Outstanding Wellington contractors recognised at 2024 awards

Connecting New Zealand

Outstanding Wellington contractors recognised at 2024 awards

05 Aug 2024

Outstanding civil construction projects large and small were recognised at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa Branch Awards, which were held at Wellington's Harbourside Events Centre on 3 August.

Water projects won two of the three project categories, with the third going to a slope stabilisation above Point Howard conducted by Halverson Civil. The Howard Road Slip Remediation project took the Komatsu Award for projects under $600,000. This project stabilised a bank that had slipped, undermining Howard Road.

Despite restricted access, the contractor installed reinforced concrete piles at a depth up to 10 metres, with the piles needing to be reversed up a small road. Rather than trying to retrieve soil, stabilizing the bank was the priority. Good interaction between staff and the local community ensured the project was a success.

Managing Director Ryan Halverson congratulated his team on the project.

"Thanks to the entire Halverson Civil Team. We wouldn't be here on stage, two years in a row, without their commitment. And thanks to our client. They invested heavily in us and they rolled with us from the start. I think that's what produces good projects in what is a pretty tough time at the moment".

RB Civil was awarded a merit award in this category for the Orange Hut Ford Crossing Upgrade, a project deep in the Akatarawa Ranges that saw a 15m river crossing deck installed for better access to the tramping and mountain biking tracks of the Akatarawa Forest, receiving accolades from the judges that the site was 'like driving into an oasis'.

Multi Civil took home the Asmuss Award for projects between $600k and $3m with the Hinau Street Wastewater Upgrade, which saw the team take on a technical job, also winning the John Carson Memorial Award for Health and Safety for exceptional safety practices.

Managing Director Cody Pepere thanked his team.

"We gave it a go, and were really happy with the outcome... The biggest thanks goes to our team. Our management team that were involved on the job. My old man, Kieran, Jim, we all had a part to play on the job. Our health and safety team, Jess in the background. Manny, our QS.

"But, the guys on the ground, they are the real winners tonight. You know without them, we could never do anything. So, to them. They are the ones that are the real winners... They are the ones out there in the mud and dirt every single day. It's nothing but a privilege to have those people working for our business, and we are very fortunate for that."

The award for projects over $3m went to McConnell Dowell for the Barber Grove to Seaview Wastewater Treatment Plant Pipeline Duplication Project. Tunneling with a micro tunnel boring machine took up more than 50 per cent of this complex project, which resulted in greatly reduced disruption to the community. The result was a new pipeline connected to the existing network, with no wastewater overflows.

McConnell Dowell Project Manager Richard Galloway thanked his team, the project subcontractors, and congratulated Wellington's civil construction industry as a whole.

"When you look at the complexity of all the projects Wellington contractors have been doing, how can we not be proud as an industry!"

Brian Perry Civil's Te Matapihi Wellington Library Strengthening Works also received accolades in this category, receiving a merit award for time-critical works to stengthen and re-pile a site located inside the Wellington Library.

People also featured heavily at the awards, with the region's first Emerging Leader Award presented to Jethro Staite of Brian Perry Civil, while Stacy Mansfield of Goodman Contractors won the Outstanding Contribution Award. Goodman Contractors also won this year's Hynds Contractor Image Award, while the Wellington Wairarapa Branch Major Associate Award went to Hynds.

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