March Construction wins top Canterbury awards honour

March Construction has won the top Contractor of the Year honour at the Civil Contractors New Zealand Canterbury Westland awards for its work on the Canterbury Museum Redevelopment. The project also won the category for projects valued at more than $10 million.

The annual awards recognised civil construction projects and individual achievements across Canterbury and the West Coast, with more than 500 people attending the Christchurch event.

March Construction's museum project focused on major basement and foundation works beside the Avon River. It involved excavation to depths of 7.5 metres across 4,200 square metres, dewatering near the river, the first use of diaphragm walls in the South Island, and underpinning the Robert McDougall Art Gallery building.

Judges said the redevelopment demonstrated strong technical delivery, and highlighted the team's methods and staff expertise. They noted much of the work would disappear from view once the museum building is complete.

Project winners

Moore Construction won the award for projects valued between $5 million and $10 million for the Gates of Haast Resilience Improvements. The project also won the Health & Safety Award.

The Gates of Haast project was Moore Construction's first as a main contractor. Crews from Christchurch completed the main construction phases within seven months beside the Haast River. Judges cited the company's planning for risks including landslides, earthquakes, heavy rain, flooding, and the possibility of workers being cut off on site.

Hunter Civil collected two project awards for early works at the Kaiapoi River Bridge on the SH1 Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass. It won the Innovation Award and the category for projects valued between $1 million and $5 million for businesses with turnover above $10 million.

Judges highlighted the use of live traffic vibration measurement and modelling during the bridge works, describing it as a New Zealand first. The monitoring approach has since been adopted by NZTA for future bridge projects.

Hunter Civil also won the category for projects valued up to $1 million for businesses with turnover above $10 million for the Cleveland Terrace Stormwater Intake. Judges said the gravity overpass pipeline was well designed and well received by the local community.

EDR Contracting won the award for projects valued up to $1 million for businesses with turnover under $10 million for decommissioning and filling in the Kippenberger Avenue stock underpass. Judges highlighted its approach to removing the underpass without digging up the road.

Utilities Infrastructure NZ won the category for projects valued between $1 million and $5 million for businesses with turnover under $10 million. The award recognised work to renew water well infrastructure on Christchurch City Council's Cashmere water supply network without interrupting supply.

Maugers Contracting received the Environmental Award for the Earlsbrook Subdivision, a 440-lot development involving the remediation of 66,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil and a previously unknown historic rubbish dump containing asbestos.

Dormer Construction won the Underground Services Award for the Upper Riccarton Interceptor wastewater upgrade. Roydon Quarry, part of Fulton Hogan, was named Supplier of the Year.

Company and people awards

BG Contracting won the Most Progressive Company Award for the Bellgrove EP10 Rising Main wastewater project and broader company initiatives. It also took the Training Award.

Isaac Construction received the Community Image Award for work judges said showed effective engagement with affected communities, including the use of "Super Weekends" involving multi-day road and intersection closures to reduce disruption.

Several individual awards were also presented. Taylor McInroe of Isaac Construction won the Personal Improvement Award, while Sam Gillespie of HEB Construction was named Emerging Leader.

Jeremy Couling of Isaac Construction received the new Civil Trades Excellence Award, which recognises certified civil tradespeople. Stephen McHaffie of Thompson Engineering was formally recognised as the regional excavator operator champion after competing against 27 other operators.

The Outstanding Service Award went to James Craw of JCL Asphalt. Organisers said Craw left school at 15 for an apprenticeship, later joined Fulton Hogan, founded his own business in 2004, and went on to serve on the regional committee while helping run both the excavator competition and the awards programme.

Kim Masina, Branch Chair, CCNZ Canterbury Westland, praised the winners and finalists and pointed to the breadth of work recognised across the region. "What a brilliant evening to recognise all these talented hard-working people, celebrate the businesses behind them, and acknowledge the contributions our industry makes to the region and the communities we serve," Masina said.

Masina also used the occasion to stress the need for wider inclusion across the sector. "We must be an industry that recognises, respects and embraces diversity in all its forms, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, identity or background. All should have an equal opportunity to participate, lead and thrive - from the people on the tools and behind the wheel, to our apprentices, engineers, project managers, and business leaders, every role matters.

"CCNZ has an important role to play. We're not just here to organise events or celebrate our members' achievements. We're here to give our industry a voice, advocate for better outcomes, share knowledge, support our workforce, and help raise the standard of what we do - the stronger our connections are, the better positioned we are to influence the future of our industry."