This year’s Civil Contractors NZ Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards recognised two Hawke’s Bay companies for the work they have been doing in Hastings, including for Hastings District Council.
Fulton Hogan received the Excellence in Maintenance and Management of Assets award for its rural road maintenance work for Hastings District Council in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Following the cyclone, Fulton Hogan mobilised every team member, piece of plant and equipment alongside the NZ Army to make the roading network safe.
More than 120 roads were closed and secured and more than 90 separate crews, numbering 400 to 500 people, including subcontractors, responded.
Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay president, Jim Galloway said it was great to see local and
national contractors working together with community to get the roads open as quickly as possible to reconnect families and rural communities.
“With so many damaged roads it was reassuring to see the coordinated hard mahi happening every day,” he said.
Fulton Hogan regional manager ,Andrew Harvey said he was delighted with the results.
“This award is recognition of the hard work being done by everyone involved in the response and recovery of the regions.”
Construction company, Topline Contracting won the Connexis Civil Training award for companies with turnover up to $10m.
The award judges noted Topline’s genuine philosophy of social responsibility for people and the industry, and that it was leading the way in cultural and community inclusion.
Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the award recipients were the cream of the industry’s crop and he was pleased their exceptional efforts and dedication were being recognised in such a prestigious way.
“The individuals and companies recognised in these awards have set benchmarks for the rest of the industry to aspire to. Congratulations to them all for raising the bar with their outstanding achievements.”
Hastings Mayor, Sandra Hazlehurst, congratulated both companies for the support shown to the community.
“The Fulton Hogan team really went above and beyond following Cyclone Gabrielle – so many roads were damaged and their restoration was vital for those communities who were isolated. Their tireless efforts made a real difference.
“And earlier this year I attended Topline Construction’s training academy graduation where we celebrated the success of this year’s cadets.
“Through this programme we have young people gaining new skills and knowledge that are helping them get ready for work and to support themselves and their whānau – it’s great to see this being recognised by the wider industry,” the Mayor said.
