Waikato excavator operator named region's best

27 Jun 2025

Hamilton man Zahnn Hedges was announced as Waikato’s best excavator operator at a prize-giving in Hamilton last night, earning him a place in the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition grand final in Feilding next year.

He competed in a gruelling duel of diggers at the Waikato and Bay of Plenty Regional Excavator Operator Competition during Fieldays a fortnight ago, but it wasn’t until last night that the points were tallied and the winner revealed.

The competition saw operators dig deep to complete extreme tests of precision and excavator expertise, including crowd-pleasing challenges such as dunking a basketball and opening a beer using no more than a deft touch and the smooth operation of their Hitachi machines.

The Connell Contractors earthworks supervisor and foreman said he was “rapt” to have taken top spot after finishing third in three of his past four attempts at the regional competition.

“I honed in a bit more this year and tried really hard not to rush some of the tasks I might have in the past – it’s all about being fine on the levers.”

Hedges’ victory over the 21 other Waikato operators at the event was determined after comprehensive scoring across the range of precision-operating tasks and a health and safety test.

Mason Schroder, from Fulton Hogan, took second place, while Rob Heycock from Collins and Sons rounded out the podium in third.

Hedge’s company Connell Contractors had twice the reason to celebrate, with Hedges and colleague Javahn Kennedy combining to win the team competition at the event.

Competition lead judge James Lux said the skill on display this year was “next level”, with the “young guns” nipping at the heels of the more seasoned operators and giving them a run for their money.

Lux said as well as allowing operators to showcase their skills, the regional competition at Fieldays aimed to inspire the public to learn more about the civil construction industry and consider excavator operating as a career option.

The prize-giving ceremony last night was held at Speights Ale House and brought together the operators who competed in the regional competition, alongside colleagues, supporters and sponsors from the Waikato civil-construction scene.

Hedges will join winners from 12 other regional competitions across New Zealand at Central Districts Field Days next year for the national finals, in a quest to secure the ultimate accolade as New Zealand's supreme excavator operator.

Zahnn Hedges (centre) receiving his first-place prize from CCNZ Waikato Branch Chair Adam Plimmer and Humes representative Daniel Wright.

Waikato excavator operator named region's best

CATEGORIES

RELATED

Safety Alert: Protecting vulnerable road users around work sites

Safety alert - safe trenching

Safety alert: leg entrapment in hoe rotor

Updated safety alert - TTM and level crossing interface

Safety alert: Air excavation

Safety alert: worker injured after ingesting fuel

Safety alert: TTM and level crossing interfaces

n3

Liebherr New Zealand

First Gas

Vertical Horizonz NZ Ltd

Over and Out Communications

Prime Fluid Management

Kobelco New Zealand

Trade Me Jobs

Geosynthetic Partners International Ltd

MIMICO NZ Ltd

Geofabrics New Zealand Ltd

Teletrac Navman

Hydraulink Fluid Connecters Ltd

Fluiconnecto Ryco New Zealand Ltd

TR Group

Greenlight Insurance Brokers

Connexis

ERoad Ltd

Nulca NZ

Advice Financial

AEL

Terra Infrastructure Pty Ltd

ENZED

Mico New Zealand Ltd

Firth Certified Concrete

beforeUdig

The Drug Detection Agency

Enviro NZ Services Ltd

Bridon Cookes

Plan A

MBP (NZ) Ltd

AECOM New Zealand Limited

Franklin Smith Group

Brandt Tractor Limited

MATES In Construction

Global Survey - Auckland

SITECH NZ

AON New Zealand

Solo

Hynds Pipe Systems

Infrastructure Sustainability Council

Turners Group Ltd: Head Office/Auckland

CivilShare

AB Equipment Ltd

Infrastructure New Zealand

SG Fleet

Youngman Richardson

Iplex Pipelines NZ

Northpine Ltd

Commercial Vehicle Holdings

Porter Group Limited

Coninnova Limited

Komatsu New Zealand Ltd

SAMI Bitumen Technologies Pty Ltd

Central Group

Terra Cat

TotalEnergies NZ Ltd

Aggregates & Quarry Association

AWF

Impac Services Limited

RB Recruitment

UDC Finance

OneStaff Limited

Wirtgen NZ Ltd

GHD Limited

Humes Pipeline Systems

Norwood

Doug the Digger

Aptella

Marley NZ Ltd