Board of Directors

Earl Setches completed his apprenticeship in 1982 and worked “on the tools” until 1999 when he was elected Victorian Assistant Secretary of the PTEU. After two years in this role he attained the positions of State and Federal Secretary, both of which he has held since 2001.

Earl has been a driving force in the consolidation of partnerships within the Plumbing Industry and he has been instrumental in the creation, construction and success of the Plumbing Joint Training Fund (PJTF) and the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC). PICAC is a unique industry collaboration providing world’s best training with a key focus on sustainable plumbing technologies.

Earl is Chair of the PJTF and PICAC Boards. He is a Member of the Victorian Building Authority Plumbing Advisory Council (VBAPAC), the Building Industry Consultative Committee, Incolink and CBus (the Construction and Building Industry Super Fund) Boards.

Scott Dowsett founded his first company, Scott Dowsett Plumbing Services, in 1992 and subsequently restructured in 2008 with new Director and owner, Chadd Cooke, joining him to form Cooke & Dowsett. The result is a combined 40 years of plumbing expertise and industry knowledge.

Cooke & Dowsett holds part ownership in NUDJ plumbing, a not for profit organisation based in Broome that is committed to the training and development of Indigenous youth in the Pilbara region.

Scott spreads his expertise across a number of different businesses as a Director of Cooke & Dowsett, Central Plumbing & Hardware Supplies, Riddells Creek Business Centre, DJT Concrete Cutting, NUDJ Plumbing, FDS Plumbing Australia and the
Prince Alfred Hotel. He is also the President of the Master Plumbers’ and Mechanical Services Association of Australia.

Joe Grande is currently the Administrator of Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation and has over twenty years of experience in Community Development with Indigenous Communities and Corporations in the West Kimberley Region of Western Australia.

As a qualified accountant he also brings sound financial management and corporate governance knowledge in the non-for-profit sector.

Joe is passionate about working with Indigenous Australians in delivering real outcomes including long term sustainable employment and improved personal wellbeing.

Joe is a current Director of Kimberley Employment Services Pty Ltd; Kullarri Building Pty Ltd; Broome Electrical Services Limited; and NUDJ Plumbing Services Pty Ltd.

Michael Long was one of the most talented footballers to have played in the Australian Football League (AFL). Recruited in 1989 by Essendon from St Mary’s Football Club in the Northern Territory, Michael’s skills earned him the Best First Year Player Award. He played 190 games for Essendon, was Co-Captain in 1999 and played in two premierships.

Michael’s parents were removed from their families as children and raised in the Tiwi Islands. His parents’ experiences shaped Michael’s determination to fight racial discrimination.

In 1995, following an ANZAC Day game against Collingwood, Michael became the first Indigenous player to highlight racial abuse when he reported offensive language used by an opposition player. As a result of Michael’s actions, the AFL adopted a new rule aimed at stopping racial and religious vilification. In 2001 he retired as a professional footballer to focus on working with Indigenous Australians.

In November 2004, Michael left his Melbourne home to walk to Canberra to meet the then Prime Minister John Howard. His aim was to discuss the plight of Indigenous Australians and raise public awareness of the issues facing Indigenous communities. Thousands of people joined the walk which became known as ‘The Long Walk’. By 2006 the Long Walk became part of the AFL’s ‘Dreamtime at the G’, a week of football which is dedicated to the role Indigenous footballers play in Australian Rules Football.

Michael Long is Essendon Football Club’s first Indigenous Ambassador.

Shayne La Combre is the Chief Executive Officer of the PICAC which is a unique facility offering world class training – in many cases with facilities without equal anywhere else in the world.

In 2011 Shayne was elected to the Board of the World Plumbing Council (WPC) and is the Deputy Chair for the 2013 – 2016 term. The WPC is committed to improving the standards of plumbing around the world to give better access to safe drinking
water and sanitation to all.

Prior to this Shayne was Director of Plumbing at Victoria’s plumbing industry regulator, the Plumbing Industry Commission (now the VBA), a role he held for 7 years.