Keep the Community of Wa Safe
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SUMMER EDITION 2019/20 Journal FIRE PROTECTION LICENSING NEEDED TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY OF WA SAFE Stop Scott Morrison’s Anti-Union Laws ! GOVERNMENT’S D-RIS GETS A D ASBESTOS – A REAL AND PRESENT DANGER UNION INTEGRITY BILL REFUSES TO DIE FROM INDUSTRY PLUMBING AND PIPE TRADES EMPLOYEES UNION JOURNAL www.ppteu.asn.au Inside This Issue... 3-6 Reports 7 Digital Union Cards 8-9 WA Government’s Regulations 10-13 Fire Protection Licensing & Registration Scheme 14-15 Is Australia’s Construction Sector in Crisis? 16-18 Ensuring Integrity - Maurice Blackburn 20-23 Around the Traps 24-25 Asbestos a Real and Present Danger 26-27 Vale - Bob Hawke SUMMER EDITION 2019/20 28 Vales 29 Wage Rates 30 Calendar 31 Meme-while PLUMBING AND PIPE TRADES EMPLOYEES UNION WESTERN AUSTRALIA BRANCH PRESIDENT STATE SECRETARY Andy Power Brian Bintley 0419 590 777 0477 551 506 [email protected] [email protected] 1st Floor, Unit 24, 257 Balcatta Road Balcatta, WA 6021 PHONE (08) 9440 3522 FAX (08) 9440 3544 2 | PLUMBING AND PIPE TRADES EMPLOYEES UNION JOURNAL www.ppteu.asn.au President’s Report Reports A message from your President... 2019 A YEAR OF ELECTIONS Andy Power | PPTEU WA President There has been much return of the LNP Federal Brian and elements of the BCOM analysis of this year’s Government was more of the decided on a ticket and contested same - as the LNP had already, all positions declared vacant. Federal Election, which, if just prior to the election, caved the Murdoch Media outlets in on the GST distribution in Brian was elected unopposed, are to be believed, resulted some of the pre elections more whilst the President’s position in a resounding defeat of blatant pork barrelling. and 6 BCOM positions were epic proportions! That it contested and an election was was an upset there’s no WA was in the hands of a Labor called. doubt, though not quite Government with a healthy margin, Federal Government The results are as follows; the “Ruddslide” of 2007. was the opposite (technically) None more surprised than just how WA constituents like President Scott Morrison and the it. After the Federal Government Andy Power LNP caucus! Circus, much of which hap- BCOM pened “over-east”, WA The fact that the entire LNP James Daly ministerial group were decidedly residents returned to their own Laurence Mullins low key, conceding the field to lives and issues. Some of these Paul Newton the accidental Leader to play a are canvassed else-where in John Davies decidedly similar tactic as Kevin this journal, as well as our Thomas Hardie Rudd did to John Howard in the website and fb page. Andrew Denison 07 election. The recipient of this ploy being one of the architects One issue, of direct importance to I sit on the Plumbing Industry behind the Rudd - Gillard - Rudd members of this union is that the Reference Group (PIRG) which roller coaster is perhaps just “a Branch has held an election for advises the Plumbers Licensing bittersweet irony!” the first time in a number of years. Board on Industry specific Often no-one puts up their hand, matters. As many members After the May shock result, we let alone challenge for a position. would be aware, the so-called Gig have a returned, but discredited Contested elections are good Economy is having a detrimental Government who didn’t expect to for any democratic institution, effect on plumbing standards. We be there and all the lemons they without which organisations can have always had to contend with had planted is now theirs to deal very quickly become cliques or the home handyman or DIYer, with. The overall swings didn’t worse. remember the ads posted on occur and in WA particularly, Community Notice Boards? Not the electorate was particularly My predecessor, Gerry surprisingly they’ve gone digital cynical of the Shorten Team and Macdonald, who had given 4 like everything else. HiPages, personalities certainly played a years following Seamus and the Airtasker, Bulletin Board, Realty role - as is acknowledged by the re-badging of the Branch (2011) Gurus and other job leads boards recently released ALP Review. had decided not to re-contest undermine the standards and In financial terms, in WA, the for the Presidency, therefore quality of plumbing works, whilst PLUMBING AND PIPE TRADES EMPLOYEES UNION JOURNAL www.ppteu.asn.au | 3 President’s Report Continued eroding community confidence. want to lose those resources As we were about to go to press that used to fund the WAWA we picked up the DRIS - Decision Couple that with a Regulator Inspectors, the Premier doesn’t Regulations Impact Statement that sees their role as policing want to impose a surcharge or released from the DMIRS with Plumbers rather than the fee onto households Water Bills regards to the Building & Energies Industry and you have a perfect to fund a well-regulated Plumbing Evaluation of the Plumbing storm scenario. Figures obtained Industry, and the Minister for Industry Review pro-cess. by the Union show that the PLB Local Authorities is concerned audits approximately only 2% about implications to Local and To say that the major stakeholders of new works, no renovations Regional Authorities, many of in the Industry, the Plumbers or maintenance audits are who have their own Building Union and the Master Plumbers undertaken, whilst there are Inspectors that include Plumbing Associa-tion are unhappy with just 11 Inspectors compared & Drainage. The Minister for the the result is putting it mildly. to their predecessors, the PLB has a heavy workload as he Water Authority, which had 67 is also the State Attorney General. The Consultative Regulatory inspectors regulating across the Whilst the Health Minister, the Impact Statement was a long whole of WA. Respon-sible Person in the event drawn out process that was of a public health crisis - such as delayed and hi-jacked on its Since the devolution from the a SARS like cross contamination way through the bureaucracy on Water Authority of WA (WAWA) outbreak - was blithely unaware its way to the Ministers and the 1997 - 2004, the PLB has not of any Plumbing Industry “Crisis” Governments attention. prosecuted one non-plumber, until informed by the Union and In that time the Departmental in fact they argue that they’re subsequently, the MPA WA. names which housed the constrained from doing so. Since Regulator (PLB) have changed the establishment of the PLB The PLB has embarked on a as has the State Government. under-resourcing has been a recruitment drive to increase the However the individuals and the problem. WAWA Inspectors were numbers of Inspectors, but with organisations involved in the funded through the Authorities a continued focus on plumbers Plumbing Industry in this State, Infra-structure Accounting, which licensed with the Board, and that are involved on a daily basis, did not allocate those resources numbers way behind what’s who have dedicated their lives, to the new Inspectorate. The required, Plumbers will know careers and, with regards to proposed In-come Streams were its situation “no change” with organisations, the very reason woefully inadequate, yet despite regards to tackling the systematic for existing have pushed and this, nothing has been done to undermining of Australian lobbied incessantly for the CRIS rectify the issue. The latest CRIS Plumbing Standards and tackling to progress. - Consultation Regulatory Impact the non-regulated persons doing Statement Plumbing Review (a plumbing works. DMIRs have distributed this regular triennial process that document outlining the Decision hasn’t occurred for 12 years! ) On the other side of the ledger, regards to the Regulatory has been held up for a plethora Gas Safety has hand-balled their changes, it’s 200+ pages of reasons. inspection requirements to the regarding the first major overhaul Gas Sup-pliers and inspect the of the Plumbing regulations for Not least, Government dis- inspectors! Whilst being funded, quite some time. There are some inclination to deal with the in part, via Gas Infrastructure. things in there that are a step in problems created by Government They now sit along-side the the right direction, but the first Policy. The PIRG Members have Plumbing Inspectors, same take out from this Statement is been advised that the funding Department, same address, that the Industry requirement for issue is still a problem with the same building, go figure! an Independent Regulator was Department housing the PLB, dismissed and the Union and the and the PLB’s role crosses MPA were dumped from the PLB several Ministries, Agencies and for advocating for that position. Jurisdictions. To “unpack” that, News Update the Minister of Water doesn’t 4 | PLUMBING AND PIPE TRADES EMPLOYEES UNION JOURNAL www.ppteu.asn.au Secretary’s Report A message from your Secretary... YOU ARE THE UNION AND THE UNION IS YOU Brian Bintley | PPTEU Secretary Welcome to the Summer suggestions about how we can Reforms (D-RIS) regarding the 2019-20 edition of the make it as valuable as possible Plumbing Regulation in Western WA PPTEU Journal, the to members. Australia. magazine for you the proud members of the Firstly, I would like to say We were very disappointed directly to you, the members with the decisions of the Western Australian Branch of the PPTEU, thank you for Government about the future of of the PPTEU. Inside your ongoing support. It is our industry. The Government this and future editions more important than ever right has failed to address key issues members can hear directly now that we remain strong regarding community safety, from their elected leaders, and united.