Latest news with #GregWallace
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Consumer NZ Test Reveals Danger Of Unregulated Online Plumbing Products
Press Release – Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ A recent test undertaken by Consumer NZ showed that one of six kitchen tap mixers purchased from a variety of retailers resulted in lead levels in the water higher than is permitted in the Australian/New Zealand testing standard. Master Plumbers' concerns that cheap online plumbing products will not comply with new regulations to make drinking water safer have proven justified. A recent test undertaken by Consumer NZ showed that one of six kitchen tap mixers purchased from a variety of retailers resulted in lead levels in the water higher than is permitted in the Australian/New Zealand testing standard. Lead is a cumulative toxin, which makes ongoing exposure through drinking water a particular concern. 'No level of lead is acceptable,' says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace. 'Young children are especially vulnerable to the toxin, with even low levels of exposure linked to learning disabilities and nervous system damage.' The tap mixer that failed was purchased from global retailer Amazon, which ships a wide range of product to New Zealand. This highlights the dangers of buying tapware online where the market is largely unregulated and unpoliced. From May 2026, new requirements for plumbing products that deliver drinking water come into force, in line with an update to the building code. These products, which include kitchen and bathroom tapware, as well as valves and fittings connected to domestic drinking water pipes, must not contain more than 0.25% lead. Master Plumbers welcomes the transition to lead free plumbing products in New Zealand but wants more to be done to give consumers confidence. 'We want to see compulsory 'lead free' marking being placed either on the product or the packaging of relevant plumbing products, to allow consumers and tradespeople to easily identify that they are lead-free,' says Wallace. 'It is the plumber installing the product who is held responsible, so installers should have a way to easily determine if the product is compliant.' Compulsory marking would allow for the policing of non-compliant or falsely declared products through Commerce Commission regulations. As it stands, the current building product information requirement (BPIR) regulations rely on self-reporting and do not have a proactive enforcement system in place-which is particularly concerning for the regulation of online retailers that may be importing international products. Master Plumbers has been raising the alarm about lead in tapware for years. In 2018, the organisation commissioned independent testing of five tapware products sold in this country and found the level of lead leaching from one product to be 70% higher than the allowable limit in drinking water product standard AS/NZS 4020. The full details of the test conducted by Consumer NZ are included in their online report and published in the latest issue of Consumer magazine.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Consumer NZ Test Reveals Danger Of Unregulated Online Plumbing Products
Master Plumbers' concerns that cheap online plumbing products will not comply with new regulations to make drinking water safer have proven justified. A recent test undertaken by Consumer NZ showed that one of six kitchen tap mixers purchased from a variety of retailers resulted in lead levels in the water higher than is permitted in the Australian/New Zealand testing standard. Lead is a cumulative toxin, which makes ongoing exposure through drinking water a particular concern. "No level of lead is acceptable," says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace. "Young children are especially vulnerable to the toxin, with even low levels of exposure linked to learning disabilities and nervous system damage." The tap mixer that failed was purchased from global retailer Amazon, which ships a wide range of product to New Zealand. This highlights the dangers of buying tapware online where the market is largely unregulated and unpoliced. From May 2026, new requirements for plumbing products that deliver drinking water come into force, in line with an update to the building code. These products, which include kitchen and bathroom tapware, as well as valves and fittings connected to domestic drinking water pipes, must not contain more than 0.25% lead. Master Plumbers welcomes the transition to lead free plumbing products in New Zealand but wants more to be done to give consumers confidence. "We want to see compulsory 'lead free' marking being placed either on the product or the packaging of relevant plumbing products, to allow consumers and tradespeople to easily identify that they are lead-free," says Wallace. "It is the plumber installing the product who is held responsible, so installers should have a way to easily determine if the product is compliant." Compulsory marking would allow for the policing of non-compliant or falsely declared products through Commerce Commission regulations. As it stands, the current building product information requirement (BPIR) regulations rely on self-reporting and do not have a proactive enforcement system in place-which is particularly concerning for the regulation of online retailers that may be importing international products. Master Plumbers has been raising the alarm about lead in tapware for years. In 2018, the organisation commissioned independent testing of five tapware products sold in this country and found the level of lead leaching from one product to be 70% higher than the allowable limit in drinking water product standard AS/NZS 4020. The full details of the test conducted by Consumer NZ are included in their online report and published in the latest issue of Consumer magazine.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Master Plumbers Welcomes Cabinet Approval Of Self-Certification For Plumbers And Drainlayers
Press Release – Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ 'We have been advocating for years that plumbers and drainlayers should be able to self-certify, just as gasfitters – who are also plumbers in most instances – and electricians can,' Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace says. Master Plumbers is pleased the Government is progressing with a self-certification scheme that makes plumbers accountable for their work, rather than relying on council inspectors. 'We have been advocating for years that plumbers and drainlayers should be able to self-certify, just as gasfitters – who are also plumbers in most instances – and electricians can,' Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace says. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk announced today that the Government has agreed on a new self-certification scheme for plumbers and drainlayers allowing them to sign off on their own work. The new scheme does come with some caveats: it will be opt-in and limited to plumbers and drainlayers carrying out work on simple residential dwellings. Trades that are currently able to self-certify are not required to opt-in or be restricted to a specific category of work. 'For plumbers and drainlayers to be competitive, we believe all of the industry should opt-in,' Mr Wallace says. 'While the Minister has limited the scheme to simple residential dwellings, we hope this is the first phase and that, in future, it will expand to all work.' 'Ultimately, we want the same system as electricians and gasfitters, but we understand this may be a staged approach.' Mr Wallace says there's a common misconception that liability moves to Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) once an inspection has been completed. 'The reality is that tradespeople are still accountable for their workmanship. Under the Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Act, qualified plumbers and drainlayers are responsible for all work – including large-scale industry installations.' Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers are overseen by an independent regulatory board, the PGDB. Consumers can have confidence that certified plumbing professionals are highly skilled and their work completed to a professional standard. It takes seven years to obtain the qualification of a Certifying Plumber and two years for a Certifying Drainlayer. In addition, Master Plumbers members are subject to a rigorous quality assurance process and carry a guarantee for their work.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Master Plumbers Welcomes Cabinet Approval Of Self-Certification For Plumbers And Drainlayers
Master Plumbers is pleased the Government is progressing with a self-certification scheme that makes plumbers accountable for their work, rather than relying on council inspectors. "We have been advocating for years that plumbers and drainlayers should be able to self-certify, just as gasfitters - who are also plumbers in most instances - and electricians can," Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace says. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk announced today that the Government has agreed on a new self-certification scheme for plumbers and drainlayers allowing them to sign off on their own work. The new scheme does come with some caveats: it will be opt-in and limited to plumbers and drainlayers carrying out work on simple residential dwellings. Trades that are currently able to self-certify are not required to opt-in or be restricted to a specific category of work. "For plumbers and drainlayers to be competitive, we believe all of the industry should opt-in," Mr Wallace says. "While the Minister has limited the scheme to simple residential dwellings, we hope this is the first phase and that, in future, it will expand to all work." "Ultimately, we want the same system as electricians and gasfitters, but we understand this may be a staged approach." Mr Wallace says there's a common misconception that liability moves to Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) once an inspection has been completed. "The reality is that tradespeople are still accountable for their workmanship. Under the Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Act, qualified plumbers and drainlayers are responsible for all work - including large-scale industry installations." Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers are overseen by an independent regulatory board, the PGDB. Consumers can have confidence that certified plumbing professionals are highly skilled and their work completed to a professional standard. It takes seven years to obtain the qualification of a Certifying Plumber and two years for a Certifying Drainlayer. In addition, Master Plumbers members are subject to a rigorous quality assurance process and carry a guarantee for their work.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gregg Wallace says his 'world tumbled in' after being axed from MasterChef
Greg Wallace has said he dealt with suicidal thoughts after he was axed from MasterChef. The food critic, 60, was forced to step away from his role on the BBC show in November. This came after allegations of misconduct, including making inappropriate comments and engaging in alleged bullying behaviour. Having fronted the show since 2005, the TV star was accused of asking for the phone numbers of female team members. He was also accused of getting undressed 'too close' to women on the show, reports The Mirror. READ MORE: Spain warning for UK tourists as popular travel document 'no longer accepted' READ MORE: Danny Dyer says his wife Jo 'emptied bank account' after 'kicking him out' Gregg was also accused of 'groping' three women in separate incidents. He was soon forced to step down from his role at MasterChef while the BBC and production company Banijay UK launched an investigation into the allegations. Gregg's lawyers have vehemently denied any accusations of sexual harassment. It was soon announced he would be replaced on Celebrity MasterChef with renowned restaurant critic Grace Dent joining John Torode at the helm. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox This news followed serious allegations from Penny Lancaster, who claimed she was a "victim of bullying and harassment" by Gregg. Gregg, however, previously brushed off the complaints, dismissing them as coming from "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age." His comments were criticised by many, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. And now, months after he hit headlines, Gregg admitted he "thought about suicide all the time" in an interview with Mail+. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. After being axed from MasterChef via a Zoom call with bosses in November, he said his "world tumbled in". He revealed he didn't talk to anyone for days before a senior executive from MasterChef contacted him following his 'middle-class women' comment - which he says was his 'biggest mistake'. "Nobody should be left on their own to face something like this," he explained. "It's very difficult to explain the pressure unless you've been through it. "I thought about suicide all the time: 'Is my insurance up to date? Will Anna get some money? She doesn't deserve this. It would be better if I wasn't here'." Meanwhile, the TV judge's lawyers were previously quoted by BBC News as saying "it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature". *If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch.
