| 49 CONTRACTING City Contractors T: 09 299 3640 agru.co.nz 12 Croskery Road, Papakura, Auckland 2110 AGRULINE PE 100-RC PIPING SYSTEM Agru New Zealand Ltd and City Contractors Ltd have enjoyed a strong and successful partnership for more than 15 years, built on mutual trust and shared commitment to excellence in polyethylene (PE) piping systems. Agru New Zealand Ltd provides swift, dependable services including supply of materials, customised fabrication solutions, and dedicated technical support. With a wide array of Electrofusion and Spigot fittings—such as couplers, tees, elbows, sweeping bends, flanges, and saddles— Agru New Zealand Ltd helps to ensure that City Contractors Ltd is equipped with the essential components needed for efficient PE pipeline installations and repairs. Agru New Zealand Ltd is proud to support City Contractors Ltd’s excellent work, helping deliver critical infrastructure projects across Auckland and throughout New Zealand. The Plastics Experts T T Russell Fredric Kudos for busy civil contractor City Contractors has built its business around watermain and firemain construction, supported by traffic management, hydro excavation, testing and roading. City Contractors received a Highly Commended recognition in the national 2026 Connexis Civil Industry Training & Development Awards held in Wellington on August 14. The Auckland civil contractor earned the honour in the award category for mid-sized companies with an annual turnover between $10 million and $100 million. City Contractors employs 65 people and has built its business around watermain and firemain construction, supported by traffic management, hydro excavation, testing and roading. Its watermain work includes whole-street renewals for Watercare, replacing ageing pipes, installing new valves, hydrants and connections, then testing and reconnecting properties. Firemain projects extend from building boundaries into developments, incorporating backflows, valves and associated infrastructure. “That’s our bread-and-butter work as we do that every day all day,” owner Mark Bason says. The business was more diversified when Mark acquired it, with drainage and roading making up much of its work. However, during the Global Financial Crisis, water infrastructure offered publicly funded work, prompting City Contractors to build its specialist capability in the sector. At one stage about 60 percent of its work was roading; today that is closer to 20 percent, while watermain and firemain work has expanded. The company has developed relationships with developers where housing redevelopment requires existing water infrastructure to be upgraded, diverted or extended. Ageing infrastructure has provided further work, particularly in older Auckland where many pipes are reaching the end of their service life. City Contractors now has five to six watermain renewal teams working each day, supported by three traffic management teams and three hydro excavators. “We’d like to think we’re the best in the business and the most efficient at watermain renewals.” Mark says.. “It’s all about people for us; it’s training, upskilling, making sure guys understand the requirements and having high quality in everything they do that’s really important to us.” “It’s all about people for us; it’s training, upskilling, making sure guys understand the requirements and having high quality in everything they do that’s really important to us.” Training is closely linked to the company’s approach to quality. Field staff are expected to hold qualifications and licences, including water reticulation training and welding certification, while much of the learning happens on the job through experienced workers, apprentices and supervisors. City Contractors currently have 16 Level 4 qualified fitters, 11 Level 3 qualified junior fitters, two senior trade certified fitters and 29 NZQA qualified welders. Five project managers oversee sites, and City Contractors has increased its internal quality procedures to ensure compliance with all contract ITPs (Inspection and Test Plans), a mandatory quality management document. The company’s investment in people is reflected in the awards finalist position. During the past 12 years, 52 employees have completed Connexis courses, with most remaining with the company. Thirty percent of the workforce has been with City Contractors for more than 10 years, while half of that group has more than 15 years’ service. Much of the company’s recruitment comes through word-of-mouth recommendations from existing employees, who bring siblings, relatives and friends into the business. One family currently has seven members working for City Contractors, while other families have several members working together. “We’re more about providing opportunities for people around us.” The company works with organisations including the Ōtara Community Builders Trust, Whatukura and the Ministry of Social Development to bring young people into apprenticeships and employment. Its workforce is 20 percent Māori, 60 percent Polynesian and 20 percent other, and is registered with Amotai. A recent Watercare project involving proactive renewals on Ellerslie-Panmure Highway, Mount Wellington Highway and Great South Road required crews to install mains while managing some of Auckland’s busiest traffic. The combined work was worth about $7 million. Much of that infrastructure is invisible once completed, but City Contractors is continuing to build its roading capability so it can support water and firemain projects with associated civil work. “We have good growth ahead for us. That’s the way we’re heading.”
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