Plumbing and Gas Priorities Following Federal Election Results

MPAQ extends its congratulations to the Australian Labor Party (ALP) on winning the Federal Election on Saturday. We look forward to continued engagement with the ALP Government to help strengthen and support Queensland’s plumbing sector within the broader national framework.

Master Plumbers Australia and New Zealand (MPANZ), as the national advocacy body representing thousands of plumbing businesses across Australasia, has been working hard on behalf of members in Queensland and across the country. Earlier this year, MPANZ submitted its Federal Election document, Fighting for Positive Change: Plumbing Industry Priorities, to all major political parties and key independents. This document outlined three key priority areas for the plumbing industry:

• Championing consistent, evidence-based regulation
• Securing the sustainability and integrity of the plumbing industry
• Future-proofing our skilled workforce

Based on MPANZ's correspondence with the ALP, the new government has committed to the following issues relevant to our sector:

• Regulation and Product Certification – Commitment to achieving national consistency in building regulations and product certification, including the development of a National Building Product Assurance Framework.
• Unfair Contract Terms – Strengthening protections for small businesses through enhanced unfair contract terms legislation.
• National Licensing – Ongoing work on a national licensing scheme for electrical trades, with potential future expansion to include plumbing.
• Apprenticeships and Skills – Continued support for plumbing apprentices via incentives, cost-of-living assistance, and accelerated skills assessments for construction-related migrants.
• Energy Transition – Recognition of the important role of natural gas during the energy transition, alongside investment in upskilling the workforce for the clean economy.

MPAQ will continue working closely with MPANZ on these national commitments. We will keep members updated as this advocacy work progresses.