Wanted: Plumbers in NZ

Wanted: Plumbers in NZ

Has good service been going down the drain lately?

That may be because there is a shortage of plumbers in New Zealand and it's only going to get worse.

Connor and Dylan went to Gardiner Plumbing straight from school and are happy to have found each other and a passion for their job.

But they are also aware of the reputation the plumbing industry has, and their boss Shane Gardiner believes it is time to flush that misconception because the situation is desperate.

Mr Gardiner was putting $500 of advertising in the daily news, in an effort to recruit employees, and did not receive one phone call.

In Auckland, it's even worse where interest rates are low and a penchant for DIY borders on fetish.

In the next two years there will be a plumber shortfall of 59 percent in Auckland which means the region will be 601 plumbers short.

And it's starting to spread into other areas as well.

So how did it get to this point and what can be done to fix the problem?

Watch the video for the full Story report.