The state of New Zealand’s civil construction industry, workforce and sustainability are among the many topics that will be discussed at the Civil Contractors New Zealand’s national conference and expo in Auckland tomorrow and on Friday 1 September.

Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the conference would ‘tackle the big issues’ the country’s civil contractors face in constructing and maintaining the country’s roading, public transport, water, energy and other infrastructure networks.

“What we build as an industry connects communities. Our transport, water and other infrastructure networks shape the way Kiwis live.

“However, the civil infrastructure construction industry faces increasing challenges. the skills we need are changing, and the methods we use are changing. Conference is a key opportunity for contractors to find common ground, to tackle the challenges and find solutions, together.”

Key conference sessions include how contractors responded when severe weather events wreaked havoc on regions at the start of 2023, the industry’s response to water reforms, how businesses are working towards more sustainable outcomes, and the state of the economy and industry. The conference will also feature a massive construction equipment expo.

Keynote speakers include economist Brad Olsen and former Hirepool Chief Executive, Tenby Powell, who will speak live from his Kiwi K.A.R.E humanitarian efforts in the Ukraine. 

Results from the seventh annual Construction Industry Survey - a joint research project from CCNZ and Teletrac Navman which measures the mood of the industry - will be explored on Friday during a panel discussion on the state of the civil construction industry.

Conference will feature sessions on developing the country’s infrastructure construction workforce, including visits from schools to connect students with prospective employers and give them hands-on experience with the equipment and technology they could be using, were they to take up the tools of the civil trades.

Another highlight of the conference will be the awards – the Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards (established 1978), Z People Awards and Connexis Civil Training Awards – which recognise and celebrate civil construction’s top projects and people across the nation.

The Civil Contractors Conference runs from 31 August to 1 September. It marks the 79 years since the founding of Civil Contractors New Zealand (previously Contractors Federation) in July 1944.

See more details and the full event programme at www.contractorsconference.nz.

Pictured: CCNZ Past President Tim Ford speaks on the conference exhibition floor at the 2019 conference in Rotorua