Leadership in construction

We’re using a remote control roller in our work to repair one of the major slips in Coromandel (McBeth-Opoutere). We’ve built a retaining wall to support the road above, backfilled it, and the roller has just finished levelling.

The remote control roller is used in areas where we need to flatten ground near any steep drop-offs. This means if something did go wrong and the roller tipped off the edge, none of our people would be hurt in the process.

Icon and Kāinga Ora's commitment to supplier diversity, supports and enables targeted businesses to increase their participation in the supply chain.

In 2020 Icon was appointed by Kāinga Ora as the Main Contractor on the 139 Greys Ave project. Located in central Auckland, the development will provide 276 new homes with at least 200 being state homes. It will also offer 24/7 on-site support services, a concierge service; and around 3,000 sqm of shared space including retail and commercial space, communal areas for community building and medical spaces for health-related services.

A key requirement for the 139 Greys Ave project, was the inclusion of broader outcomes in the tender process and contract. The introduction of Broader Outcomes recognises that through procurement, Government agencies have the opportunity to achieve better cultural, economic, environmental, and social outcomes when procuring goods, services or works.

Integral to Icon's appointment as Main Contractor, was its commitment to six targeted broader outcomes initiatives. This Beacon case study focuses on one of Icon's key commitments: 'Supplier Diversity'.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

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MJH Engineering developed a unique in-house training programme to train skilled welders that met the businesses unique needs. The training programme was launched as a pilot in 2022 and is now currently complete with 100% success/pass rate.

The Construction sector has a chronic skills shortage which has been exacerbated further in current times. MJH Engineering has taken matters into their own hands by developing an inhouse training programme to recruit, train, and employ skilled welders.

The Accord is partnering, supporting, and working with the sector towards the big vision of a 'Thriving, fair and sustainable construction sector for a better Aotearoa New Zealand'. With construction contributing to the economy by representing 10.7% of the current workforce (302,800) year ending March 2022 and being responsible for around 6.7% of GDP ($18.1 bil) year ending March 2022, addressing the skilled labour shortage through initiatives like this and others in the sector will be an essential part of the solution and way forward.

Despite the changes to the Immigration settings, to date there remains a national, and international, skilled labour shortage in some specialised areas of the sector.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

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Naylor Love reduces operational costs by diverting over 90% of its construction waste away from landfill.

Over the 19 years that she has been at Naylor Love, Annie Day has seen first-hand the negative impact that construction can have on the environment. It is estimated that construction and demolition waste makes up to 50 percent of New Zealand's total waste going to landfill 1. As one of Naylor Love's environment managers, Annie was passionate about making a real difference and wanted to reduce the amount of waste the company was sending to landfill.

In collaboration with Auckland Council and others, Naylor Love carried out a waste trial at its construction site on Auckland University of Technology' (AUT) North Campus. The trial involved separation of resources on site and making changes to how Naylor Love used and disposed of its leftover building products and materials. At the end of the trial period, over 90 percent of Naylor Love's construction waste had been diverted away from landfill. This new approach allowed the company to make a saving of 40 percent on their usual landfill costs.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

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MATES in Construction is a charity that exists to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide in the construction industry.

Our New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) and Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant teams are proud to be accredited with MATES.

To become accredited, at least 80% of site workers had to receive MATES’ General Awareness training. The sites also have to maintain a minimum number of people who’ve gone through the next stage of MATES training and become a ‘Connector’.

For the NZICC team, all of this means working to foster an environment where anyone can openly have a korero with their mates on how they’re going.

At the Snells Beach project, project manager Paul Ashcroft says he constantly sees evidence of the empathy and keenness to look out for each other when someone is in troubled times. “Achieving this recognition and support means we are stronger together to prevent suicide.”

Our Auckland International Airport Limited project team introduced smart Bluetooth sensors to measure concrete strength shortly after the pavement has been poured.

Kāinga Ora's Bader Ventura development reduces energy costs and carbon emissions through the Passive House standard.

New Zealand's building and construction sector contributes to around 15-20% of New Zealand's overall carbon emissions. It's critical for the construction industry to play a significant part in reducing carbon emissions for the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities is tackling this challenge through its Carbon Neutral Housing Programme, including committing to reducing carbon in its residential developments by 2030. One of Kāinga Ora's key carbon reduction projects is its new development, Bader Ventura, located in Māngere, Auckland. It's the state housing provider's first residential development using the Passive House standard.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

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Higgins Taupo branch practises circular economy thinking by creating a valued product out of asphalt/roading waste which would otherwise be sent to landfill.

Waka Kotahi, HEB Construction and BECA focus on delivering safety outcomes in the quickest possible time using a different procurement strategy.

The section of State Highway 2 (SH2) between Waihi and Omokoroa is one of the country’s most dangerous roads, and the SH2 Waihi to Omokoroa (W2O) project sought to deliver much needed safety improvements as quickly as possible, for the benefit of the local community, wider Bay of Plenty, and those passing through.

This procurement strategy focussed on delivering safety outcomes in the quickest possible time within the funding constraints, which required a delivery partner with shared values and an energised approach to delivery.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

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Brian Perry Civil introduced Virtual Reality as part of our drive to be smarter in the training and development space. VR provides contextualised learning experience and saves time as the training method is completely portable.

At the end of 2021, with the emergence of digital tools into normal day-to-day operations, Brian Perry Civil introduced a standardised approach to using tablets in the field.

Brian Perry Civil uses the VACUWORX vacuum grab excavator attachment in the demolition of the dilapidated taxiway and runway concrete slabs at the Auckland International Airport Limited project. The adoption of this innovative tool has made for smarter, cleaner, and more efficient ways of delivering packages of work for one of BPC’s key long-term clients.

This case study details New Plymouth District Council's supply chain leadership approach that focuses on developing long-term supplier partnerships, prioritising safety and protecting the financial health of its contractors.

New Plymouth District Council transitioned from using traditional and transactional procurement processes to a supply chain leadership approach to maintain and improve the quality of New Plymouth's infrastructure – allowing it to deliver projects that prioritise safety and protect the financial health of its contractors.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

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End-of-life road cones were typically sent to landfill, the last resort on the Waste Management hierarchy. This initiative promotes a circular mindset1 and fulfils RECYCLE on the Waste Management Hierarchy.

Liveable Streets South Rural orders a significant amount of traffic signs and street signs, and the packaging of these signs adds to the volume of waste. The team came up with solutions to reduce waste.

Old tyre disposal is a known problem in New Zealand. Higgins has initiatives to ensure tyres are responsibly disposed of or put to further use.

KiwiRail reduced construction risks and improving productivity by increasing digital capability on its new rail projects and upgrades.

KiwiRail is delivering a programme of work designed to bring transformational change to New Zealand's rail network. Using Building Information Modelling technology (BIM) and digital engineering, KiwiRail is increasing its digital connectivity and innovation to reduce construction risks and improve productivity on new rail projects.

Beacon case studies showcase examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.

Read the case study

Project Basalt, our new GIB plant project in Tauranga, included the challenging install of a ‘kettle’ – a two-piece concrete structure consisting of circular walls and a circular “L”-shaped top hat. Our project team devised a methodology to ensure the critical dimensions were achieved.