Business Central February 2021

32 | Quality Roading and Services/Fulton Hogan REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Collaboration key to project success Karen Phelps Locally Owned & Locally Operated” “ For all enquiries please contact: KevinMcKay027 2463350 Specialists in bulk cartage, servicing the Gisborne &East Coast region Steve McCafferty 0274477732 T wo competitors have worked together to successfully undertake a project to improve roads around Mahia. Six million dollars was made available through the Provincial Growth Fund to fix issues around sealing, drains, culverts and safety on 12.5-kilometres of Mahia East Coast Road and $1 million for further sealing in 2021. Local Wairoa-based company Quality Roading and Services (QRS) and Fulton Hogan joined forces to capitalise on their individ- ual strengths to push the project forward resulting in great gains in efficiency, says QRS construction manager Mike Wilson. He says that usually companies use a subcontracting model but the scale of the Mahia project and tight timescale required a new approach. Surprisingly deciding how the labour would be divided was easy, says Mike. QRS is a Coun- cil-Controlled Trading Organisation owned by Wairoa District Council. It already looks after the region’s unsealed roads with Fulton Hogan taking care of those that are sealed. So while the scale of earthworks required at Mahia kept QRS and local sub-contractor Pryde Contracting busy, Fulton Hogan concen- trated on pavement stabilising, construction and sealing the road and will return in 2021 to add another seal coat. “As well as being able to play to our strengths, working together meant we could accelerate the project start-up, saving months of time often spent on red tape and process,” says Fulton Hogan contracting divisional man- ager Rick Gardner. “Working to align strategies and principles is certainly my preference and in this case it’s worked particularly well, much of that being down to the attitudes and behaviours of all parties involved. Basically we’ve all been working together to get the job done to a high standard.” The Covid-19 lockdown and inclement weather proved challenges but Mike credits the cooperative nature of the project as a strength in overcoming any obstacles. The uniquely collaborative approach worked well for all involved. WSP New Zealand worked with the contractors and council to provide a fit-for-purpose design to improve road quality and safety that would come in on time and on budget and Aaron Bright from WSP says that having the two big contractors working hand-in-hand definitely streamlined the project. “Good communication right from the begin- ning is key to achieving that,” he says. Local connections were also an important aspect to getting the project done on time and on budget. Mike has a long relationship with the Mahia area, which gave an intimate understanding of what the project involved and was trying to achieve. “My grandmother had a bach in Mahia from the 1920s and about a decade ago my dad moved there permanently so, as a family, we spend a lot of time on Mahia Peninsula.” “The Mahia East Coast Road has always been challenging and you’d never know what was coming around those winding corners. These days you might even be confronted by a rocket on a truck! So between us we’re invest- ing a lot of energy in fixing drop-offs, widening the road and straightening corners to improve sight-lines. Working to make it safer for every- one has been really rewarding.” QRS chief executive Nigel Pollock says the collaborative model sets Wairoa up to deliver larger and more complex contracts locally. He describes the Mahia contract as a high- trust, low-ego model that sees the two compa- nies and WDC focused on shared objectives. “There are advantages in terms of efficien- cy. But the most important thing is that the decisions we make together are solely focused on what is best for the project, rather than for any individual company, and that’s a win for everybody.” Operator Tui Paikea, left, and truck driver Jade Beattie from Quality Roading and Services take a break from widening a corner on the Mahia East Coast Road improvement project. Photo: John Menneer, Quality Roading and Services