Too Few Plumbers in New Zealand: Why Skilled Migration Matters More Than Ever
News · 2026-08-31 · 5 min read
Every home and every city needs working taps, pipes and gas lines. In New Zealand, the people who keep these systems running are getting harder to find. New Zealand's trades sector is close to a serious workforce crisis. And this problem is linked as much to migration policy as it is to apprenticeships.
Infometrics, a company that makes economic forecasts, estimates that New Zealand will need to fill roughly 1,450 plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying roles in the coming year alone. Three things are pushing this demand: workers are getting older, many are leaving for Australia, and building work is starting to pick up again. The hard truth is that the country is not training enough new people to take their place.
Fewer Businesses Are Training New Workers
Master Plumbers, the industry body, gives clear numbers on the gap. Fewer than one in five plumbing businesses take on apprentices right now. Across construction in general, the figure can be as low as 10–15 percent. The number of new apprentices dropped sharply again this year. This came after a steep fall the year before.
Why? During the recession, profit margins became tighter. Smaller firms found it too costly to support trainees through their first months, when trainees are not yet productive. Experienced tradespeople say an apprenticeship is a slow investment. A business often waits five years before it sees a real return. So it is one of the first costs to be cut when work slows down, and one of the last to come back when work returns.
Qualified Plumbers Are Moving Across the Tasman
From a migration point of view, the most interesting part is where qualified tradespeople are going. They are not leaving the workforce. They are leaving the country.
More and more newly certified plumbers are moving to Australia for higher wages. Pay there can be almost double what they earn at home. A jump from around NZ$30 an hour to AU$55 is not unusual. Some estimates from recent trade groups suggest that close to half of a graduating class may move to Australia soon after they qualify. For young tradespeople thinking about their careers, their income and their lifestyle, the choice is easy, even if it leaves New Zealand employers struggling.
This pattern is important. A developed country trains skilled workers, then loses them to a neighbouring job market with better pay. This is exactly the kind of gap that migration pathways are designed to fill, on both sides. New Zealand feels pressure to look beyond its own local workers. At the same time, Australia becomes even more attractive to trades workers with international qualifications.
An Older Workforce Close to Retirement
Age makes the problem worse. In New Zealand, the average certifying plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer is now 49 years old. Industry figures suggest around 1,000 tradespeople still working on the tools are already over 65 and close to retirement.
These trades are not only about building schedules. Plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying support basic needs such as safe drinking water, sanitation and gas supply. That is why this shortage matters so much.
Two Ways to Find More Workers
Experienced people in the industry point to two overlooked pathways that go further than simply training more apprentices.
The first is to open the trade to more kinds of people. Right now, women make up under one percent of the licensed plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying workforce in New Zealand. Yet many women show steady interest in the work. Some say they struggle even to get a job interview.
The second is to look overseas. Local apprenticeship numbers are shrinking. Training providers also have their own problems, such as courses that are not always available, a lack of tutors and old equipment. Because of this, skilled migration is no longer just a backup plan. It is becoming a basic need to keep important infrastructure projects staffed.
What Employers and Overseas Tradespeople Can Learn
For construction and trades employers in New Zealand, the message is clear. Instead of only competing for a shrinking pool of local workers, they should actively look at skilled migration channels.
For qualified tradespeople in other countries, especially plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, it shows a market with real and lasting demand. The industry is looking for experienced hands to fill roles that will only get harder to staff.
If you are a tradesperson in Indonesia or anywhere else and you are looking at sponsored jobs New Zealand for Indonesian workers and others, now is a good time to get ready. Put together an English-language CV that clearly shows your trade experience. Gather your qualification papers and get any Indonesian documents translated into English if the visa rules ask for this. If an employer or visa needs an English test, such as IELTS or PTE, plan for it early.
As New Zealand works out how to rebuild its trades pipeline, migration is no longer a side topic in workforce planning. It is moving to the centre of it.
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