Plumbing Connection 3-2015

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12 PLUMBING CONNECTION SPRING 2015
INDUSTRY NEWS
VALE ALAN HUMPHREYS (BIG AL) 1957 TO 2015
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing
of a colleague, friend and icon of the Plumbing Industry.
Alan tragically passed away in February this year as a
result of a motorbike accident.
Alan was the Principal Plumbing Advisory Officer
for Building Standards and Occupational Licensing
Department of Justice in Tasmania.
Alan served on numerous plumbing standards
committees. He was the former Chair of the National
Plumbing Regulators Forum (NPRF) and Secretariat of
the NPRF’s Technical Advisory Committee and recently
a member of the Australian Building Codes Board’s
Plumbing Code Committee.
Alan played an integral part in the development of the
Plumbing Code of Australia and contributed significantly
to its inclusion in the National Construction Code series.
He also chaired the committee responsible for the
WaterMark Certification Scheme. He worked tirelessly,
often at the expense of his work life balance and played
a leading role in the contribution to improving plumbing
regulation and in the development of Australian Plumbing
standards.
He was an intelligent, kind and hardworking man who
had a passion for the plumbing industry. He was well
respected and brought integrity to his work.
He had a great sense of humour, enjoyed a glass or two
of red especially with his plumbing family.
His family, wife Pam, son Che, daughter Marli,
grandchildren and his many friends including his plumbing
mates will miss him immensely but never forget him.
As one of his plumbing regulator friends commented
watch out if the plumbing in heaven is non-compliant.
May he rest in peace for he well and truly deserves to.
LASER TRADIES COME TOGETHER FOR SCHOOL PROJECT
In September, around 400 plumbers and electricians
from Australia and New Zealand will descend on Fiji for
their annual conference. In line with the company’s
commitment to being socially responsible, many of the
men and women of Laser Group will arrive a day early to
take part in the Laser Group Charity Taskforce project.
The Taskforce sees the plumbers and electricians of the
Laser Group take on a local project, using their skills to
give back to the community hosting the conference. With
the conference being held in a different place each year,
charities who have received assistance from the Group
include Habitat for Humanity in New Zealand as well as the
Gold Coast Youth Services and Variety in Australia.
This year’s chosen project will focus on children, with
the Group working with the Fijian Ministry of Education to
help improve two local schools with combined enrolments
of almost 2000 students.
The Votualevu Public School currently has 923 students
enrolled up to year 7 as well as 115 enrolled at preschool
level. Established in 1926, the school is one of Nadi’s
pioneer schools and has been affected by fire and floods
in recent years.
The Laser Group Taskforce will install new roofing on
one of the buildings as well as install drainage, a new
water pump and trough for the children to drink at. Whilst
to most these are basic requirements, the children
currently have to move rooms when it rains and straddle
a crude drain to access water to drink. At the same time,
the Group will be working on the library, painting the walls
and installing bookcases for the books which have been
donated by Laser Group Members.
Donating their time as well as the tools used, the
Taskforce is now in its 7th year and something that Laser
Group Managing Director, Steve Keil is very proud of.
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