Papakura’s Cameron Mabey delivered a masterclass in precision and power to scoop pole position at the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice Auckland Regional Excavator Operator Competition on the weekend.

The event, held at the Pukekohe Showgrounds on 15 and 16 February during the Franklin A&P Show, saw 19 of the region’s most skilled operators go bucket-to-bucket in a series of high-stakes challenges witnessed by thousands of enthralled spectators.

Mabey said his previous outing at Auckland’s regional event last year – where he finished fifth – had given him the taste he needed to take top spot this year.

“After I had finished the competition I was really confident as I’d got through everything in the time allocations. But it was still a tense wait on Sunday evening to find out if I’d won.”

Many of the challenges completed by Auckland operators during the weekend’s competition were designed to inspire and delight the crowd, including using their excavator buckets to play Giant Jenga, delicately open a bottle and write words with a paint brush.

A new task this year was a timed trenching challenge using a Tenstar Virtual Reality Simulator, which saw competitors tested on their trenching skills in a simulated environment, without the need to disturb the Pukekohe Showgrounds ground.

Beyond the crowd-pleasing stunts, operators were continually assessed on health and safety aspects from the beginning to the end of the competition, including pre-start checks for the excavators. 

Mabey’s victory secured him a spot in the national finals at the Central District Field Days in Feilding in March, over second-placed Julius Dalnuan of Bob Hick Earthmoving and third-placed Domingo Ebuenga of Veza Drainage.

It will be his first appearance at the national finals, where he will represent Auckland against 11 other winners from regional competitions on a mission to become New Zealand’s supreme excavator operator.

Last year’s national final winner and competition legend Troy Calteaux has hung up his competitive boots and will join the judging panel this year, leaving the field wide open for a new excavator king or queen to be crowned. 

Mabey, who works as an excavator operator and site foreman for TDM Construction, said he would go into the nationals with an open mind and give it his all, but felt that “just getting there is a good achievement”.

Civil Contractors New Zealand Auckland Chair Hugh Goddard praised the exceptional talent on display at the Auckland regional final, commenting there were only a few points separating the top three after two days of hard competition.

“The expertise of our civil construction excavator operators is top-tier, and these competitions are a fantastic way to showcase. It’s not just about digging holes – this event is about engaging with the community and inspiring the next generation to take up the tools and build the future of New Zealand’s infrastructure.”

Other notable highlights included National Party MP for Port Waikato Hon. Andrew Bayly climbing into the seat of an excavator to give the competition course a go on Sunday, following in the footsteps of Christopher Luxon who tested his skills at the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition in March 2024. 

The Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice Auckland Regional Excavator Operator Competition was made possible by the support of major sponsors CablePrice, Attach2, Connexis Te Pūkenga, First Gas and Hirepool.

Other supporters included Castle Portable Buildings, CDS, ENZED, Global Survey, Mates in Construction, Mutu, Nulca, Pipeline & Civil, Stellar Recruitment, UDC, Winstone Aggregates and local volunteers.

Winners: CCNZ CablePrice Auckland Regional Excavator Operator Competition

• First: Cameron Mabey, TDM Construction.
• Second: Julius Dulnuan, Bob Hick Earthmoving.
• Third: Domingo Ebuenga, Veza Drainage.

All the action from CCNZ CablePrice Auckland Regional Excavator Operator Competition 2025