7 minute read
Updates
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FOR OUR INDUSTRY.
Photograph and information courtesy of Auckland Council.
New compliance system for Auckland septic tanks
Launched in November last year, Auckland Council’s onsite wastewater compliance system is the first local government system of its kind in New Zealand, ensuring that septic tanks across the region are regularly inspected and maintained.
To develop the compliance system, all onsite wastewater systems had first to be located and consistent information collected on their type, condition and maintenance history.
It took the Council’s Healthy Waters and Proactive Compliance teams two years to capture this information across the region—from Franklin to Rodney and on Waiheke, Great Barrier and Kawau islands— with data from 45,000 properties eventually collected and migrated into the new system.
Under the Auckland Unitary Plan, owners of properties with onsite wastewater systems must provide regular inspection records verifying their systems are in good working condition.
“This compliance system gives us more confidence septic tanks are being properly maintained and if they don’t meet safety standards, we can act more quickly to ensure they’re fixed,” says Auckland Council Senior Healthy Waters Specialist Lizzie Johnson.
An app-based form to record new data from external contractors who clean and inspect septic tanks for property owners has now also been developed, with the information automatically updating the corresponding property file in the compliance system.
“By giving us accurate and consistent information within hours of an inspection, this system will go a long way to help us reduce public health risks from wastewater and improve our water quality,” says Johnson.
Auckland Council located and captured information on 45,000 onsite wastewater systems to create its new compliance system.
DID YOU KNOW?
By industry, construction had the largest change in the number of filled jobs in December 2021 compared to December 2020, with an 8.3 percent increase (15,430 jobs).
CLIMATE ACTION TOOLBOX SIMPLIFIED
To help your business work up a customised plan to reduce carbon emissions, business.govt.nz has updated its Climate Action Toolbox. Use the online tool to see what steps you and your team can start taking right now.
Find the Climate Action Toolbox at www.tools.business.govt.nz/climate
New Zealanders are being asked to take photos of flooding in their regions to contribute to NIWA’s new national flood database.
PUBLIC ASKED TO HELP WITH NATIONAL FLOOD PHOTO DATABASE
NIWA is asking people living in floodaffected areas to send in photos on their smartphones to help create a national flood database.
“We really hope that New Zealanders will help us capture photo evidence of floods across the country,” says Dr Andrew Lorrey, NIWA Principal Scientist of Climate and Environmental Applications. “These snapshots will build up our knowledge of where and when flood impacts occur.
Smartphone photos can be uploaded via NIWA’s Citizen Science app, which geolocates where the photo has been taken. As well as being used by NIWA and its research partners, the database will be freely searchable by location, date and keyword.
The NZ Flood Pics project is part of a five-year Endeavour Fund research programme examining how flood risk will change over the next century from climate warming, more frequent extreme weather events, and land-use changes.
NIWA’s Citizen Science app is free to use and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
DID YOU KNOW?
One billion people are projected to live in floodprone coastal zones worldwide by 2050—more than 1 in 10 people*
* Source: IPCC Report Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
NEW ZEALAND CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE ‘HIGHLY INSUFFICIENT’
The urgency of the global race to zero emissions has been highlighted with the release this February of the latest IPCC working group report.
Despite these dire warnings, no country’s measures are currently sufficient to keep global warming within the 1.5°C limit, according to the Climate Change Performance Index 2022 of 60 countries (plus the EU as a whole). New Zealand is among the Low performers on the index, with Scandinavian countries, Morocco and the UK leading the way.
Another benchmark resource, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT), shows New Zealand’s overall rating as Highly Insufficient—though it says this may change after it assesses New Zealand’s new climate finance commitment, as this country releases its first Emissions Reduction Plan setting out policies and strategies for meeting emissions budgets by 31 May 2022.
CAT describes New Zealand’s adoption in 2019 of its Zero Carbon Act as “a good step forward”, by enshrining this country’s 2050 net zero emission reduction target into law.
In October 2021, Wellington joined Auckland on the list of cities to become part of the UN-backed Race to Zero initiative, launched in 2020, to halve global emissions by 2030—with the eventual goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
NEW GM FOR RHEEM NZ
With Steve Bullock having retired in January, Mark McCutcheon has been appointed as the new General Manager of Rheem New Zealand, taking up the role at the beginning of April.
This edition’s good news stories— and don’t we need them right now?!
Foreno Tapware have won the Northland Business Excellence Supreme Award, sponsored by Top Energy and Northpower, at the 2021 NorthChamber Northland Business Excellence Awards, presented this February. Having been picked for the Marsden Maritime Holdings Excellence in Medium Business Award just weeks earlier, the Foreno team were pretty stoked to be selected as supreme winner. “Foreno Tapware is a great success story for a Northland business and business excellence,” said BDO Northland Director Greg Atkins of BDO on announcing the award. “The judges were impressed with Foreno’s clear understanding of their customer needs, design process and supply chain.”
Foreno Managing Director Jon Doherty, who has worked in the plumbing and bathroom sector for over 30 years, says the win is testament to the efforts of the staff. “This award is their award, so it is great for our people in the business to be able to celebrate. It has been a tough couple of years so it is really pleasing to come out with this.”
Foreno Tapware NZ Managing Director Jon Doherty (centre) and General Manager Kerry Lord (on right of Jon) with, from left, Greg Atkins of BDO Northland, Belinda Peddie of Top Energy and Andrew McLeod of Northpower.
Plumbing World have been gathering useful plumbing and bathroom products to send to Tonga as part of the relief effort after a tsunami devastated the islands in January, due to a volcanic eruption.
Plumbing World have now delivered $150,000-worth of product, as well as a much needed forklift, to a Tongan Church in Auckland, who are arranging the transportation of these goods.
Basic sanitation is a human requirement and Plumbing World are pleased to be able to help meet these needs for our friends in Tonga.
Tongan Church Minister Milaioti Veikoso (in white T-shirt) and church representatives receiving the donated Plumbing World goods from Makisua Mika (in forklift), one of the team at the Plumbing World Wiri Distribution Centre. Ian Jackson of Allproof Industries has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the New Year’s Honours for his services to the plumbing industry and the community. Our congratulations—and turn to page 20 to read more about Ian’s long and successful career.
The Master Plumbers and Masterlink teams have been welcoming some wee additions in recent months, with baby son Andreas for Masterlink Regional Manager Sam Timlin; baby daughter Laoíse for Master Plumbers Business Development Manager Gillian McGeever; and baby daughter Mia for Masterlink Administrator Izzy Johnson. Congrats to all on your new arrivals!
Sam with son Andreas, now seven months and sleeping through the night in his own room—a big step. Izzy and daughter Mia, who’s now five months old.
Gillian’s daughter Laoíse, born this January. “Amazing time in our lives—it is just instant happiness and life is just brighter since she came along,” says Gillian.
Sam Tyson, our very own NZ Plumber columnist and Master Plumbers Board member, was Highly Commended for her column writing skills at the 2021 Webstar Magazine Media Awards in February. We’re proud!
