business in Invercargill at just 22, when his father Bert died suddenly. He grew Jackson Plumbing from three to a regular team of around 10 before selling it to employee Matthew Dick, who had worked at the

In the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Peter Jackson of H2O Design in Queenstown was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). NZ Plumber caught up with Peter to ask him about his career and what drives him.

Peter Jackson will receive his MNZM at Government House in November.

company for 17 years—and Peter continues to run H2O Design in Queenstown.

Although ‘mentor’ was not a familiar term in the 1970s, when Peter was getting to grips with running a business, he was fortunate to have someone take him under his wing. “Owen Marshall, a Master Plumber in Invercargill, could see I needed a hand and helped me immensely,” he recalls.

Peter also attributes his business success to it being a family business, with he and wife Carol enjoying the time working alongside each other.

For Peter, being a member of Master Plumbers is a given. “You have to be involved if you’re a plumber. Being part of this national body makes your business and the industry better.” His father was a member and past National President, and Peter was also National President in 1991, serving on the Board for 20 years. “I’ve made lifelong friends at the annual conferences, and it’s the camaraderie that happens outside the conference room that makes these events so worthwhile,” he says.

These days, it’s Peter turn to support other business owners as a volunteer Business New Zealand mentor and Skills Business Advisor. “I’ve worked with all kinds of businesses, from architects and scaffolders, to joiners, electricians and plumbers,” he says. “Their main challenge is usually how to get their name out there.

“Some start-ups also don’t understand profit and loss, and the need for a monthly review with their accountant. Waiting for your accountant to tell you how much tax to pay for the last 12 months’ work isn’t enough. What you need is regular insights into your progress.”

Governance role rewards Together with his mentoring work, Peter holds several governance roles. Many of these are connected to industry training, including Chair of the Industry Connection for Excellence (ICE) in Auckland. “This plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting training school now trains around 25 percent of apprentices in the region and is growing,” he says.

“There was a real need for better PGD course delivery in New Zealand and people are happy with the outcomes. I’m very proud of General Manager Garry McKenzie and his team, who are doing a great job delivering the product.”

Peter gained initial experience of governance during his time on the NZPM Board. “I was fortunate enough to be put on the audit and risk committee of the Board,

which gave me a real insight into what business and governance looked like.

“NZPM also sent me on a six-day course with the NZ Institute of Directors, which gave me the opportunity to network with other directors and access other perspectives on how business is conducted. This improved by business knowledge immensely. I think it would be fantastic if every plumbing firm could send one of their directors or staff on a course.

I have continued with the NZ Institute of Directors as a Chartered Fellow.”

When the Pike River disaster heightened awareness of workplace health and safety in New Zealand, Peter was on the Board of Site Safe to be a voice for smaller businesses, and he is its current Chair. “Site Safe is a non-profit organisation, started 20 years ago by the big players in the industry. It now has a membership of 6,500, with small to medium businesses receiving great help accessing training to work safely on building sites.”

He also served on the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board for a total of 18 years until retiring last September, having been Chair for the last six years.

“When I started in 1992, the regulator was not seen to be at all helpful to

Peter with his fellow World Plumbing Council Board members.

practitioners,” he says. “We needed to involve practitioners and show we were there to help them have a safer and more coherent plumbing industry. I think we’re 90 per cent there, with a regulatory system that’s accepted and working, and registered plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers perceived as highly skilled.”

When he’s not working, Peter loves a game of golf. He and wife Carol also enjoy fishing, water skiing and travelling. A global perspective With a further role on the Board of the World Plumbing Council, Peter’s involvement in the plumbing industry now extends to global issues, such as how different countries are dealing with coldwater Legionella. He says it provides a great opportunity to get an international gauge on the industry and to share information and ideas.

“The WPC also implements projects around the world to ensure safe water supply and sanitation,” says Peter. “There are two ongoing projects in African countries along with a large Navajo project in the US. The WPC offers three scholarships each year for plumbing industry participants to travel overseas and learn from other countries. COVID-19 has put these projects and awards on hold but they will be reinstated in due course.”

The pandemic may have had farreaching impacts on people and businesses around the world, yet Peter’s outlook remains positive. “During lockdown, plumbers were an essential service—and we always will be. Plumbers prevent, doctors cure. What we do every day prevents cross connections and ensures safe water supplies.”