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Exclusive to Master Plumbers members, Toby is an AI assistant that helps you quickly find answers to questions about New Zealand plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying standards, legislation, regulations and building requirements.

Whether you're on site, in the office or on the road, Toby provides fast, relevant answers using the New Zealand documents and standards it's been designed to access. Available anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand, any time, on any device, Toby makes it easier to get the job done right.

Unlike generic AI tools, Toby has been built specifically for the New Zealand plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry. It uses New Zealand legislation, regulations, standards and other technical documents to answer your questions, so you can have greater confidence in its answers.

Designed and developed in-house by Master Plumbers, Toby is the first AI agent to be licensed by Standards New Zealand and Standards Australia to access their standards through an AI model.

What Toby can do

Answer as many questions as you need

Toby is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no limits on the number of questions you can ask.

Search multiple documents at once

No need to remember which document contains the answer. Toby searches across the documents it has access to and brings the relevant information together for you.

Access up-to-date information

The documents available to Toby are regularly updated to reflect current legislation, regulations and standards. The documents Toby accesses may change over time.

Use Toby anywhere

Access Toby from any device within New Zealand. You can type your question or ask it using speak-to-text.

 

Pilot programme

Toby will be free of charge to Master Plumbers members participating in the pilot, which will run until 9 June 2027.

FAQ

What Standards can Toby access to provide answers?

Toby has access to the below standards and documents:

  1. AS/NZS 1546.1:2008 On-site domestic wastewater treatment units – Septic tanks
  2. AS/NZS 1546.3:2008 On-site domestic wastewater treatment units – Aerated wastewater treatment systems
  3. AS/NZS 1547:2012 On-site domestic wastewater management
  4. AS/NZS 1596:2014 The storage and handling of LP Gas
  5. AS/NZS 2566.2:2002 Buried flexible pipelines – Installation
  6. AS/NZS 2845.1:2022 Water supply – Backflow prevention devices – Part 1: Materials, design and performance requirements
  7. AS/NZS 2032:2006 Installation of PVC pipe systems
  8. AS/NZS 2918:2018 Domestic solid fuel burning appliances – Installation
  9. AS/NZS 3500.0:2021 Plumbing and drainage – Part 0: Glossary of terms
  10. AS/NZS 3500.1:2021 Plumbing and drainage – Part 1: Water services
  11. AS/NZS 3500.2:2021 Plumbing and drainage – Part 2: Sanitary plumbing and drainage
  12. AS/NZS 3500.3:2021 Plumbing and drainage – Part 3: Stormwater drainage
  13. AS/NZS 3500.4:2021 Plumbing and drainage – Part 4: Heated water services
  14. AS/NZS 5601:2022 Gas installations – Part 1: General installations
  15. AS/NZS 5601.2:2020 Gas installations – Part 2: LP Gas installations in caravans and boats for non-propulsive purposes
  16. NZS 5255:2014 Safety verification of existing gas installations
  17. NZS 5266:2014 Safety of gas appliances
  18. NZS/AS 3645.1(Int):2010 Essential requirements for gas equipment – Part 1: Essential safety
  19. NZS/AS 3645.2(Int):2010 Essential requirements for gas equipment – Part 2: Certification
  20. Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods: G10 Piped Services
  21. Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods: G11 Gas as an Energy Source
  22. Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods: G12 Water Supplies
  23. Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods: G13 Foul Water
  24. Gas Act 1992
  25. Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006
  26. Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Regulations 2010
  27. Building Regulations 1992
  28. Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010
  29. EECA Residential Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Guide

Why is Toby only available for 200 people?

Master Plumbers has worked hard to overcome challenging hurdles including navigating standards licensing, copyright and access issues with Standards New Zealand. A pilot for 200 people is something that all parties involved could support with the funding available.

Why has it taken so long just to get to a pilot stage?

Toby relies on technical standards and reference material which means considerable work was required to establish an agreed framework for how that content could be used within an AI-powered tool. 

The discussions extended well beyond copyright, covering issues such as data sovereignty, privacy, storage and processing locations, access controls, and the broader legal implications of using standards content within a modern AI platform.

How long will the pilot run for?

The pilot runs until 9 June 2027. After that, continued access depends on renewed funding and our licence being extended — neither is guaranteed.

MBIE funding to support the pilot for up to 200 people is for a 12 month period. Master Plumbers will be engaging with the Government and interested parties to advocate for wider access to Toby and secure funding to support the tool beyond the pilot stage.

Why is Toby any different to someone asking ChatGPT the same questions?

We know practitioners are already using search engines and generic AI tools to get answers more quickly but these may draw on old or inconsistent material.

Toby is more accurate and reliable than using generic AI tools because it is exclusively trained with current legislation, rules and regulations.

Who can use Toby?

Toby is currently available to up to 200 current Master Plumbers members as part of a pilot. One login per member business.  Toby can only be accessed from within New Zealand.

How do I sign up and log in?

Register your interest via this link: Toby Applications

  • We're taking registrations of interest until midday Friday 17 July 2026.
  • Once registrations are closed, we will randomly pick 200 members to receive a license.
  • If you get a spot, it’s free until 9 June 2027.

How much does it cost?

No cost to members for the trial period ending 9 June 2027.

Is there a risk Toby gets it wrong?

Yes – always verify Toby’s answer against the original source document before relying on it for compliance or safety decisions. Toby draws exclusively from licensed Standards, legislation and regulations, and points you to the specific document it used so you can cross-check easily.

What happens if I’m travelling overseas – can I still use Toby?

No. No – Toby only works within New Zealand. Access from overseas (or via a VPN) is blocked.

Does Toby store my questions and answers?

Yes but only during the ‘session’ you are using Toby. Once you stop using Toby the session ends and everything is wiped.

What data does Master Plumbers collect

We collect some information about how Toby is used by your business – such as login activity and query volumes – to manage access and meet our reporting obligations under the licence. Your information is protected under the Privacy Act 2020.

Who owns the Standards information used by Toby?

Copyright in the standards contained within TOBY is owned by Standards Australia Limited and the Crown, administered by the New Zealand Standards Executive through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The standards are reproduced and adapted with permission under licence number LN001534.

Can I suggest documents to add?

Yes! Send your ideas to [email protected].


Important Information

Disclaimer
All output in Toby is generated by an AI tool rather than reproducing any original work or content. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, the content may contain errors or omissions and should not be considered authoritative. Users must verify all information before relying on it. 

Documents accessed by Toby  
These may change at any time without notice. Users can ask Toby directly which documents it is currently accessing to provide its answers.

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