Queensland plan to limit metal roof installation to plumbers

A CONTROVERSIAL licensing plan for certain tradies has been slammed as “disastrous” and “making no sense”.

The proposal would mainly affect areas with a high proportion of metal roofs.

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ONLY plumbers would be able to install metal roofs under a proposed licensing ­reform being shopped around the state.

The plumbing and building industries are facing off over the proposal in Housing and Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni’s Queensland Building Plan.

The plumbing industry, which has lobbied for the reform, claims dodgy workmanship is leading to safety issues.

But builders fear taking away their ability to do the work will drive up prices and create excessive wait times.

Mr de Brenni last week travelled to regional cities to discuss Queensland Building Plan proposals in community engagement sessions.

Under the proposal, those wishing to carry out the work would need to have completed a plumbing apprenticeship. A similar licensing framework exists in Victoria.

The change could include a provision that would not lock out existing licensed roofers, but non-licensed workers would need to gain qualification.

Plumbers Union state secretary Gary O’Halloran said the reform would help stamp out poor quality work and improve public safety.

“What I’ve seen over the years is the work on the jobs that is being performed has been performed by unskilled labour,” he said.

“The simple fact is because the smaller roofing companies and even some of the bigger companies out there do not employ skilled people, so their rates are a lot cheaper.”

Mr O’Halloran said the ideal model would not lock out existing roofers without a plumbing qualification, but could give them a timeline to get qualified.

Master Builders Association deputy chief executive Paul Bidwell said areas outside southeast Queensland, which had a higher proportion of metal roofs, would be most ­affected.

He said the proposal made no sense.

“If they did it is would be disastrous,” Mr Bidwell said.

“It would take a whole lot longer and cost a lot more money to have a roof installed.”

Housing Industry Association of Queensland executive director Warwick Temby said few of the 20,000 metal roofs installed in Queensland each year were installed by plumbers.

Master Plumbers Association Queensland executive director Penny Cornah said the lack of qualification for people physically carrying out roofing work was a concern.

“There’s standards for plumbers, electricians and other trades but for roofers there isn’t, we can’t understand why,” Ms Cornah said.

“Plumbers are taught units of competency around roofing as part of their apprenticeship, so it is a good fit.”

Experienced roofer Jason Muston, who was unaware of the proposed changes, said there were “some bad (roofers) out there” but did not believe a plumbing apprenticeship for specialist roofers was necessary.