Hokitika plumber takes top role

Hokitika plumber Phil Routhan has assumed the Australia New Zealand Reciprocity Association (ANZRA) chairmanship, a post which steers plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying competency.

The association governs trade registrations in New Zealand, Australia and 19 other countries.

Its primary focus is to ensure competency and training standards are consistent across international borders.

The appointment expands Mr Routhan’s portfolio which includes his current post as chairman of the New Zealand Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, a New Zealand Young Executive of the Year Award in 1995, and World Young Business Achiever and International Management Excellence Award in Northern Ireland in 1996.

His primary focus now is to establish and upskill training facilities and certification standards in other countries.

“Australia and New Zealand are the two countries that have stood fast and not faltered toward dumbing down their qualifications, as has happened in most countries,” he said.

The Trans-Tasman Mutual recognition Agreement allows registered tradesmen within the ANZRA scope to travel and work as registered tradesmen and women in either country regardless of where they were trained.

“That’s the beauty of the ANZRA group, the reciprocity that’s been there for about 50 years is a real advantage for our tradespeople to go to Australia and work of right.--They don’t have to muck about getting local certificates.”

The ANZRA chairmanship is an indefinite tenure, elected every two years Routhan’s predecessor held office for a decade.

“I suppose if they don’t like what I’m doing they’ll get rid of me, but otherwise I could be there for a while.--I really don’t now.”

Far from broken dunnies and burst pipes, Mr Routhan was spending much of his Christmas break clearing gorse form his Lake Kaniere property and working on his house.

Mr Routhan is a qualified craftsman plumber and registered drainlayer, and been in the industry for about 30 years, been a New Zealand delegate to the association since 2000 has served as national president of the Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc, and held various other positions at a national level in the industry.

He is a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management, a Member of the NZ Institute of Directors and a Justice of the Peace.

He was appointed to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board in 2000, became deputy chairman in 2001 and chairman in 2002. Westport civil engineer Jan Coll also sits on the board.