30 | Preventing coastal erosion HEX-LOC® blocks are easy to install, environmentally friendly, and adaptable to various site conditions. T T from page 28 EcoReef - HEX-LOC®NZ REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Lattey Group’s plan is simple: take the product to the next level and fully realise Fred’s overall vision of providing a Kiwi-made, cost-effective solution to protect New Zealand’s coastlines and internal infrastructure, whilst driving job growth across regional areas of the country. HEX-LOC® blocks are easy to install, environmentally friendly, and adaptable to various site conditions. They require minimal foundations, and are generally filled using locally sourced materials such as sand or gravel, which goes on to support plant growth. In 2025, HEX LOC® was used to remedy an ongoing erosion issue on the Ākitio River, which began four years earlier when the river and adjoining road suffered a significant slip on a tight bend during a storm event in 2021. Working closely with the local council, Fred, HEX-LOC® and Lattey Group achieved the innovative solution to the river’s severe erosion challenges, using over 1100 HEX-LOC® units to reinstate the critical roading infrastructure. Lattey Group’s confidence in the product was further reinforced when its use of HEXLOC® at Ākitio River won this year’s Concrete NZ Concrete Construction Award for Excellence in Concrete Innovation while still under the brand. The successful collaboration between “a local inventor, contractor, and council” using EcoReef®/ HEX-LOC® blocks was recognised in the Judges’ Citation for its “restoration of what is a rural lifeline while enhancing ecological outcomes and respecting iwi values”. They went on to underline that this “homegrown solution exemplifies the creative potential of concrete when paired with practical insight and community collaboration. A transformative project with national relevance and future-facing impact”. Lattey Group is bringing HEX-LOC® to the market through a licensee network that will manufacture the blocks across the country, further adding to the product’s sustainability. “We want them to be manufactured locally, so they’re not having to be transported, but also part of Fred’s vision was around driving employment in the regions,” says Rachael. Fred himself, with the original manufacturing company DECO, holds the licence for the Wellington region, and Metco Engineering continues to make the moulds for all the licensees that join the network. The result of an innovative solution to a specific problem HEX-LOC® has proven its capacity for reducing and mitigating environmental impact at the same time as it reduces build time and delivers solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional infrastructure projects. Safe, Strong, Proven New Zealand’s longest-standing and trusted precast partner www.reids.co.nz | 0800 88 22 12 | sales@ramsetreid.co.nz 6ZLIW/LIW (QJLQHHUHG FRQÀGHQFH LQ HYHU\ OLIW Fully engineered system - detailed lifting & rigging designs with on-site support. Confidence assured - preventing delays and failures. Proven performance - available up to 32t WLL.
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