Wellington Wairarapa civil infrastructure champions crowned

01 Sep 2025

Outstanding civil construction projects and the people bringing them to life were recognised at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa Construction Awards on Saturday night.

More than 250 people flocked to Te Papa’s Amokura Gallery in the capital for a black-tie gala dinner and awards evening celebrating the dedication and hard work displayed by the local industry over the past 12 months.

Underground infrastructure company G.P. Friel Ltd won the award for projects valued over $10 million with its Taranaki Street Rising Main Upgrade project, a crucial wastewater infrastructure development that supports Wellington's growth by allowing waste to be moved more effectively.

Judges Mike Smith, Noel Sulzberger, Craig Brown and Vic Draper noted that the project was completed ahead of schedule and with minimal disruption beneath one of Wellington’s busiest streets. An innovative guided auger bore system – the latest in trenchless technology – was used to install a water main that can pump wastewater upwards into the main interceptor channel to continue to the Moa Point treatment plant.

One of the big winners on the night was Brian Perry Civil, which won three award categories.

This included the award for projects valued between $2.8 million and $10 million, in recognition of the business’ work on the Matiu/Somes Island wharf replacement. The judges said Brian Perry Civil deployed its engineering expertise to replace the historic 116-year-old wharf without compromising the island's little blue penguin colony or sensitive natural environment. Completed on time and on budget, the project restored public access to the island in time for summer 2024.

Brian Perry Civil also took out the award for projects valued between $600,000 and $2.8 million with its work re-piling the James Smith car parking building as part of a seismic strengthening programme. The judges noted that achieving the necessary pile depth of 18 metres with only 2.1 metres of headroom to work in was a particularly challenging aspect of the project.

Brian Perry Civil’s third award the night was the Multi Civil Contractors John Carson Memorial Health & Safety Award, presented for its work on the Kaitoke Flume Pipe Bridge replacement project.

The award recognised the company’s safety protocols during a period in which its abseilers cleared 1,300 square metres of rock and vegetation to prepare for the installation of rock anchors. Completion of the earthquake-resilient replacement flume pipe bridge, which crossed the Hutt River, has helped to safeguard Wellington’s water supply – half of which is carried by this pipeline.

SBA Civil secured the award for projects valued under $600,000 for its Paekākāriki Hill Road slip repair, work made urgent due to safety concerns around road instability. The judges noted it was delivered ahead of schedule in just 13 days despite multiple rain events, while maintaining single-lane traffic access.

Sierra Delta Civil Limited took out the Hynds Pipe Systems Contractor Image Award, after impressing the judges with its exceptional commitment to professionalism and company image. The PCL Contracting CCNZ Associate Member of the Year Award was won by Hynds Pipe Systems, for its longstanding support of the region’s contracting industry and CCNZ Wellington Wairarapa branch events.

The shining stars of the region’s civil construction sector were also celebrated.

Bryce O'Sullivan of Bryce O'Sullivan Contracting won the McConnell Dowell Jim Juno Memorial Emerging Leader Award – a new award named in tribute to long-time CCNZ member Jim Juno, who passed away on 19 July. The judges summed O’Sullivan up as a “powerful example of what emerging leadership looks like in civil construction”. At just 33-years-old, he owns a successful company and has demonstrated a strong ability to motivate teams by working alongside them, as well as a passion for community and creating pathways for women, Māori and Pasifika.

Multi Civil Contractors' Jim Ginty received the Outstanding Contribution Award, recognising more than four decades of dedication to the civil construction sector over a remarkable career. The judges said his influence had left a lasting impact on “people, projects and the industry as a whole”.

CCNZ Wellington Wairarapa Branch Chair David Philipson said this year featured a record number of entries and showcased the capability of the region’s people to succeed in tackling projects up to $46 million in value.

“These awards recognise infrastructure that improves people's lives: from securing the capital’s drinking-water supply and managing wastewater resilience to preserving access to treasured conservation areas.

“The projects demonstrate how our industry plays a vital role in supporting communities.”

The CCNZ New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa Construction Awards was sponsored by CCNZ’s principal business partner Hirepool, along with Hynds Pipe Systems, Connexis, Multi Civil Contractors, McConnell Dowell, PCL Contracting, Grant Thornton NZ, HJ Asmuss & Co, Winstone Aggregates, McCormack Group, Tudor Distributors, Sulzberger CA, Komatsu and Approach Signs.