Wellington contractors honoured for airport & wharf work

Civil Contractors New Zealand's Wellington Wairarapa branch has named the winners of its regional construction awards, recognising projects and individuals across civil infrastructure in the capital and surrounding region.

Downer won the top project award for works valued above $5 million for installing an engineered materials arresting system at Wellington Airport. The project included 3,000 crushable concrete blocks designed to stop aircraft safely if they overrun the runway.

Carried out during nightly runway closures, the work also included taxiway modifications and upgrades to lighting, drainage, and navigational aids. Judges said it stood out for the way it was delivered within the constraints of a live international airport.

"The biggest challenge was delivering the work within a live international airport. Construction was restricted to five-hour nightly runway closures, with every work area required to be completed ... and handed back before flights resumed," the judges said.

In the mid-value category, G P Friel won for the Riverlink Power Diversion Civils project near the Hutt River in Lower Hutt. The work was designed to improve the flood resilience of electrical infrastructure and involved installing 1.3 kilometres of ducting for power and communications cabling.

Part of the route ran for 180 metres under Ewen Bridge. Judges highlighted the traffic planning and stakeholder management needed to complete the project.

"A complex traffic management plan and extensive stakeholder engagement" were required, the judges said. "G P Friel Ltd delivered a high-quality product, achieving very positive feedback from key stakeholders."

McCormack Group won the award for projects valued at less than $1 million for the Kauri Street Bus Improvements project in Miramar. The scheme involved building a new intersection to improve pedestrian safety and connect with a new electric bus depot on Kauri Street.

The project also required excavation near a high-voltage power cable and the jet fuel pipeline serving Wellington Airport, while work continued around an active depot. Judges cited the complexity of the operating environment in recognising the entry.

Safety focus

Brian Perry Civil received the Multi Civil Contractors John Carson Memorial Award for Health and Safety Excellence for the Seaview Wharf Energy Resilience Project. The wharf upgrade was designed to meet modern seismic standards and allow larger vessels to use the facility.

The site remained operational during construction so refined fuel could continue to be offloaded. Organisers said a bespoke planning and safety tool was used to support risk management in a high-risk environment.

Pritchard Civil won the Hynds Pipe Systems Contractor Image Award. BNZ was named Associate Member of the Year for its support of civil contractors in Wellington and Wairarapa.

Individual awards

The ceremony also recognised individual contributions to the sector. Marianne Archer of Goodman Contractors received the Outstanding Contribution Award, while her colleague Mike Jones won the Jim Juno Memorial Emerging Leader Award.

David Philipson, Branch Chair of Civil Contractors New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa, said the projects recognised on the night reflected the breadth of work under way in the region. He said the entries ranged in value from about $300,000 to just over $72 million.

"From complex transport works coordinated around critical underground services to impressive airport infrastructure upgrades, tonight's winning projects are a testament to the planning, innovation and collaboration skills of civil contractors," Philipson said.

The awards highlight the role contractors play in maintaining and upgrading core infrastructure across the lower North Island, from airport operations and flood resilience to bus access and fuel supply. Several of the winning projects were delivered in live operating environments, where closures, safety controls, and stakeholder management shaped construction timetables.

That was especially evident in the airport and wharf projects, both of which involved critical transport and energy links. The Seaview Wharf project in particular protected access for refined fuel deliveries while construction continued, underlining the economic importance of keeping the facility open.

The Wellington Airport safety system also reflected the region's dependence on constrained infrastructure that cannot easily be taken offline for long periods. Judges' comments suggested delivery methods and planning discipline were as central to the awards as the engineering itself.

Regional construction awards often reflect where investment and technical effort are concentrated, and this year's winners pointed to resilience, transport integration, and operational safety as common themes. Lower Hutt flood protection, Miramar bus access, and airport runway safeguards each addressed pressure points in public infrastructure.

Philipson said the recognised work would have a lasting effect on the region. "These awards highlight the ingenuity, dedication and teamwork of contractors that underpin the successful functioning of our capital - these projects will be enjoyed for decades to come," he said.