Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board Chair and Deputy Chair reappointed

The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (Board) held elections at their first meeting of the year last week. The Board voted to reappoint Martin de Gouw as Chair and Selwyn Hikuroa as Deputy Chair.

Board Chief Executive Aleyna Hall congratulates Martin and Selwyn on their reappointments, saying “It’s fantastic to have Martin and Selwyn continued leadership, congratulations to them on their reappointments.”

“Martin and Selwyn bring a depth of industry, business and education sector knowledge to the table. With their guidance, we are well placed to embed the regulatory changes this year and ensure practitioners are supported throughout the process,” said Ms Hall.

Martin de Gouw is a registered Certifying Plumber, Gasfitter and Drainlayer, IQP Backflow Prevention, and holds an Associated Trades Electrical Registration. He is the Managing Director of Clyne & Bennie (1988) Ltd since 1995, and director of Walton Plumbing since 2021. In 2024 Martin won the Graeme Victor Smith Award at the New Zealand Plumbing Awards for commitment to the industry, running a successful business and developing young and future plumbers. A member of the Institute of Directors, Martin was appointed to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board in September 2019 and is from Christchurch.

Selwyn Hikuroa is a registered Certifying Plumber, Gasfitter and Drainlayer. Selwyn has a 40 plus year career in teaching, training, and mentoring in New Zealand and Australia. In 2019 Selwyn was awarded the Teaching Instructors Excellence Award from Energy Safe Victoria, the states gas energy safety regulator. Selwyn is currently contracting to Wintec, Earn-Learn and ASPEQ in assessment, teaching, mentoring and exam moderation roles. Selwyn was also awarded the Outstanding Services to the Industry Award by the Waikato Master Plumbers in 2023. Selwyn was appointed to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board in April 2023 and is from Hamilton. 

Martin is looking forward to continuing in the Board Chair role, saying “We have a busy year ahead with self-certification for plumbing and drainlaying and introduction of a code of ethics for practitioners. These initiatives will provide opportunities to further strengthen the public’s trust in the expertise and service that our industry provides.”

Notes

• The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board operates under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006. The primary functions of the Board are to register and license plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers and ensure the competency of those workers to protect public health and safety.
• The Board consists of ten ministerially-appointed members representing both the trade and the public. A full list of Board members can be found on the Board’s website.