Top Wellington civil construction projects named

Top Wellington civil construction projects named

The Wellington region’s top civil construction projects of the year were named on Saturday, featuring an innovative pump station and rising water main eight metres under a city street, renewals to the city’s wastewater systems and erosion protection at a Judgeford stream.

The Civil Contractors New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa Branch Construction Awards were held at Lower Hutt Events Centre. Around 200 people from the region’s civil construction companies and associates attended the event, including Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace.

Owhiro Bay company G.P. Friel won three award categories, including the Holcim $600k - $2m category award for renewing the Victoria Street and Waterloo Quay Wastewater systems, the Hynds Image Award and the John Carson Memorial Award for Health & Safety.

G.P. Friel Director Gerry Friel said the willingness of clients and consultants to have peer-to-peer conversations with his team and make use of their knowledge and expertise at all project stages through collaborative discussion had made all the difference.

“We took a moment this morning to talk with our team about the good work they’ve put in. This is the work our people do on the street every day. It’s great to see that recognised.

“The big difference this year is that we’ve been able to have input into the projects we work on. We have been able to sit down with the consultants and clients to work out what’s best for the project together.”

The GBC Winstone Award for projects over $2m was awarded to Brian Perry Civil for a creative and efficient approach to installing a rising main and pump station eight metres under Dixon Street in central Wellington.

The project involved working from the top-down with a pre-made segmented ‘jigsaw’ of concrete panels – the first time such an approach had been completed in New Zealand. Judge Michael Carson said the project was even more impressive for being accomplished in a busy central city environment. The project also exemplified good client-contractor relationships, with G.P. Friel also acknowledged for input as a sub-contractor.

The AB Equipment Award for projects under $600k was won by Action Civil for its work installing erosion protection at a tributary of the Pauatahanui Stream that runs through the BRANZ offices in Judgeford between Whitby and the Hutt Valley.

CCNZ Wellington Wairarapa Branch Chair Eddie Carson congratulated the winners, who faced down competition from regional and national civil construction companies. Notable projects featured as finalists, including Downer’s Kilbirnie West Catchment Stormwater Upgrade, Juno Civil’s Aro Street Stormwater Chamber Strengthening and E.N. Ramsbottom’s Kiwi Point Quarry Northern Face Sewer Main Realignment.

The event also featured celebrity speaker Norm Hewitt and a charity auction that raised $11,000 for Te Omanga Hospice. The auction featured signed All Blacks and Hurricanes jerseys, die-cast Sumitomo and Volvo excavators and a special model Doosan earthmoving truck which sold for more than $2,000 thanks to extensive customisation.

The Civil Contractors New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa Branch Construction Awards were sponsored by AB Equipment, E Carson & Sons, GBC Winstone, Hirepool, Holcim, Hynds, Multi Civil Contractors, PCL Asphalt & Civil Construction Specialists and Sulzberger CA.

ENDS

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