Currie Construction won the Supreme Award CCNZ Hawke’s Bay East Coast Awards. A critical wastewater project in Hastings, a new floodgate on Mahunga Stream and a female excavator operator dubbed one of New Zealand’s best were among the projects and people honoured at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Hawke’s Bay East Coast Awards.

A crowd of more than 200 dressed in their glitzy best attended the awards dinner at Toitoi Events Centre in Hastings on Friday night to see off the year with a celebration of the best of Hawke’s Bay and East Coast civil infrastructure. 

CCNZ Hawke’s Bay East Coast chair Bart Mulder said this year marked the awards’ 30th anniversary and was particularly special given the “hard yards” many local contractors had put in to restore, rebuild and move the region forward in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“There’s been a mountain of work across our region over the past couple of years and this was a chance to recognise some of the people and companies that have put their all into it.”

Gisborne company Currie Construction picked up the Supreme Award for its work on Mahunga Stream Floodgate – a project that aims to protect local communities by stopping Waipaoa River floodwaters flowing up the Mahunga Stream during heavy rain.

The judges called the project “a build of perseverance”, largely because it was carried out during a period that saw 138 days of rain, including nine days where the worksite was completely submerged.

TW Civil & Infrastructure won the award for projects valued at more than $3 million for its work building 1.6km of pipeline through Hastings suburban streets as part of the Eastern Interceptor Project. 

Other winning projects included Galbraith Earthmovers’ construction of a challenging block wall to repair an underslip on SH2 near White Pine Bush Scenic Reserve, and SCL Civil Works for reinstating access to Gwavas Forest via the Pan Pac Tin Hut forestry road.

Fulton Hogan won the Excellence in the Maintenance and Management of Assets award for its successful delivery on the ‘Hastings District Council 3 Water Maintenance Contract’. 

Outstanding individuals and training initiatives were also honoured at the awards.Among them was Tanya Claxton from Higgins, who won the Women in Contracting Award and was also announced as the winner of the CCNZ CablePrice Hawke’s Bay East Coast Excavator Operator Competition. Claxton finished among the top three in the regional qualifier last month but had to wait until Friday night to discover who took top spot and a place at the national excavator operator competition finals in Feilding next year.

Other individuals celebrated included Regan Mador-Leahy from Fulton Hogan (Outstanding Individual of the Year Award) and Corinna Marunui from Higgins (The Hunter Donghi Memorial Trainee of the Year).

Fulton Hogan received the Training Company of the Year award for its commitment to development of its team. 

“Congratulations to all the people and individuals recognised this year – all are shining examples of best practice, quality and absolute dogged determination,” Mulder said.

The 2024 CCNZ Hawke’s Bay East Coast Awards were MC’d by comedian Nick Rado. The event’s gold sponsors were Fulton Hogan, Higgins, Tupore, Hi-Viz and GPIL.