Exceptional infrastructure projects that enhance flood resilience and protect communities were among the standout winners at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Nelson Marlborough Contractor Awards on Friday night, including an impressive solution to futureproof Queen Charlotte Drive.

Hundreds of people from across the region packed the Rutherford Hotel in Nelson to celebrate the vital projects and people safeguarding the Nelson Tasman region, only days after it experienced what Nelson Civil Defence described as its worst flood in almost 150 years.

Taylors Contracting demonstrated its engineering expertise in the projects valued $750,001 to $2m category for its work on the Mahakipawa Hill Mechanically Stabilised Earth Wall, Culvert and Spillway, which boosted Queen Charlotte Drive’s resilience after flood damage in 2022.

The work involved securing foundations in challenging soil conditions using 24 nine-metre-deep reinforced concrete piles anchored with 23 ten-metre-deep self-drilling anchors, all while a stream was diverted and access was maintained for the public and forestry traffic.

Judges Peter Fisher, Bruce Taylor and Steffan Eden praised the project's completion on time and within budget, noting the effective use of 3D site scanning for stability monitoring and the fact it was the largest mechanically stabilised earth wall the company has ever tackled.

Continuing the recognition of projects contributing to community resilience and flood prevention, Tasman Civil won the Nelson City Council Health and Safety Award for the Washington Valley Stormwater Upgrade. The project involved managing services including sewer, water main, electrical and telecommunications alongside stormwater systems to improve resilience against extreme weather events.

Fulton Hogan Nelson was recognised with the Connexis Judges Recognition Award for two critical water infrastructure projects – the Maitai Dam Aeration System and Treatment Plant Contracts. Both have enhanced Nelson's town and river water quality, with cost-saving innovations that reduced council rates by $1 million, the judges noted.

Local company Egypt Civil Construction received the Avada Traffic NZ Innovation Award for its Bridge 256 Replacement Platform Clamp System. This innovative safety system involved building a clamp-system working platform to enable a team to climb piles and construct pile heads safely nine metres above the flood-prone Waihopai River.

The judging panel congratulated Egypt Limited and said that this was the “greatest challenge for the company to date”.

Environmental stewardship was showcased through Downer NZ Nelson's work on the Kaiteriteri Footpath and Boardwalk, which won the Tasman District Council Environmental Award. The project enabled community access while protecting the sensitive ecosystem near Abel Tasman National Park, including penguin breeding areas.

Downer NZ Nelson also received recognition for the Tāhunanui Beach Contaminated Sawdust Remediation project, which sought to remove timber waste contaminated with arsenic, chromium, copper, boron and dioxins that had been historically dumped at the beach.

The judges noted that Downer played a key role in the remediation, helping to removed more than 10,000 tonnes of contaminated material while implementing strict environmental controls to minimise environmental impact.

Tākaka business Diggs showcased how smaller companies can deliver outstanding environmental outcomes, winning the projects valued at $0 to $200,000 category for its work on stage 3 of the Reilly Wetland project, which involving earthworks to support restoration of the wetland in Golden Bay. Judges said despite working with limited design specifications, the team demonstrated skilful execution and achieved an excellent outcome, receiving “high praise from all authorities involved”.

The awards also celebrated emerging talent, with 25-year-old Jack Whittle from Isaac Construction winning the Franklin Smith Young Achiever Award.

The project engineer impressed judges with his technical competence, initiative and ability to overcome challenges, as well as his achievement of a wide range of industry qualifications at a relatively young age.

Marijke Isley from Simcox Construction was honoured with the Humes Pipeline Systems Women in Civil Construction Award.

Judges commented on her technical expertise and exceptional project management capabilities overseeing complex projects and maintenance contracts while managing teams of more than 70 staff. They described her as a “true role model for those following in her footsteps”.

The Hirepool Supreme Award and Hynds Projects valued over $2m category was won by Simcox Construction for the Inter-Island Resilient Connection (iReX) Picton Enabling Works for KiwiRail. This technically challenging project involved constructing deep dewatering systems, new marshalling yards and a 300-metre culvert through operational areas.

While the wider iReX terminal and Cook Strait ferry upgrade project was cancelled with the change of Government in 2023, the infrastructure built by Simcox Construction will serve both existing ferries and the lower-cost replacement vessels, when they arrive in the years ahead.

KiwiRail train and Interislander ferry services remained uninterrupted during the project’s lifespan. Judges commented that despite its “significant complexity”, the project finished three months early and delivered more than $1m in savings, noting a “very happy” client.

These infrastructure improvements were recognised as the region continued its long-term recovery from extreme weather events in 2022 and dealt with the devastation of multiple severe flooding events over the last three weeks.

CCNZ Nelson Marlborough Branch Chair Luke Donaldson said the expertise and innovation demonstrated by the award winners will be crucial to the Nelson Marlborough region's future resilience, with it facing months if not years of flood recovery work.

“We have had our fair share of wild weather down these ways in recent times and our members have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to repair, rebuild, and strengthen our region's infrastructure. These awards celebrate not just excellence in construction, but the vital role our industry plays in building community resilience and supporting economic recovery.”

The CCNZ Nelson Marlborough Contractor Awards 2025 was sponsored by Hirepool, Hynds, Humes, Tasman District Council, Eliot Sinclair, Pumps and Filters, and GPIL.

This year’s winners

TotalEnergies NZ Projects valued $0 to $200,000

Winner: Diggs Ltd for the Reilly Wetland Stage Three project

GPIL Projects Valued $200,001 to $750,000

Winner: Downer NZ Nelson - Tāhunanui Beach Contaminated Sawdust Remediation

Eliot Sinclair Projects Valued $750,001 to $2m

Winner: Taylors Contracting Co Ltd - Mahakipawa Hill Mechanically Stabilised Earth Wall, Culvert and Spillway

Hynds Projects Valued over $2m

Winner: Simcox Construction - iReX Picton Enabling Works for KiwiRail

Tasman District Council Environmental Award

Downer NZ Nelson - Kaiteriteri Footpath and Boardwalk

Avada Traffic NZ Innovation Award

Egypt Limited – Bridge 256 Replacement - Platform Clamp System

Nelson City Council Health and Safety Award

Tasman Civil Limited - Washington Valley Stormwater Upgrade

Connexis Judges Recognition Award

Fulton Hogan Nelson - Maitai Dam Aeration System and Treatment Plant Contracts

Franklin Smith Young Achiever Award

Jack Whittle – Isaac Construction Ltd

Humes Pipeline Systems Women in Civil Construction Award

Marijke Isley - Simcox Construction

Hirepool Supreme Award

Simcox Construction - iReX Picton Enabling Works for KiwiRail

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