The cream of Northland’s civil construction projects and infrastructure workers were recognised at the 2025 Civil Contractors New Zealand Northland Branch Awards, held at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei on Friday night.
A crowd of hundreds celebrated a glittering selection of the region’s success stories in infrastructure construction, from bridge upgrades and highway repairs to retirement village landscaping and individuals going above the call of duty.
CCNZ Northland Branch Chair Kylie Bourke said this year had seen a record amount of submissions, and the calibre of entries demonstrated the strength and depth of expertise within Northland's civil construction sector, underlining local companies' commitment to delivering projects that keep communities connected and have a lasting positive impact.
“The judges had quite the debate around who won, so everyone should be really proud of what they submitted. I see these entries, and I get really excited, because we do amazing stuff here in Northland. And it’s right here in these awards. We need to celebrate this stuff.”
The event featured ten award categories recognising stand out people, projects and companies.
Fulton Hogan’s State Highway One Brynderwyn Hills Resilience project won the award for Construction Projects Over $2m and the Innovation Award with the successful delivery of an epic $60m solution to rebuild a 2km section of the highway damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Restoring the essential route involved clearing 208,000 cubic metres of material along a narrow road corridor, with earthworks crews working 5.30am to 5.00pm to complete the project as quickly as possible.
The project was also recognised with the Health and Safety Award, with no injuries occurring that required medical treatment or which delayed the project – demonstrating Fulton Hogan’s commitment to risk management and caring for their people.
“The successful execution of the gnarly SH1 Brynderwyn Hills Resilience project was a real team effort. It’s a stellar achievement, and the high-profile nature of the job shines a light on the crucial work the people in our industry do to keep Northland connected,” Bourke said.
Robinson Asphalts took out the Construction Projects $500,000 to $2,000,000 Award for its delivery of a complex civil and landscaping package at Bupa Tōtara Gardens in Whangārei. The work included earthworks, drainage systems, retaining structures, masonry, fencing and a giant chess board and a mini-golf green.
Steve Bowling Contracting delivered a full superstructure replacement of McBeth Road Bridge for only a fraction more than the original plan to refurbish the bridge and replace its deck, impressing the judges and winning the Construction Projects $0 - $500,000 Award.
The Asset Maintenance Award was won by Ventia for its Far North District Council Road Maintenance and Renewals Contract. This contract involves the maintenance and upkeep of 781km of unsealed and 467km of sealed roads, including emergency repair work, with detailed traffic management programmes contributing to its success.
The Northland Leadership Award was won by Doug Watene from Clements Contractors, whose more than 40 years in civil construction started from the ground up and has led to managing projects and supervising teams. His nomination noted his dedication to developing people and delivering projects that exceed expectations.
The latest in a long line of people trained by Doug Watene, Trainee Award winner Liam Taylor, also of Clements, was described by his colleagues as “the kind of guy every crew wants”. His nomination highlighted his adeptness with machinery, his rapid completion of qualifications, and his achievement in quickly becoming someone his peers look up to.
Tania Tipene from United Civil Construction was recognised with the Women in Contracting Award after working her way up over 18 years from labourer to project manager, earning respect for her appetite for hard work and drive for excellence.
The Environmental Award was won by Steve Bowling Contracting for the Hihi Road Bridge Deck Replacement project, where exceptional attention to detail was taken to mitigate impacts on an area of natural beauty as the bridge over the Hihi River was replaced.
Past CCNZ Northland Branch Chair Cameron Lornie of Bowling Infrastructure Group was also presented with a special service award for his ongoing support.
CCNZ Northland Branch thanks this year’s sponsors, Connexis, Firth, GPIL, Hirepool, Humes, Hynds, Promains, Simpson Shaw, Whangarei District Council and Yovich Advisory.
This year’s winners
Category One – sponsored by Humes: Asset Maintenance Award
Winner: Ventia for the FNDC Road Maintenance and Renewals Contract.
Category Two – sponsored by Firth: Construction Projects $0 – $500,000 Award
Winner: Steve Bowling Contracting for the McBeth Bridge project.
Category Three – sponsored by Hynds: Construction Projects $500,000 to $2,000,000 Award
Winner: Robinson Asphalts for the Bupa Retirement Village Stage G&H.
Category Four – sponsored by Hirepool: Construction Projects Over $2m Award
Winner: Fulton Hogan for the SH1 Brynderwyn Hills Resilience project.
Northland Leadership Award – sponsored by Yovich Advisory
Winner: Doug Watene from Clements Contractors.
Women in Contracting Award – sponsored by Promains
Winner: Tania Tipene from United Civil Construction.
Connexis Trainee Award
Winner: Liam Taylor from Clements Contractors.
Simpson Shaw Innovation Award
Winner: Fulton Hogan for the SH1 Brynderwyn Hills Resilience project.
Highly commended: Robinson Asphalts for the Takahiwai Multi-Court Upgrade
GPIL Environmental Award
Winner: Steve Bowling Contracting for the Hihi Road Bridge Deck Replacement project
Highly commended: Steve Bowling Contracting for the Pukehuia Omana Bridges project.
Whangarei District Council Health and Safety Award
Winner: Fulton Hogan for the SH1 Brynderwyn Hills Resilience project.
Highly commended: Clements Contractors for the Northpower Tower T29a Access project.