NEWS/VIEWS/NEWS/VIEWS/NEWS/VIEWS/NEWS/VIEWS/NEWS/VIEWS/NEWS/VIEWS

CONCRETE BUILDER MEMBERS OF THE GUILD ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE THE SUPER EIGHT SALES & PURCHASE AGREEMENTS!

You may be aware that we recently were fortunate to be joined by the remaining founder members of the swimming pool industry in Auckland - we call them the "Super Eight" - and traded off three years of membership in return for the rights to use their "Building Contract for the construction of a concrete swimming pool" which they developed over a number of years at the cost of $8,000 in order to increase their customer's awareness of financial responsibility to the Builder and reduce disputes over payments due. Apparently it works really well!

It was decided at Committee level that the contracts will be made available to qualifying concrete pool builders who can have the documents personalised to their name and company, and used as a sales tool can distinguish themselves as peer members in good standing of the established swimming pool industry trade organisation, the NZ Master Pool Builders Inc.

This can be used as a very effective sales tool, as there still seems to be a number of "Ute, Radio & Dog" builders active in New Zealand who would fail to qualify for membership of the Guild due to various reasons.  By mentioning to your prospective customer both your participation in the Guild and qualifications due to many years of experience - plus the benefit of the Disputes procedures should any disagreements arise - they will have a great advantage over using less qualified builders, many of whom are still "experimenting" and learning how to build pools at their customers' expenses. Go to the PRIVATE section of this web page (see lower left side) and read about this program. It is for your benefit that we spend our time trying to get you more business! Use the blue passwords for private areas.

POOL PHOTO COMPETITION 2010 RESULTS!

We were fortunate to be graced with Judges of influence and importance in the Australasian swimming pool industry:

David Close CEO N.S.P.I  and S.P.A.S.A Qld Australia, Ben Smith, Senior Editor of Pool & Spa Industry Review (Formerly C.A.S.P.A. Magazine - the Council of Australasian Swimming Pool Associations - the forerunner of S.P.A.S.A. and senior Industry Member since the 1960's), Chris Mayer, Editor in Chief of SPLASH Magazine, NSW Australia, and the New Zealand team of John Williams, Managing Editor, Adrian Laws, Business Development Manager, Paul Taylor, Editorial Director, and Lydia Brewer, Deputy Editor - from our popular Local Home Magazine publisher, TRENDS Magazine (Outdoor Living and Home Trends).

The majority of the Builder Members did not bother to enter the Photographic Competition.

This time, however, we will be getting publicity in TRENDS OUTDOOR LIVING, The Swimming Pool & Spa Industry Review, and SPLASH magazine! So perhaps next time we hold the competition, we may attract a few more entries than the same few who have entered the past three competitions.  This year there were TEN Gold Medals awarded, 19 Silver Medals, 11 Bronze Medals and 3 Merit Awards.

To see the full list of awards, go to the bottom of the Awards page for a link to all the entries recieved.

THEGOLD WINNERS ARE: (Click the pic for a larger view)

RESIDENTIAL Pools under $50,000		First Equal Entered by: Murray Smith - Member #109 Premier Pools HAMILTON
RESIDENTIAL Pools under $50,000		First Equal Entered by: Larry Ogden - Member #108 Cascade Pools HAMILTON
RESIDENTIAL Pools over $50,000		Entered by: Andrew Newitt - Member #127 Cascade Pools Tauranga (Entered in two categories) BAY OF PLENTY
COMMERCIAL Pools up to $150,000		Entered by: Murray Smith - Member #109 Premier Pools HAMILTON
UNUSUAL DESIGN OR SHAPE		Entered by: Andrew Newitt - Member #127 Cascade Pools Tauranga BAY OF PLENTY
FIBREGLASS INSTALLATION		Entered by: Neil Faber - Member #117 Northland Spa & Pool WHANGEREI
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING		Entered by: Alvin Crosby - Member #128 Acqua Pools & Spas NORTH SHORE CITY
REFURBISHMENT		First Equal Entered by: Andrew Newitt - Member #127 PoolCo Tauranga BAY OF PLENTY
REFURBISHMENT		First Equal Entered by: Larry Ogden - Member # 108 Cascade Pools/Refurbishnents AUCKLAND
REFURBISHMENT		First Equal Entered by: Alvin Crosby - Member # 128 Acqua Pools & Spas NORTH SHORE CITY
To see the full results of the Photographic Competition 2010

Do you read AQUA Magazine?

Periodically, a business must step back from the day-to-day demands of commerce and take a wider view, not just of its own fortunes but those of the entire enterprise, locally, regionally and nationally. It must stop and examine the greater context of the struggle — where are the currents headed and how strong are they? How are we different than our competitors? Is everyone seeing the same thing, or are companies in distant states fighting a completely different battle?

That time is now. In the next issue of AQUA, we inaugurate a moment of self-analysis for the pool and spa industry with our first annual State of the Industry issue. Several months ago, we directed an inquiry into the pressing topics and simple facts of life for builders, retailers and service people. We went to the people that actually deal with the everyday problems of building pools, selling spas and keeping them clean and in working order and just asked them about it. Then we assembled their comments and insights in print and present them in the May issue of AQUA magazine.

2010 AGM Set for Friday 2nd July

Venue: The Ellerslie International Motor Inn, 2 Wilkinson Road, Ellerslie.
Tel: (09) 525 1909 Fax: (09) 525 1465
If you are coming from out of Auckland, you may qualify for a Travel Subsidy. Contact me for information on this.

If you need accommodation, please arrange it directly with the Motor Inn.

AGENDA:
Minutes of last year's AGM
President's Report
Finance Report
Photo Competition Results
Election of Committee
Dinner

Nominations for committee members requested

MARCH 2010 General Meeting proposes that NZMPB Inc introduce Pool Builder's Licensing!

The well attended and informative March 2010 General Meeting discussed the impending introduction (will become compulsory in 2012) of the licensing of Builders by the Dept of Housing & Building and a decision was made to pre-empt any Governmental initiatives in including Swimming Pool Builders in with General Construction Builers. A committee comprising members of the "Super Eight" (i.e. those eight new members of the Concrete Pool Builders Association Inc. who have recently been granted three year membership at no fees cost in return for their "Building Contract for Construction of Swimming Pool". These and other committee members will hopefully get on with the details and have something to present to the 2010 AGM for ratification (now proposed for Friday July 2)

The meeting approved the use of the Building Contract being available to Builder Members on a limited basis and to only those Builder Members who are able to demonstrate proficiency both with their work and their history of building experience. The S8 committee may deem it necessary to physically inspect the workmanship of the lesser known Builder Members, and it is expected that all Member applicants for an NZMPB Builder's License will be required to pass the existing Diploma Course as part of the licensing requirements, so there will be some costs involved.

It is further anticipated that the Building Contract forms will be numerically stamped in pairs (one each for the Builder & Client) as they are issued to qualifying Licensed Builder Members, and as they are used up the unique registration number will be available for their customers to view a validation on the NZMPB web site. This should eliminate any possibilty of the Contracts being obtained by photocopying and used unlawfully. The full extent of these registrations will be discussed by the S8 committee in due time.

Carlos Morgan also queried the meeting to see if there is any merit in banding together as a group to try for better discounts on steel, concrete and other construction materials. This was approved by the meeting, and Carlos has volunteered to investigate the proposal and report back to us.

Full minutes of the meeting will be availabe in a few days time.

Are entrapment guidelines being ignored by pool builders?

New Zealand Standard NZ4441S has been released into the public domain for some time as a non-compulsory guildeline for swimming pool builders, and many of the ideas encapsulated in the Standard seem only common sense to responsible pool builders, yet many - according to self-appointed pool safety inspector Norman Tyree - are still fitting single main suction lines protected by only a "spa pool" type safety cover. These covers are easily broken and the resulting exposed suction line is a potential FATAL HAZARD to children - and even adults!

The Standard reads:

9.3.3
Where an outlet is piped directly to a suction pump, the outlet shall be duplicated to prevent injury or entrapment
in the event of blockage of one outlet. Each of the dual outlets shall be connected separately to the common
suction pipe. The minimum distance between the dual outlets shall be not less than 1.2 m centre to centre.

THIS IS COMMON SENSE!
DO NOT USE A SINGLE SUCTION LINE unless (as a minimum) a Vacuum Break device is fitted, and even then, someone's life is dependant on the device actually working 24/7 - so in other words - use DUAL SUCTION POINTS at least 1,200mm apart!

Mr Tyree's written comments to the NZMPB Inc musr be addressed, and are indeed very worrying: quite rightly - he is concerned that swimming pools are being constructed or have been constructed with potentially dangerous deep suction points, and builders include NZMPB Member's pools as well as those being built by non-member pool builders!

This is not good enough!

Check your own designs, talk to your pool designers, and wherever possible check that your recent pools do not comprise a safety danger to little kids. If necessary, go back and "T"  the suction lines at the pump end so that the suction is spread over several pool outlet pipelines.

Just installing a three way valve is not good enough!

DON'T BECOME A POOL BUILDER
WITH A FATALITY OF A CHILD ON YOUR CONSCIENCE!

Breaking News – the SPLASH! Educational program is now out!

Genesis 3 will be presenting for the first time this decade at SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show – many thanks to Pentair for their support in bringing Skip Phillips, David Tisherman and Brian Van Bower out from the USA.

The strong line up of speakers for 2010 include:

• Legislation Updates (including fencing) – Presented by Jake Brandish, Focus Products
• Energy Efficient Equipment and Installation – Presented by Steve Gutai, Zodiac Pool Systems Inc
• Business Planning and Development – Presented by Bill Kent, Team Horner
• National Licensing - Hosted by NSPI with Building Services Authority presenting
• The Ugly truth: Succeeding Against the Competition – Presented by Tess Schemberi, Focus Products
• Pool Pump - Voluntary guidelines - Presented by Dr Peter Seebacher
• Combining Ozone with Chlorine: Is It worthwhile? - Presented by Mark Spence, Ozone1
• Highly Effective Marketing - Presented by Max Williams, My Red Zebra
• Slips, Surfaces and Finishes – Presented by Peter Westgate – CSIRO

To see all the education available click here. Remember early bird pricing applies until 30th June.

Not yet registered? Click here to register now!

Interesting data on Housing Permits issued for new dwellings (NZ wide) 1974 to 2010
Check out the data from the last (large) decline - the 1989 - 1992 recession following the huge Stock Market crash of 1987. Are your sales of new swimming pools following a similar graph? Interesting, huh?

Are houses getting cheaper due to the recession?
No! the New Zealand average was a 5.5% increase in the past twelve months!

This graph published in the Property Press today 8/3/2010 does not substantiate lower housing costs, with only marginal increases in Rodney County, Papakura and Hibiscus Coast, everywhere else was up to 10% dearer.
Nowhere in our Auckland Region did housing prices decline in the past twelve months! The price leaders were Manukau East with 10.8% and North Shore Onewa with 10.5% increases for the 12 months to April 2010

LICENSING MOVES GO FORWARD
As part of the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) agenda to move towards a seamless national economy, COAG agreed on 3 July 2008 to develop a national occupational licensing system that would remove inconsistencies across State borders and allow for a more mobile workforce. COAG agreed to develop a national licensing system with the following characteristics:
    a. cooperative national legislation;
    b. national governance arrangements to handle standard setting and policy issues and to ensure consistent administration and compliance practices;
    c. all current holders of state and territory licences being deemed across to the new licence system at its commencement;
    d. the establishment of a publicly available national register of licensees; and
    e. the Commonwealth having no legislative role in the establishment of the new system.

It seems that the COAG agreement for Builders’ Licensing will also embrace New Zealand. A copy of the Draft and Explanatory papers are included for your information here: explanatory paper and here: COAG Draft. Will this meant that these guidelines will be adopted by the Legislature here in New Zealand? Will a Pool Builders License becomer mandatory? Only time will tell!

RODNEY DISTRICT CHARGES $3,230 FEE FOR 1c WORK!
WELL, NOT EXACTLY, but their current charges for swimming pool Building Approvals have gone through the roof - they are charging $5,493.50 to process a swimming pool application with the value of $49,999.50 or more, when a similar application for a pool worth $49,999.49 is only $2,263.50!  That's a whopping $3,230.00 for 1c worth more of work? Something has to be wrong here! A cut-off point for pool values? Why can't it be a sliding scale (more reasonable - but then, hey ... it's a Council we are talking about here. When have they ever been reasonable?) With home swimming pools ranging from the low end of $25,000 to $35,000 and middle range family pools $35,000 to $50,000, the top end of pools being built on lifestyle blocks may easily exceed $49,999.50, and they will be lumbered with a huge cost difference! Can the extra be justified by "more work" or "increased checking" when they already require a B1, B2, PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4 from the engineers and builders involved in the project? There's something fishy going on here, I think - but who do we appeal to - the COUNCIL? Some chance! CLICK HERE to see for yourself (Link to Rodney District Council Fee Calculator)

MORE on RODNEY DISTRICT CHARGES - $125 email charges!
A Committee Members making an Application for a Swimming Pool Approval in Rodney District Council area was called by one of their processing staff while he was driving - to ask a question about the Application. He dutifully "pulled over" to take the call, but was caught without a pen or something to write on, so he asked the caller if she could email him the things she needed clarified. Her response gobsmacked the CM (Committee Member) when she informed him the charge for an email would be $125.00 + GST! Granted she did have a thick and almost unintelligble accent - but he swears that's what she said!

What is going on at  Rodney??? Charging $5,493.50 for a Building Approval, then adding $125+GST for each email?
Have they lost all sense of reason? Is anyone going to challenge them? Or are we all sheep? Baa Baa, I say!

DISPUTES COMMITTEE: NEW RULES
Disputes notified to the NZMPB Inc reached a level where it became apparent that we were being used by Members as a form of Debt Collection. As you may not be aware of the efforts being put in by the Disputes Committee, they have been volunteering their time,vehicles and travel costs to sort out disputes between pool builders and their customers to secure payments due. In the past, this volunteer time was an thankless task, so the Comittee recently passed an Executive Resolution that this service would no longer be free to either Party who asked for intervention. (See Sidebar DISPUTES RESOLUTION). This resolution was passed: (Tuesday, October 27, 2009)  In accordance with the agreement of the Committee of the NZMPB Inc and in particular Disputes Committee members, and in accordance with the Rules of Incorporation, it has been decided that Members who are engaged in the business of the NZMPB Inc are to be reimbursed or charged out to Dispute Applicants and/or compensated for their time and costs in accordance with the schedule published on this Web Page under the appropriate DISPUTES headings. (Approved)

BAY OF PLENTY SEPTEMBER 30 MEETING
October 1st 2009: The inaugural meeting of the Bay of Plenty pool industry meeting last night went of successfully at the Buena Park Moto Inn & Hotel in Tauranga last night with around fifteenlocals in attendance, and Ron Dixon (Sec) and Larry Ogden (Pres) down from Auckland. Those there represented a cross section of the swimming pool industry in the Bay region and included people attending from Coromandel and Rotorua. They included industry people from pool builders to servicemen and pool shops plus the owner of the largest local pool shop and service company in Bay of Plenty region. The presentation by Pres. Larry Ogden was well received, perhaps in no small way related to the "order of business" which differed radically from our Auckland meetings: First off the mark was Trade Member (Poolstore NZ) Lew Taylor who had the floor commencing 4:00pm, then drinks in the bar from 5:30 to 6:30 then Dinner from 6:30 to 7:30pm! Once the meeting proper got under way, Larry was introduced to the group in attendance by industry "old timer" and organiser of the event, Murray Crowther. Larry spoke with enthusiasm for around 45 minutes, outlining the benefits of membership and the need for pool industry outsiders to join the Master Pool Builders and take part in determining their own futures - not just let the red tape brigade steam roller over us! The meeting was over by 9:00 so time for a nightcap in the bar, and all over by 10:00pm. The event resulted in four or five new Membership applications, and perhaps over the next week or so another few may apply.

GUILD WEB SITE REACHES 10,000 HITS
June 2009: The New Zealand Master Pool Builders Inc web site has reached more than ten thousand page reads (hits) in the nine years it has been "up and running".  Considering the slow uptake of Members using the resource, it's obvious that more of you are checking out on-line the current events and issues that affect our Industry. There are bound to be more in the coming years, so keep visiting!

NZS5826 REVIEWING NZ4441:2008 Draft
NZ5826 Pool Water Quality standards meetings: The main change is the adoption of a risk management approach to the pool, whereby hazards/shortfalls are indentified and appropriate response is put into place,  i.e. on an old school pool where filtration is under-sized by current NZ4441 standards the approach may be to run a higher FAC level, and more frequent testing, rather than the huge expense of complying with the NZ4441 draft standard.
Report from Mike Brunt in Member's forum pages.

POOL MAINTENANCE ISSUES
Recently there has been considerable disussion between Members regarding recent failures in plaster finishes being brough to our attention ."Will fitting a saline chlorinator possibly contribute to premature deterioration issues with plaster?", "Are there other factors - such as chemical imbalance - causing problems?", "What are the facts?" There seems to be a division of opinion between some pool builders and the Trade Member suppliers of saline chlorination equiupment. Check the new feature "Pool Maintenance Issues" at the left for links some U.S. sites where these issues are being discussed. I welcome discussion on these issues (Remember the MEMBERS FORUM section of this web site. If you want to comment, emal me and I will add your thoughts to the Forum page)and will include all comments received.

NEW CHARGES FOR WATER IN MANUKAU CITY

Contractors are no longer allowed to use Manukau City water hydrants for ANY purpose!

The only authorised user is an independant company with whom I have been in communication.
Their General Manager (Andy Hunt) is a very reasonable man, who has responded to me with the following email:

" Looking at the stand pipe process with Manukau Water and the fact that I can’t leave an authorised stand pipe unattended on site the cost for the filling of a swimming pool will be the following:

$48.94/hour + $1.36 per CuM + GST

For a waterman and the van $48.94 per/hr plus whatever the current cubic meter rate for water is set at for the volume used to fill the swimming pool at the time the work is undertaken. Currently this charge is $1.36 per/m³.  I hope this help with your pool filling issues, if you do require our service then I will need you to complete a terms of trade document for our accounts department so that you can be set up as a creditor on our system.

Regards, Andy  Tel. 09 966 2704   Mob. 027 294 1754"