Business South November 2021

26 | Fulton Hogan - West Coast REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Team effort keeps Coast connected T Kim Newth The West Coast highway network is practically sitting on the Alpine Fault and is vulnerable to heavy rainfall and coastal erosion. S ervicing 878 kilometres of state highway from Haast Pass in the south to Mokihi- nui in the north is a hugely challenging job for the dedicated team tasked with keep- ing it in best possible condition. Their diligence and collaboration as respon- sible network stewards has been honoured at the Engineering New Zealand 2021 ENVI Awards that celebrate excellence in engineer- ing. Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) and their contracting partner Fulton Hogan won the 2021 Engineering Partnership Award for the West Coast Network Outcomes Contract (NOC). The award celebrates the outstanding team- work and commitment involved in keeping the Coast’s communities safely connected and providing a 24/7 service, often in difficult and extreme weather conditions. “Given the high calibre of the other finalists, we were rapt just to get through to the finals,” says Fulton Hogan’s West Coast NOC Contract Manager Peter Anderson, who has led the team responsible for managing the six year old contract for the past four years. “To actually win this award was fantastic – we’re all very proud of it.” The contract distance is one of the longest in New Zealand, running through challenging country that includes three alpine passes (Haast, Arthurs and Lewis) and extensive coastlines. The highway network is practically sitting on the Alpine Fault and is vulnerable to heavy rainfall and coastal erosion. Cyclones and storms frequently cause considerable dam- age, washing out bridges and bringing slips and flooding. “It is a pretty tough network that also re- quires a lot of winter maintenance; the passes are often closed by snow and ice.” Close working relationships are a real hall- mark of the West Coast NOC. Its success is as a result of collaboration between Waka Kotahi, Fulton Hogan and seven subcontractors, including WestReef, Westroads, MBD Contracting and WSP. From the outset, there has been a focus on developing local partnerships and seeking out opportunities to pool resources and know- how to keep the state highway network up and running. The team also works closely with Westland, Grey and Buller District Councils and the De- partment of Conservation. “Fulton Hogan is a big company but if there is a significant weather event we rarely need to draw on resources outside the Coast because of these strong relationships we have formed with local subcontractors. “Many of the region’s smaller sub-con- tractors do a lot of rural agricultural work but when push comes to shove they can be brought into our team to lend a hand.” Selected for their skills and local knowledge, subcontractors working on the West Coast NOC have all been inducted into Fulton Ho- gan’s rigorous health and safety and environ- mental practices and have the right training for the job. Regular contract management meetings keep everyone on the same page and ensure innovations and environmental solutions can be readily shared and adopted. “Health and safety is at the front of everything,” Peter observes. “We would never send people out into gale force winds with slips coming down. It’s about letting nature take its course and then rapidly rolling out the response when it’s safe to do so. ” NOC contracts are ranked annually on factors such as health and safety, network and environmental performance and customer relationships/communication. The West Coast NOC placed first last year in New Zealand and is first equal again this year. As well as leading the West Coast NOC, the Greymouth based Fulton Hogan team is busy with other road surfacing work for local au- thorities and private subdivisions, and various civil construction and transport projects. “It is a pretty tough network that also requires a lot of winter maintenance; the passes are often closed by snow and ice.” MBD is proud to support Fulton Hogan West Coast PH: 03 768 0218 DARREN: 021 310 453 EMAIL: ADMIN@MBDCONTRACTING.CO.NZ MBD CONTRACTING LTD - 50 ARNEY STREET, PO BOX 114, GREYMOUTH, 7840