A project to strengthen a historic railway viaduct on the Taieri Plain and work upgrading New Zealand's largest wastewater treatment plant, in Queenstown, were among the winners at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Otago Hynds Construction Awards 2026.
The celebration of the top civil construction projects and people from across the region brought hundreds of industry professionals together at Dunedin Town Hall on Friday for a formal dinner to shine a spotlight on the projects and people shaping the future of the region.
CCNZ Otago Branch Chair Anna Pawsey said the award winners demonstrated the dedication of local civil contractors to maintain the momentum of Otago’s development.
“Whether it's road construction, earthworks, drainage, bridges, or major infrastructure projects, our members continue to deliver work that has a lasting impact on our communities.”
The Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant Stage Three project, completed by McConnell Dowell, hauled in the Supreme Award, the Community Image Award, and the Construction Projects Valued Over $5M Award with a masterclass in delivery and community engagement.
The final stage of the upgrade project doubled the capacity of the facility, retiring oxidation ponds and enabling more effective activated sludge treatment – which uses microorganisms to break down organic matter in sewage – all while minimising environmental effects.
Off-site, McConnell Dowell supported Queenstown Lakes charity Happiness House by donating firewood, food and Christmas gifts for children in need, building a dedicated woodshed to store the firewood, and raising $13,500 via two marathons.
Judges said all submissions in the project category were “excellent”, but after much consideration the treatment plant upgrade stood out above the rest.
“This project had multiple aspects to it and was delivered within a live, operational treatment plant, which required tie ins, staged commissioning, and careful coordination to maintain uninterrupted service.”
A project undertaking structural repairs to the Wingatui Viaduct secured the Construction Projects Valued Under $500,000 Award for what the judges said was “an excellent example of Kiwi ingenuity and determination at its best” on a challenging site. SouthRoads delivered an innovative solution by creating a bespoke lifting frame that could be shifted on site and assembled to support repairs to the historic bridge which has been in service since 1887.
The Princes Street Resurfacing project – dubbed ‘Project Purple Rain’ in reference to the musician – won the Construction Projects Valued Between $500,000 and $1M Award. Rather than using a single crew, Fulton Hogan used multiple rotating crews to run a continuous surfacing operation, which significantly reduced disruption to road users and businesses along one of Dunedin's busiest streets.
“Fulton Hogan should be congratulated for challenging the norm and delivering a high quality and cost-effective resurfacing project for their client,” judges said.
The Dunedin Airport Water Supply Project won the Construction Projects Valued Between $1M and $5M Award for Isaac Construction’s delivery of site works to support two 350,000-litre storage tanks holding drinking and firefighting water. The works included tank foundations, and associated pipework, which Isaac Construction delivered while navigating the challenges involved with working at an operational airport.
The Ranfurly and Patearoa Water Treatment Plant Upgrades project, completed by Fulton Hogan, took out the Innovation Award. Fulton Hogan built new water treatment plants off-site inside containers, before transporting them to their Ranfurly and Pataeroa sites – an approach the award judges recognised as “clever in its simplicity and outstanding in the value it offered the client”.
The Health and Safety Award was won by Downer for its work on the Bath Street Stormwater Improvements and Streetscape Upgrade project, with judges acknowledging the exceptional care and attention to detail shown by the contractor. They noted that over 40,000 hours of work, there was only one minor lost-time injury.
Two people awards presented on the night highlighted individuals making their mark on Otago’s civil construction industry.
The Emerging Leader Award was won by Gen Paisley from SouthRoads, who was recognised for her positive attitude, humility and dedication to supporting her colleagues at the Oamaru depot where she works. The judges described her as “a diamond in the rough”, whose leadership brought out the best in everyone around her.
Tinelle Rolton from Isaac Construction won the Women in Contracting Award for her dedication in ensuring a safe working environment for women by promoting positive team culture, as well as encouraging more women into civil contracting through mentoring.
Pawsey said the breadth of achievement on display made this year’s awards particularly memorable and was a “testament to the skill, dedication and hard work of everyone involved”.
“Time and time again, our members demonstrate resilience and adaptability to get the job done. Whether working all night to clear roads and blocked drains after weather incidents or tackling major projects to futureproof our region – they are true heroes in hi-vis.”
The Civil Contractors New Zealand Otago Hynds Construction Awards Dinner 2026 was sponsored by Hynds, Hirepool, Connexis, Fulton Hogan, Downer, McConnell Dowell, HEB Construction, Pro Civil, Isaac Construction, Waters & Farr, KB Contractors and Commercial Hire New Zealand.
This year's winners
Category One – sponsored by KB Contractors: Construction Projects Valued Under $500,000
Winner: SouthRoads for the Wingatui Viaduct Structural Repairs project.
Category Two – sponsored by McConnell Dowell: Construction Projects Valued Between $500,000 and $1M
Winner: Fulton Hogan for Project Purple Rain (Princes Street upgrade).
Category Three – sponsored by Isaac Construction: Construction Projects valued between $1M and $5M
Winner: Isaac Construction for the Dunedin Airport water supply project.
Category Four – sponsored by Hirepool: Construction Projects valued over $5M
Winner: McConnell Dowell for the Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant Stage Three project.
Innovation Award – sponsored by Waters & Farr
Winner: Fulton Hogan for the Ranfurly & Patearoa water treatment upgrade project.
Health and Safety Award – sponsored by Downer
Winner: Downer for the Bath Street Stormwater Improvements and Streetscape Upgrade project.
Community Image Award
Winner: McConnell Dowell for the Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant Stage Three project.
Supreme Award – sponsored by Hynds
Winner: McConnell Dowell for the Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant Stage Three project.
Emerging Leader Award – sponsored by Connexis
Winner: Gen Paisley, SouthRoads.
Women in Contracting Award – sponsored by Hynds
Winner: Tinelle Rolton, Isaac Construction.