Water Industry Professionals Association

As members are aware, there are a number of initiatives underway relating to industry workforce development. These include, but not limited to, Water Services Act 2021 authorisation requirements, Waihanga Ara Rau’s Workforce Development Strategy, the various Water NZ Competency Frameworks, and the implementation of the Review of Vocational Education (ROVE). The water industry’s workforce is also likely to be further shaped by the 3 Water Reforms due to be implemented over the next 2 - 3 years.

Consequently, the Water Industry Professionals Association’s (WIPA) management committee has agreed for the WIPA to undertake a brief pause while the Industry as a whole goes through this period of change. During this period, training opportunities and courses will still be posted on the WIPA website and current WIPA members will still have their CPD credits acknowledged. WIPA applications already submitted will continue to be processed. However, in the short term, the WIPA will not be accepting new applications. We expect that once we have a direction of where Industry workforce is heading, that an appropriately modified WIPA will be stood up again to take on the challenge of acknowledging the skills, qualifications and experience of the people that work in the water industry.

In the meantime, we still encourage WIPA members to carry on actively undertaking professional development opportunities and continue to seek acknowledgement of those opportunities through the gaining of CPD credits.

Craig Freeman (Acting WIPA Chair),

Nick Hewer – Hewitt (WIOG Chairman)

Gillian Blythe (Water NZ CEO)