104 | At home in Island Bay The development is called Casa Mia, with Island Bay’s Italian heritage in mind. David Hale Building T T Virginia Wright Duncan Construction Enjoying life in Taupo T T Sue Russell BUILDING Having completed his apprenticeship in his early 20s in Wellington, David Hale has been building houses for over 30 years. His involvement in a series of developments for a company called Stratum led to his first job as David Hale Building Ltd, building the owner’s high-end architectural house in Roseneath, which took him into the architectural space. By the early 2000s, with a team that got close to 100 with a mix of staff and contractors, David Hale Building had completed around 500 apartment fit-outs, while also doing multiple (over 300) townhouse developments. The financial crash brought a change of direction. David Hale Building downsized to around 25 permanent staff and went on to do renovations and architectural builds for the next 10 years or so, before going back to townhouses, this time for Gibbons Development. Several projects and another 60 townhouses later, they scaled back again to a team of 15 and started a development of their own in Island Bay, before going back up to 25 when other work came pouring back in. When George Duncan moved from Rangitikei to Taupo just over a year ago he had one job lined up; however, his experience of the past 12 months working in and around the town has been one of positivity. “I really wasn’t sure what to expect, having worked as a sole trader before moving here, but I haven’t had a quiet day since. Business has grown by word-of-mouth which is very gratifying,” George says. And keeping the scope of work wide has also been a contributing factor of the journey to date for Duncan Construction. As George says simply: “We do everything.” This ranges from decks and fencing to new builds, with the ‘We’ being George and two other qualified, highly skilled builders. “We’re involved in a very high-end architecturally designed renovation and have been on this project since the start of the year, so it’s a massive upgrade and change.” As the town is surrounded by an array of different rural activities, George says, they are now pushing into that space, building pole sheds and covered yards. Taupo is a region that has been reasonably buoyant, compared to other areas and George feels that as 2025 ticks through to the New Year, things will continue to improve for builders in the area. He has also set himself a goal of having four people on board by the beginning of 2026, a goal he feels reasonably optimistic about achieving. “That will be really good in terms of the number of projects we can have on the go at any one time. I’d like to bring in an apprentice as well, in time. It’s a way of giving back to the trade that’s been very good to me.” One area George believes could be improved in terms of the training of carpenters is on what it takes to run a successful business. “There’s so much more than swinging a hammer to being successful as a business operator,” he says. “For one thing, prioritising your time to ensure some part of the week is devoted on the business rather than in it, is important. That’s where future work and business development comes from.” And one future development seems poised to happen soon, as George has been building a relationship with a large sheep and beef station.“It may lead to work maintaining farm houses and other work on the farm.” George says he enjoys the variety in the projects he has undertaken. He has also had experiences helping others. “It’s been a great first half of the year. I helped a friend of mine upgrade a DOC hut. We flew in and installed a new fire and new roof, so that was something a bit different.” “We’re working with Stratum again, about to start a huge project for them in Avalon where the old TV studios used to be. Stage 1 is about 50 townhouses,” says David. David Hale Building’s second development, also in Island Bay, came when David joined forces with a friend and co-investor. “There were two houses on The Parade that were beyond repair, so they came down and we are building 12 modern, warm, low-maintenance homes. They are right beside the bus stop, with the medical centre, the pub, chemist and supermarket all within about 100 metres,” David explains. David’s wife Maria is Italian, and they built their family home in Island Bay next door to her parents. They have first-hand knowledge of this part of the community: people thinking about down-sizing from their big, older houses, to live somewhere handy to everything, perhaps ready to retire, or already semi-retired, but they don’t want to leave Island Bay. The development is called Casa Mia, with Island Bay’s Italian heritage in mind, and as they build it they are very aware that they too are part of the community, David explains. JOHNNY: 0220781752 JAMES: 0274499881 E:Manager@manacivilcontracting.com PROUD TO SUPPORT Duncan Construction 66 Rakaunui Road, Taupo Phone: 07 386 8347 | apexwindows.co.nz Residential and Rural Builders 027 388 1412 ghhduncan@hotmail.co.nz www.duncanconstruction.nz
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