The state of New Zealand’s civil construction industry, workforce and sustainability are among the many topics that will
be discussed at the Civil Contractors New Zealand’s national conference and expo in Auckland tomorrow and on Friday 1 September.
Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the conference would ‘tackle the big issues’ the
country’s civil contractors face in constructing and maintaining the country’s roading, public transport, water, energy
and other infrastructure networks.
“What we build as an industry connects communities. Our transport, water and other infrastructure networks shape the way
Kiwis live.
“However, the civil infrastructure construction industry faces increasing challenges. the skills we need are changing,
and the methods we use are changing. Conference is a key opportunity for contractors to find common ground, to tackle
the challenges and find solutions, together.”
Key conference sessions include how contractors responded when severe weather events wreaked havoc on regions at the start of 2023, the
industry’s response to water reforms, how businesses are working towards more sustainable outcomes, and the state of the
economy and industry. The conference will also feature a massive construction equipment expo.
Keynote speakers include economist Brad Olsen and former Hirepool Chief Executive, Tenby Powell, who will speak live
from his Kiwi K.A.R.E humanitarian efforts in the Ukraine.
Results from the seventh annual Construction Industry Survey - a joint research project from CCNZ and Teletrac Navman which measures the mood of the industry - will be explored on
Friday during a panel discussion on the state of the civil construction industry.
Conference will feature sessions on developing the country’s infrastructure construction workforce, including visits
from schools to connect students with prospective employers and give them hands-on experience with the equipment and
technology they could be using, were they to take up the tools of the civil trades.
Another highlight of the conference will be the awards – the Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards (established 1978),
Z People Awards and Connexis Civil Training Awards – which recognise and celebrate civil construction’s top projects and
people across the nation.
The Civil Contractors Conference runs from 31 August to 1 September. It marks the 79 years since the founding of Civil
Contractors New Zealand (previously Contractors Federation) in July 1944.
See more details and the full event programme at www.contractorsconference.nz.