HEB Construction

This week's NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Roadworker of the Week is our very own Tomasi Warren, Project Manager in Marlborough. Tomasi specialises in land development and civil infrastructure and has been in the industry for 10 years, with three years at HEB Construction. Tomasi relishes problem solving on the job, and while it's stressful at times, this is outweighed by the job satisfaction he gets from completing complex projects. He's assisted with helicoptering-in materials to tricky sites, and commandeered diggers to transfer gear in steep spots. Tomasi credits his awesome team, a culture of collectively taking pride in their work and a strong support network around him for his achievements. When he's on site, Tomasi says his most important focus is safety and ensuring they have the correct controls in place, and doing what they can to make sure everyone goes home at the end of the day. He also admits to getting a huge amount of satisfaction seeing their finished projects in action. It's a feel-good moment when they get to say they were part of the team that help construct something like a well-used section of road. Recently, Tomasi was on site at the Picton Elevation in Marlborough. He and the team were working hard on this busy route of State Highway 1 between Picton and Blenheim laying drainage, resolving water issues and fixing slips that had damaged the road. Thanks to Tomasi and the wider HEB Construction team for their efforts across the Marlborough region. When you see roadworkers out on the road, travel safely through their worksites, follow signage and any instructions you receive, and give them a wave to say thanks for their tremendous work.

We are very excited to share that Stephanie Kirk is a finalist in the Excellence in Site Operational Management (Site or Field) Award category of the 2024 NAWIC Excellence Awards. A qualified Environmental Scientist, Steph is the Environmental Manager for the Takitimu North Link JV, currently building a new 6.8km four-lane expressway. She leads a site-based team of eight and is responsible for all of the project’s environmental requirements. Steph is the youngest person on the project’s Management Team and her superpower is bringing teams together to solve complex issues and translating complex design and contractual issues into practical site-based solutions. Congratulations to all the other finalists, with a record number of 242 award nominations this year, we are looking forward to the National Association of Women in Construction NZ (NAWIC) Excellence Awards night in Wellington, to celebrate the remarkable women in our industry. #womeninconstruction

Community helping community in Christchurch The Ngā Huarahi Project takes a group of disengaged students in their final year of high school and gives them a true taste of working on a construction site, providing a real hands-on learning experience. Run by our Christchurch Road Maintenance and Surfacing teams, in partnership with NZ Police, the Ngā Huarahi (Pathway) Project aims to give the students a new focus, either finishing school well or working towards employment that suits them. “This is a community lead prevention strategy enabling these students to pave their own future pathway and focus on work rather than potential anti-social activity. Along with our partners, we provide a wrap around programme to nurture these young adults and empower them for long term stable careers” says Johann van Staden Operations Manager.  The students learned the critical elements of site safety, particular working around machinery, how to demolish an existing public footpath (in need of repair), then clearing and boxing up the site for a new footpath, laying and compacting the basecourse, and finally assisting our surfacing team to lay the new asphalt. And for good measure we sent some local Police officers along to help supervise. Special thanks to all community partners for all your support, NZ Police, Te Aratai College, and Christchurch City Council. Also, Hirepool for cooking the hearty breakfast of bacon and sausage sandwiches, Leedsafe for generously providing the new PPE for the students, and Link Labour who provide ongoing pastoral care and wrap around support to get the students work ready.

Members of HEB Construction’s Kōkihi Group gathered from around the country to spend time at Waikari Marae in Mt Maunganui during the week of Matariki. The group had an immersive experience learning how to plan, prepare, cater and host future Matariki celebrations in their home centres, including laying and cooking a hāngī with Tauranga staff as guests. “Given the significance of Matariki – it meant as a HEB collective, we had an invaluable opportunity to live, breath and experience kōtahitanga (togetherness) in its purest form. This experience gave us the ability to reset, learn and create long lasting connections amongst both the Kōkihi Group, as well as our Tauranga based HEB whānau”. Harrison Hunt, HEB Construction Kōkihi Group Member.   

There is new project underway, right next to Wellington Airport, that will solve a smelly problem and treat Wellington's sewerage sludge. The Thermal Hydrolysis Plant will dehydrate sewage sludge and ultimately transform the sewerage into inoffensive almost-odourless pellets. Joint Venture partners HEB Construction and McConnell Dowell along with design team Beca are building a state of the art Sludge Minimisation Facility - Te Whare Wai Para Nuku for Wellington City Council. Check out this excellent article and video from The Post, starring our very own Peter Hodgson.

Students donned hard hats, bright orange vests and work boots for their Girls with Hi-Vis industry experience day at the O Mahurangi Penlink mega project, just north of Auckland. The girls got a close up look at what the day-to-day activities are like at the O Mahurangi Penlink project, currently one of New Zealand’s largest roading construction projects.  Staff from Fulton Hogan and HEB Construction were delighted to host an engaged group of female students from Westlake Girls High School, St Kentigern Girls’ School, and Long Bay College. The Girls with Hi-Vis collab with Connexis was a big success. As well as an introduction to daily life managing large scale earthworks, bridge construction, survey and local traffic management on an active and busy construction site, students were introduced the many different career opportunities available to them. 

Kiwi ingenuity recognised on a global stage. 🏆 Congratulations to our HEB Construction Plant and Equipment and Maintenance Operations teams, winners of the VINCI Construction America-Oceania (VCAO) Innovation Awards Equipment and Facilities category with the Swiss Army Knife Cyclic Truck. Designed in-house by our Plant and Equipment team, these purpose-built road maintenance trucks are affectionately known as a Swiss Army Knife cyclic truck because they really are a multi-purpose multi-function tool. Our Ashburton District Council Road Maintenance crew can perform an increased number of tasks from the same vehicle, increasing productivity and safety, particularly working at heights.  🏆 Grant Moffat, National Plant Manager, proudly accepted the trophy at the VCAO Conference in Montréal, on behalf of the HEB Construction teams involved, in front of 350 representatives of the Americas-Oceania division of VINCI Construction. Beating other entries from Canada, the USA, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and France. “It’s a real honour to have our innovation measured and celebrated on a global stage, this unit and many other innovations entered show the true innovative DNA of where we come from. It’s an exciting challenge to be measured against our peers”

CONGRATULATIONS to our Marlborough Roads team for winning the Collaboration Award at this years annual Safeguard New Zealand Workplace Health & Safety Awards. These prestigious national awards celebrate the very best in health and safety. Grant Bennett Contract Manager for Marlborough NOC JV summed up the win, saying “It is an honour to accept this award in recognition of the long term efforts and dedication of our Marlborough Roads team who are dedicated to improving road safety right across our wine growing region. We have been working collaboratively with all the major stakeholders in the Marlborough wine and transport industry to improve road user safety during the busy grape harvest season”.

Our O Mahurangi Penlink team have reached a significant project milestone, completing the concrete pour for the first two piles on Pier 3, each at a massive 3m diameter and 47m deep. The Wēiti River Bridge, the centerpiece of the O Mahurangi Penlink project, will become the first extradosed bridge to be built in New Zealand. Watch the first stages of construction for the massive bridge foundations of the first pier that will rise up out of Wēiti River. Building some of the largest marine piles in the country is all in a day’s work for this team. These foundations and footings are large enough that they have their own impressive story. Take a look at what our team has achieved so far.

Check out the latest construction progress from our Alliance teams working on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway! In this flyover you can see layers of black asphalt for the first time, a sign pavement work is in full swing. At Parahaki Bridge, the bridge deck between the south abutment and the first pier is almost connected, which is a huge milestone for this 300-metre long structure. Note the first flyover from May 2021 in the corner of the screen, so you can see just how much has been achieved over the past three years. Enjoy.