Master Plumbers celebrates 125 years

Master Plumbers is marking 125 years of keeping New Zealanders healthy by doing what it does best: fixing problems, lifting industry standards and pushing for regulation that protects public health.

Chief Executive Greg Wallace says the organisation’s work has quietly kept communities functioning and, most importantly, healthy.

“Nowhere is that more obvious at the moment than in Wellington, where the importance of good plumbing infrastructure has been getting quite a bit of attention.”

To celebrate this milestone, Master Plumbers is hosting a special 125th anniversary event at Government House.

The function, hosted by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and attended by Hon Minister Penny Simmonds and Wellington Mayor Andrew Little, brings together more than 250 people, including members from around New Zealand, industry leaders and partners.

The gathering recognises the association’s long-standing contribution to raising plumbing standards and safeguarding public health since its formation in 1901.

“When systems work well, nobody notices. But safe drinking water, healthy homes, effective drainage and modern sanitation all depend on the skills of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers throughout New Zealand,” Wallace says.

Many member businesses have played a direct role in shaping New Zealand’s built environment over the decades. Hamilton-based FB Hall & Co Ltd has helped build the Waikato region since 1923, working on everything from dairy farms and factories to major projects at Waikato Hospital, Waikato University, The Base Shopping Centre and Tristram Precinct.

Brockelsby’s Plumbing and Gasfitting Ltd, which began from a residential house in Lower Hutt in the 1930s, and Mander & Co Ltd, operating from the same Johnsonville site for more than 70 years, have both been Master Plumbers members since the 1940s.

While tools, technology and workforce diversity have evolved, Master Plumbers’ core role as an advocate has remained constant. In 1912, the passing of the Plumbers’ Registration Act, the forerunner of today’s Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act, was driven in large part by lobbying from the national association.

More recently, Master Plumbers has strongly supported New Zealand’s new lead-free product legislation coming into effect this May, and has led calls for plumbers and drainlayers to be able to certify their own work, a reform expected to be in place later this year.

“Self-certification is a significant step forward that recognises the professionalism and capability of our trades and that skilled, licensed tradespeople can be trusted to stand behind their work,” he says.

Looking ahead, the sector faces growing pressure from housing demand, infrastructure renewal and the need for climate resilience, all while managing longstanding workforce shortages. Wallace is optimistic about the calibre of new entrants but says more people are needed.

“Apprenticeships are increasingly recognised as a smart and rewarding career path, and we see talented young people entering the trades with real ambition and capability. They represent the future of our industry.”