The Northland Branch of Civil Contractors New Zealand held its annual Construction Awards
at Semenoff Stadium on 25 June, with a record attendance of 250 people at the event.
The awards celebrated the last two years of projects due to the interruption caused by COVID-19 leading to the cancellation of the 2020 awards. All entries in the awards were based around projects and people in
the Northland region and was a great showcase of what can been achieved locally.
Overall, there were 10 award categories covering awards for projects of different value bands (based
on construction value), Women in Contracting Award, Trainee of the Year Award and Scholarship,
Environmental, Leadership, Health & Safety and Innovation. Our independent judges took time out
of their own schedules to evaluate the entries and ultimately select the winner for each category,
which in many cases was closely contested.
There were two additional awards given to deserving recipients to acknowledge their contribution to
the civil contracting industry and the Northland Branch of CCNZ. Gordon Fox, of Gordon Fox
Earthmoving, was awarded a Service to Industry award, and Murray Clements, of Clements
Contractors was awarded a life membership to the branch.
Fantastic sponsorship from the industry - including Hirepool, Hynds, Firth, Humes, Total Oil, TCD Civil,
Whangarei District Council, Waka Kotahi, Ten4, Connexis and the Northland Transportation Alliance -
contributed to the success of the evening. Toast from the More FM Breakfast show was the MC for
the evening and ensured the event ran smoothly and had the right balance of humour and
seriousness to suit the occasion.
The keynote speakers on the evening were Mates In Construction, who shone a bright light on the
concerning statistics around mental health and suicide rates in the construction industry. The
speakers Erin Witana and Slade McFarland – who many of you may know from his background in
professional rugby - had a powerful message to convey, along with a clear directive for people in
construction (particularly males) to reach out to people and speak about their problems.
The evening finished with entertainment from local band Kurfew, along with an opportunity for
networking and an informal catch up with people involved in the industry.
CCNZ Northland branch chairman Cameron Lornie said it was great to see a good mix of contractors, clients, engineering consultants, suppliers celebrating their success over recent times, especially under the uncertainty that has existed since 2020. He said it was also good to see the diverse mix of the people that contribute to the industry and to see the men and women of the next generation of the industry in attendance.
"As an industry, civil contractors work long hours and often in undesirable conditions and it was an
important celebration of what we achieve and contribute towards local roads, infrastructure and
facilities. The Civil Contractors NZ Northland Branch looks forward to next year's event so we can
again recognise the successes in our local industry."
Winners: Northland Construction Awards
Category one: Construction projects $0 - $100,000
Award winner: Fulton Hogans for Spickman's Grave project
Category two: Construction projects $100,000 - $500,000
Award winner: Robinsons for Baylys Beach Boardwalk project
Category three: Construction projects $500,000 - $1,000,000
Award winner: Earthworx for SR40 Stage 1 Earthworks project
Category four: Construction projects over $1,000,000
Award winner: United Civil for Ngawha Geothermal Expansion Project Civil Enabling Works project
Category five: Northland Leadership Award
Award winner: Jason Waters, Fulton Hogan
Category six: Health & Safety Award
Award winner: Higgins for SH1 Dome Valley Safety Improvements
Category seven: Environmental Award
Award winner: Earthworks for Waihara Wetlands project
Category eight: Women in Contracting
Award winner: Freya Urlich, Fulton Hogan
Category nine: Warren Drake Memorial - Trainee of the Year
Award winner: Kodie Peterson from Clements Contracting
Category ten: Innovation Award
Award winner: Fulton Hogan for Spickman's Grave project
