42 | T T Sue Russell Delivering on large-scale projects Waipa Civil’s main focus of work is in the 3 Waters construction - potable water, waste water and stormwater. The company has several long-term projects with Hamilton City Council including a four year contract to upgrade sewer and storm-water capacity. CONTRACTING Waipa Civil “We are big on systems of communication and ensuring projects are structured and scheduled to proceed in time and on budget. This is why we have had longstanding work from councils.” Waikato-based civil works company Waipa Civil was established by Joe Comins and Ryan George in 2013 to provide civil construction services throughout the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. Today, the company has a team of 82 staff, straddled across an array of significant and ongoing projects, along with support and management teams, enabling these works to be progressed successfully, often in quite challenging conditions. It’s outstanding growth has been recognised in the Deloitte Masters of Growth Index 2022, coming in at 10, recording 277% growth over four years. The criteria to enter is that the business has been registered for a minimum of five years, had revenue of $5 million or above in financial year 2018 and submits independently prepared financial statements for financial years 2018 and 2022. Waipa Civil’s main focus of work is in the 3 waters construction - potable water, waste water and stormwater. General Manager, Daryll Walker has been with Waipa Civil since 2019, and soon found himself grappling with the issues and challenges the COVID pandemic heralded. He says getting through those tough times called for resilience, adaptability and above all excellent communication pathways, between site crews, management and to clients who mainly include city and district councils across Waikato and subdivision property developers. “We are big on systems of communication and ensuring projects are structured and scheduled to proceed in time and on budget. This is why we have had longstanding work from councils. They know we have the framework in place to deliver,” Daryll says. While headquarters is based in Hautapu, on the outskirts of Cambridge, on some larger, long-term projects operational sites are set up, as is the case with the $10m-plus on Newcastle Water Upgrades programme for Hamilton City Council. The project consists of constructing and installing water mains pipelines around the suburb of Dinsdale, in Hamilton’s west, along with an upgrade of the water pump station on Newcastle Road. Work began in August 2021 and is expected to be completed mid this year. “This work will allow Council to better manage the water supply and detect leaks and future-proof the suburbs water supply capability.” Waipa Civil is also often called upon to undertake emergency repairs and also engages with other contractors to assist with emergency works (water main and wastewater repairs) and projects with tight timeframes. The company has several long-term projects with Hamilton City Council including a four year contract to upgrade sewer and storm-water capacity, and another 4 year contract for renewing potable water for the Hamilton City Council. Contracts are usually acquired through a tendering process, which Daryll says, requires attention to detail and accuracy, to deliver contract pricing that is both realistic and competitive. Daryll says while projects present with challenges, the company has delivered so many projects in all sorts of contexts that its experience gives it a competitive edge. One ongoing challenge though is that of attracting staff. “It’s a continual process finding staff. Civil works of the nature we undertake isn’t something that is commonly understood or necessarily thought of as a career so we put a lot of emphasis on in-house training from entry level up and to providing our team with opportunities to grow their experience and career with us.” Health & Safety is a critical area of responsibility and Waipa Civil are continually reviewing systems to ensure they create safe and healthy working environments for those in the ground. “You can imagine that projects we take on come with an inherent degree of risk so we have invested heavily in creating a worksafe environment for everyone. It’s our first priority.” Maintaining strong client relationships means that when an unforeseen delay occurs, beyond the control of the team at Waipa Civil, the communication channels are open and constant. “Our clients know we are committed to delivering a quality project but when challenges arise, impacting delivery time, this is where having strong relationships, built up over years of working together, comes to the fore.”
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