Civil Contractors New Zealand welcomed the Government’s announcement of around $6b of work to reach the market by December but noted the importance of announcements leading to the physical construction of projects.
CCNZ Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the industry was ready and waiting for tenders to come to market, and was currently in a fragile state following a year and a half of significant downturn.
The sooner announcements translated into action, the better, Mr Pollard said.
“In this market, contractors need all the confidence they can get. Our members can't wait to get working on these projects, which will deliver better outcomes for New Zealand's communities when they are complete.
“We have been in a massive downturn for the past year and a half. Many members are still downsizing and selling off equipment to survive. We are happy the Government is trying to restore sector confidence, but we desperately need these projects to progress past the announcement stage.
“We have already lost many skilled workers, so both Government and opposition will also need to support better workforce entry and training, and make the work programme much more consistent, rather than on-again off-again, as it has been the past few electoral cycles.”
Photo: Currie Construction