Queensland’s Industrial Relations minister has been accused of some union-linked dodginess over water meters.

News Corp media outlets have accused Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt – who is also the Industrial Relations Minister – of fast-tracking new laws allowing only union plumbers to install water meters, aiding a key union boss and factional ally.

The new laws are reportedly lumped into payroll legislation changes, and overturn Newman government reforms that allowed water utilities to use trained staff to install meters.

Mr Pitt allegedly believes the power must be given back to licensed plumbers to restore high standards, despite government departments finding current installers did not present any new risks.

The legislation is backed by the leader of the Plumbers Union of Queensland, Brad O’Carroll, who leads the only Queensland-based union still left in Mr Pitt’s Labor Unity or “Old Guard” faction.

But insiders claim Mr O’Carroll position is being threatened by the union’s assistant secretary, who wants to move its allegiance back to the left faction of Queensland Labor.

“It is an outrageous abuse of power to favour one side in an internal union ballot and prop up his own faction,’’ one senior party figure allegedly told The Courier-Mail.

Mr Pitt says he is enacting a Labor promise from 2014 to allow only licensed plumbers to install water meters.

Water utilities have two years to phase out installers and get plumbers involved.

Queensland Water says the Government introduced the laws under a “false premise of improvement to public safety”.

“The policy objective clearly supports the re-establishment of a protected market for plumbers,’’ it said in a submission.

The Local Government Association of Queensland said the laws would force remote indigenous communities to fly in plumbers at great expense.

“For example, a three-day visit for a total of 24 hours would cost approximately $2900, including travel, meals and accommodation,’’ the group said.