From Competition to Community: IWSH Plumbing Champions Deliver Lasting Impact in Brisbane

Transforming the WorldSkills stage of vocational excellence into an opportunity for real-world community benefit, the latest IWSH Plumbing Champions project delivered a meaningful legacy project in Brisbane (Queensland), Australia. 

By repurposing competition fixtures and materials from the WorldSkills Australia National Championships 2025 (WSAU2025), IWSH proves that the impact of a skilled trade competition doesn’t have to end when the medals are awarded. 

This initiative exemplifies mobilizing the plumbing industry for good, bridging the gap between temporary events and permanent solutions. It is designed to deliver sustained, real-world impact from our industry events while ensuring that high-profile skills competitions leave behind a footprint of care and resilience in their host communities. 

A High-Profile Unveiling

The scope and significance of this project were fully realized on November 21, 2025, during the official unveiling of the completed facilities at the ADRA Logan Community Care Centre. The event was marked by a visit from the Hon. Jim Chalmers MP, Federal Treasurer of Australia and representative for the local electoral area of Rankin, who toured the site to witness firsthand how the plumbing industry is driving social change. 

The Treasurer’s presence underscores a key message IWSH advocates for globally: plumbing isn’t just about fixing leaks; it is about creating life-changing infrastructure that supports public health, safety, and dignity.

“ADRA is there for people in Logan when they need help the most, and these upgrades will make a real difference to the comfort, wellbeing and dignity of families and individuals who rely on the Centre every week,” said Mr. Chalmers. “This is a terrific example of industry, apprentices, not-for-profits and the community working together to support people doing it tough. I congratulate the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation, ADRA and all the partners involved for bringing this project to life.” 

Repurposing for Purpose 

Plumbing & Heating Competitors and Experts at the WorldSkills Australia National Championships 2025 (WSAU2025)

Following WSAU2025 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in June, the Plumbing & Heating competition fixtures were not sent to disposal. Instead, IWSH co-ordinated with Reece Group, the Plumbing & Heating competition sponsor, to transfer resources with the intention to support renovation works for local community organizations throughout the second half of 2025. 

The first beneficiary, the ADRA Community Care Centre in Logan Central, had a critical need. For more than 30 years, ADRA Logan has been a lifeline for the community, managing over 40,000 community interactions annually and distributing more than 300 food parcels every week. However, the facility faced a significant challenge: outdated toilet facilities and a complete lack of showers—a severe limitation when assisting individuals experiencing homelessness or crisis.

IWSH International Program Director Grant Stewart (third from right) is explaining the WSAU2025 Plumbing & Heating competition and resources to ADRA senior representatives.

By repurposing event materials and fixtures, the project reinforced the social value of vocational collaboration. The result is a fully upgraded facility that provides dignity, hygiene, and sanitation to ADRA’s staff, volunteers, and the vulnerable populations they serve. 

Competition and Collaboration Intersect 

“IWSH Plumbing Champions continues to show what’s possible when skills competitions and community partnerships intersect,” said Seán Kearney, IWSH Managing Director and a former WorldSkills competitor. “Each of these installation projects tells a new story of plumbers and local leaders connecting and combining their skills to deliver public health solutions that last.” 

This philosophy was evident in the project's workforce development aspect. IWSH partnered with the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Center (PICAC) to facilitate logistics and labor, and engaged apprentices from PICAC’s local trade school branch, PICAC Beenleigh. For these local students, the project did more than teach installation techniques; it reinforced their decision to pursue careers in plumbing by helping them understand how skilled trades connect directly to health, dignity, and opportunity. 

The IWSH Ecosystem in Action 

This IWSH Plumbing Champions project illustrates the IWSH success equation: well-planned projects + skilled plumbers + quality products + community education = scalable and measurable change.

As the public charity of IAPMO—a WorldSkills Global Industry Partner—IWSH leverages IAPMO’s global expertise to drive local impact. This was a result of our collaboration ecosystem:

• Strategic Leadership: IAPMO Oceania Managing Director Paul Bonsak and IWSH International Program Director Grant Stewart identified ADRA Logan as the ideal recipient, ensuring the project was directed and measurable.
• Community Impact: "ADRA Logan is grateful for the relationship which was initially brokered through Paul Bonsak and Grant Stewart and will provide a wonderful legacy from WorldSkills Australia to our local community," said Sam Luteru, ADRA Logan manager.
• Industry Volunteers: Volunteers from the Reece Foundation were instrumental in the installation, showcasing the generosity and expertise of the skilled trades. 

Looking Ahead

The ADRA Logan project is the first of two planned legacy renovations repurposing materials from WSAU2025. The second site, BHDC Jinndi Hall in Eagleby, south Brisbane, is also slated for bathroom upgrades utilizing the remaining transferred materials once planning approvals are finalized. 

As we look toward the next international WorldSkills competition, WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, IWSH will continue this powerful tradition of linking skilled trades with community transformation, highlighting plumbers as champions of public health and resource conservation, and ensuring that every sink, pipe, and fixture can be part of something much bigger. 

Are you a manufacturer or industry leader looking elevate the contributions of plumbing to a better built environment? Contact our Managing Director Seán Kearney to support upcoming IWSH Plumbing Champions projects.