Replacing the roundabout at the main entrance of Whakatāne, quickly and while maintaining two-way traffic, has won Waiotahi Contractors a coverted national award.
The local employer, with a staff of 180, has won category two of the Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards at the Civil Contractors New Zealand national conference, for its work for Whakatāne District Council on the Landing Road roundabout last year.
The award was announced on Friday night at a black-tie dinner at Invercargill’s Bill Richardson Transport Museum.
Company director and shareholder Henry Claydon attended the event, along with Whakatāne branch manager Izaak Crook, site supervisor Aaron McCormack, site foreman Hone Elliot and engineering cadet Jalen Heberley, who all played important roles in getting the complex project completed over a relatively short timeframe.
The awards had six categories, according to project cost. The $2.6 million roundabout reconstruction won category 2 – projects between $2 million and $5 million.
It was one of six finalists in the category.
Mr Crook spoke on behalf of his team, when accepting the award, thanking the staff and their families.
He said one of the biggest difficulties of the job was not being able to use stop-go traffic management on such a pivotal access point for Whakatāne.
“Going into Christmas we had around 45,000 vehicles per day coming through there, so managing that without stop-go was really significant.
“A huge thank you to the crew who helped deliver the project and their families that sacrificed so much and thank you to our client, Whakatāne District Council.”
The project involved changing the layout of the roundabout to include a new slip lane, renewing surfaces in the high-traffic area and additional safety improvements.
The firm’s people and capability manager, Holly Atarau, said there had been a number of factors that had impressed the judges.
“It was quite a technical project. It needed a lot of input from the contractor. At the tendering stage there were a few issues that were identified that we worked with the council to overcome.
“It was the main route in and out of Whakatāne and we had to maintain that two-way traffic. That was a real challenge for us, but we came up with a solution and put in mini temporary roundabouts to keep traffic flowing. When we needed to do work to tie the new road into the existing road, we did it at night.”
There was a short timeframe to complete the project, with works beginning in August and the council requiring the major works to be finished by mid-December before the summer holidaymakers arrived.
Sited at the main access point into town meant the project created a great deal of public interest.
“We were very much in the public eye, so you really had to make sure you were doing everything right.”
Ms Atarau felt the firm’s company culture, collaboration and teamwork with the council had also impressed the judges.
Teamwork: Operator and site foreman Hone Elliot, site supervisor Aaron McCormack, Whakatāne branch manager Izaak Crook and engineering cadet Jalen Heberley, who all worked on the roundabout project were in Invercargill to accept the category two construction excellence award on behalf of Waiotahi Contractors. Photo supplied
“It’s like a family environment. Everyone knows everyone and looks out for each other. One of our values is ‘bring it in’, so when your teammates need a hand or get stuck, you get in and you help them and work through problems together.
“Everyone just worked super hard on the project. They had to work nights. They had to spend time away from their families and everyone just got really stuck in to get that job done on time.”
The council’s infrastructure general manager, Bevan Gray, said it was a pleasure to work alongside Waiotahi Contractors on the project.
“Throughout the project Waiotahi showed professionalism, efficiency, and attention to detail. Their proactive approach to problem-solving and effective communication meant this project was delivered smoothly and to a high standard.”
First awarded in 1978, the CCNZ Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards represent the pinnacle achievements of New Zealand’s civil construction industry. Winners are awarded the Toki Paraihe, a carved kauri adze trophy, for their work.
