Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers
New Plymouth-based apprentice Samantha Tuson won a Plumbing World Scholarship at the national 2024 New Zealand Plumbing Awards, held at Takina Wellington Convention Centre on Friday 12 April.
33-year-old Samantha started her five-year Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying (PGD) apprenticeship through Masterlink in March 2021. She is hosted by Climate & Plumbing in New Plymouth, who nominated Samantha for the award.
General Manager Patrick McQueen says Samantha takes any work in her stride and without hesitation. “Samantha has bloomed in confidence and skill level as a tradesperson in the last 12 months. She is not only an excellent communicator on site, but her customer communication and attention to detail are her shining lights.”
PGD Estimator Paul Matuku Daley says, “Throughout her time with us, she has consistently demonstrated a commendable work ethic, tackling every task with enthusiasm and diligence.
“Sam is a proactive team member, always eager to lend a hand, no matter the nature of the task.”
One of the projects Samantha has worked on involved upgrading the main sewer line at the TSB Bank Centre in tightly cramped spaces under the building foundations and then restoring the roof 27 metres above the ground!
Samantha also worked with a couple of senior plumbers renovating villas plumbing and sanitary ware at the Molly Ryan Retirement Village, and with a large team of other plumbers replacing worn out pipe with thousands of metres of braised copper water lines at Chalmers Rest Home.
Her most challenging project so far was working on the Flotation Sanctuary from the very beginning to the very end of the project. Sam explains, “The client needed the plumbing system to operate silently, we were working in near quarters with multiple tradespeople, and had large float tanks to navigate into position through finished areas without damage.
“To make the system silent, I had to install with sweeping b
