THE NEWSLETTER CONNECTING PLUMBERS AND DRAINERS TO INDUSTRY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LICENSING AND COMPLIANCE ISSUES.

QUEENSLAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATESCommissioning and maintenance of fire safety systems

From 1 January 2012, it is a mandatory requirement, under the Queensland Development Code Mandatory Part 6.1—Maintenance of fire safety installations, for an appropriately qualified person commissioning or maintaining a fire hydrant or fire sprinkler system to:

comply with the fire hydrant and sprinkler system commissioning and periodic maintenance procedure published by the Department of Local Government and Planning

record the water pressure and flow testing results using the approved fire hydrant and sprinkler system commissioning and periodic test—Form 70 in accordance with all relevant Australian Standards

provide a copy of Form 70 to the building owner within 10 business days of commissioning a test.

Additionally, the inspecting and testing of newly installed water-based fire safety installations must be carried out by an appropriately qualified person. An appropriately qualified person can only carry out commissioning or maintenance on a prescribed fire safety

installation if they are licensed to do the work by the Queensland Building Services Authority or the Plumbing Industry Council.

The test procedure and Form 70 can be found on the Department of Local Government and Planning’s website at: www.dlgp.qld.gov.au/qdc-current

Water savings targets and alternative water sources for commercial buildings

Various mandatory components of the Queensland Development Code (mandatory parts 4.2 and 4.3) include standards for plumbing and drainage work. The Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003 has been amended to clarify that the plumbing and drainage components of those parts are ‘applied provisions’ to which all plumbing and drainage work must comply. A building certifier is still responsible for signing off on building works, such as rainwater tank installation and roof catchment area, however a plumbing inspector will also have the ability to inspect the plumbing works for compliance. Therefore, a building certifier can rely on the plumbing clearance certificate to ensure that the water saving requirements relating to plumbing work of mandatory parts 4.2 and 4.3 have been met.

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N Queensland Development Code updates Plumbing Conference 2011 Changes to applied provisions Notifiable work Compliance corner—provisional plumbing licences, Plumbing Industry

Council investigations and solar hot water compliance

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Plumbing Conference 2011—Plumbing Industry Council exhibit.

PLUMBING CONFERENCE 2011The annual Plumbing Conference, a joint initiative of the Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland, Association of Hydraulic Services Consultants Australia, Backflow Prevention Association of Queensland and the Institute of Plumbing Inspectors Queensland, was held at Jupiters Gold Coast from 2 to 4 November 2011.

The conference included presentations on the National Construction Code, National Licensing System and changes to Australian Standards, as well as discussion panels and practical demonstrations. The conference also provided valuable networking opportunities for members of the plumbing industry.

Plumbing Industry Council Chair Glen Brumby presented an update on the council’s activities, the work of Building Codes Queensland and other plumbing projects. Plumbing Industry Council staff were also on hand to talk directly to plumbers, local government and industry representatives.

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Plumbing Code of Australia—applied provisionsThe Plumbing Code of Australia, Volume 3 of the National Construction Code, came into affect on 1 May 2011 and was adopted by the Queensland Government. A new addition to the Plumbing Code of Australia is Table A1.3—a schedule of referenced documents providing deemed-to-satisfy provisions such as Australian Standards. This table enables state and territory plumbing regulators to call up specific standards relating to plumbing and drainage. As a result of these changes, the Department of Local Government and Planning has removed references to Australian Standards from Schedule 1—Applied provisions of the Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003. Plumbing standards are now referenced in section 8A—Compliance with the Plumbing Code of Australia of the Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003.

These changes have been made to prevent confusion within the plumbing industry and allow for a greater scope of reference documents to be adopted for use in Queensland.

Australian Standards AS/NZS 3500.2 and AS/NZS 3879 were amended on 23 December 2011 to allow joining of PVC-U to ABS/ASA plastics with solvent

cement. Although the new amendments are not documented in the current Plumbing Code of Australia, section A1.3(d) permits the use of amended deem-to-satisfy provisions not listed in table A1.3. The new amendment will be included in table A1.3 when the updated National Construction Codes are published on 1 May 2012.

Parliament passes amendments to the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 for notifiable workThe Sustainable Planning and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 was passed by the Queensland Parliament on 15 February 2012 amending the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002.

The new plumbing laws will significantly reform the way plumbing and drainage work is approved throughout the state. The new laws are set to commence on 1 November 2012 or on an earlier date set by proclamation. The new Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 provisions will allow for the Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003 to be amended to extend the amount of work plumbers can self-certify so as to reduce red tape, delays and costs for licensees, local government and consumers.

The new laws will be used to broaden the category of work that does not require a permit. This work will be known as ‘notifiable work’ and will apply to the vast majority of work undertaken in existing buildings.

The Plumbing Industry Council and local governments will work together to audit notifiable work and the activities of plumbing practitioners to help ensure that health and safety standards remain high.

Extensive industry consultation is planned to determine the scope of notifiable work prior to future amendments to the Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003.

Register for newsflashesBuilding Codes Queensland publishes ‘newsflashes’ about changes to legislation, best practice procedures, upcoming information seminars and other matters relevant to the building and plumbing industries.

Register today to ensure you receive important updates as soon as they are published. To subscribe, email buildingcodes@dlgp.qld.gov.au with “subscribe” in the subject line.

AROUND THE TRAPSPlumbing Code of Australia information seminarsThe Australian Building Codes Board, in conjunction with BAF Consulting, is providing information seminars on amendments to the National Construction Code. The seminars are being provided in all capital cities and will include a presentation from Standards Australia on recently amended Australian Standards. The dates of the seminars are provided below.

To register online please visit www.abcb.gov.au or for more information email bafc8mp@bigpond.net.au

Date Venue Location

22 March 2012Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Corner of Merivale and Glenelg Streets, South Bank, Brisbane

23 March 2012

Reece breakfastsThe Plumbing Industry Council will be collaborating with Reece Plumbing Supplies to ensure that plumbers and drainers are provided with the most up-to-date information on changes to plumbing legislation and standards.

Reece provides valuable networking and information sharing opportunities by holding breakfasts at their Queensland stores every Friday morning. The Plumbing Industry Council will be attending some of these breakfasts this year to provide plumbers with important updates about changes to plumbing policy and legislation. Details of the breakfasts to be attended by the Plumbing Industry Council will be provided by Reece in the near future.

For more information about Reece store locations please visit www.reece.com.au

COMPLIANCE CORNER

Provisional plumbing licencesBuilding Codes Queensland, a division of the Department of Local Government and Planning, has a team of officers who licence all plumbers, drainers and fire sprinkler fitters throughout Queensland. As of December 2011 there were 16 035 licensees, with 2252 of these being provisional plumbers and/or drainers.

Provisional licensees have the same ability to perform plumbing or drainage works as their fully licensed counterparts but are unable to enter into a contract, unless it is a contract of employment. Unlike apprentices who require direct supervision, with their supervisor on site at all times when they are performing work, provisional licensees can perform work without the direct supervision of a fully licensed plumber or drainer.

It is important to note that once an apprentice completes their Certificate III in plumbing they are able to apply for a provisional licence. A provisional licence is not automatically issued to those who have completed their apprenticeship. It is also important to remember that provisional licences can only be renewed on a yearly basis, whereas a full licence may be renewed for up to five years.

Provisional plumbers and/or drainers may upgrade to a full plumbers and/or drainers licence after completing their Certificate IV in plumbing and one year of plumbing trade experience (under a provisional licence). Again, this is not an automatic licence, and the licensee needs to apply for the correct licence and supply the relevant documentation.

For further information on applying for plumbing licences contact the Plumbing Industry Council.

Plumbing Industry Council investigationRecently, the Plumbing Industry Council finalised an investigation involving the misuse of a Queensland plumber’s licence details.

An unlicensed person obtained the licensee’s details and used them to fill in various forms to claim state and federal rebates for installing energy-efficient hot water heaters. The offences came to light as part of the Solar Rebate Compliance Project carried out by the Plumbing Industry Council with information provided by the Queensland Office of Clean Energy.

On 28 November 2011, the Plumbing Industry Council issued 13 Penalty Infringement Notices totalling $13000 to the offender for all installations. The Plumbing Industry Council also liaised with the Queensland Police Service, and the offender was fined an additional $1500 by the Magistrates Court for forgery offences.

Licensees are reminded to be careful with their licence details and report any possible misuse to the Plumbing Industry Council.

Solar and heat pump hot water system complianceThe Plumbing Industry Council is preparing to undertake an investigation into the quality of solar and heat pump hot water system installations. This investigation will seek to ensure that minimum standards for these installations are being met and that licensees are adhering to their obligations. The investigation will build upon the previous round of compliance checks that were conducted in 2011.

The investigations undertaken in 2011 revealed that many plumbers were failing to submit required forms for commission installed systems and that

many installations were defective. A newsflash was subsequently issued to advise plumbers of the main defects being found and to remind plumbers of their obligations.

The Plumbing Industry Council recommends all licensees review their records to ensure that they have lodged all appropriate documentation (such as Notifiable minor work—Form 4) with the relevant local government for all work that they have carried out. Failure to comply may result in fines, prosecution and/or disciplinary action under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002.

For further information about this or other investigations contact the Plumbing Industry Council.

UNACCEPTABLE WORK

Solar and heat pump hot water system compliance— home-made hot water units and stands are unacceptable.

DEFECTIVE WORK

Solar and heat pump hot water system compliance—defective work includes paper thin metal and unapproved products.

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Plumbing Industry Council–PO Box 15027 City East Qld 4002 AustraliaT: +61 7 3235 4149 or 1800 682 021 | F: +61 7 3012 9826E: plumbers@dlgp.qld.gov.au | www.dlgp.qld.gov.au

Plumbing Industry Council member in the spotlight—Allan Hazell

“Currently I am employed as the Plumbing Services Manager by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. I have had the privilege to be the Local Government

Association of Queensland’s representative on the former Plumbers and Drainers Board and now enjoy working with members of the Plumbing Industry Council.

“Over this time we have faced a number of positive changes within our industry, one of which was the introduction of the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 and subordinate regulations. The introduction of these changes throughout the state brought about a far more consistent and professional approach for all licensed plumbers and local governments in Queensland. Being the local government representative, it is important to note that an all-of-state approach is considered in regards to all proposed statewide changes.

“As we move forward and undertake future challenges it is important to have clear consultation processes and continued professional development programs designed to promote professionalism and growth within our industry.

“It is critical to all persons holding a restricted or full occupational licence to have a clear understanding of their obligations and be aware of any proposed legislative changes within the plumbing industry.

“I look forward in working with all occupational licence holders in promoting plumbing throughout our state.”

Industry spotlight—Max Hunter, Institute of Plumbing Inspectors Queensland

“I entered the plumbing trade as an apprentice lead burner in 1966 on a wage of $11.20 a week. My first pay was on 14 February 1966, the first day of decimal currency.

“Queensland was a good option for a single person’s lifestyle and the weather was ideal compared to Tasmania, so I ventured here in 1971 and had my license revalidated by completing the Queensland Plumbers and Drainers Gas Fitting Board requirements.

“I commenced working as a plumbing inspector in 1981, to have a break from the tools. Thirty years later, and experiencing many changes, I still enjoy the challenges of the plumbing industry. Plumbing inspectors should recognise and appreciate that plumbers need assistance in overcoming the constant changes to the industry. Consistency of interpretations throughout regional areas remains a challenge when changes to regulations and codes are being introduced on a regular basis.

“I would encourage plumbers to maintain their involvement in the industry by communicating their concerns and enquiries to local government inspectors. We are all plumbers and drainers and belong to an industry that is vital to the wellbeing of the communities in which we choose to live and enjoy.

“With the introduction of National Occupational Licensing, along with the Plumbing Code of Australia, it important for us all to maintain the plumbing industry at a strong and positive level for the future of those who are following us and depend on our knowledge sharing and wisdom.”

The Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 is administered by the Department of Local Government and Planning.

ASK THE REGISTRAR—FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Registrar of the Plumbing Industry Council has recently received enquiries regarding the calibration of tempering valves on installation.

Plumbers must ensure that when tempering valves are installed they are correctly adjusted to the correct temperature. The Australian Standard for hot water systems, AS/NZS 3500, requires water to be delivered to sanitary fixtures at temperatures that will minimise the risk of scalding. The temperature of the delivered heated water must not exceed:

45 degrees Celsius for early childhood centres, primary and secondary schools and nursing homes or similar facilities for the young, aged, sick or people with disabilities

50 degrees Celsius in all other buildings.

Tempering valve manufacturers may calibrate the valves within a particular temperature range. It is the plumbers’ responsibility to ensure that the settings are correct upon installation.

Further information about the installation of tempering valves can be found in newsflashes 456 and 478 on the Department of Local Government and Planning’s website: www.dlgp.qld.gov.au

If you have any questions about technical standards, policy changes or other aspects of plumbing, email plumbers@dlgp.qld.gov.au and the answers to your questions may appear in the next edition of Plumbing Industry Council Connect.