As most of us were still enjoying our Christmas break, work got underway on the Huarahi Tūhono - Weber to Wimbledon project. The project, made possible with funding administered by the Provincial Development Unit (PDU), will invest $14.6m in badly needed safety and resilience upgrades on this vital 26km stretch of Route 52.

The work is being overseen by the Tararua Alliance and is expected to create a number of employment and contract opportunities over the 3 years it will take to complete. It is hoped that many of the opportunities created will be taken up by local people and businesses under the social procurement requirements within the contract.

There are a small number of roles coming up shortly and Project Manager, Andrew Desmond, is keen to receive expressions of interest for these now. The first of these roles are for a Project Administrator, Labourers / Traffic Controllers and Drivers / Operators for equipment such as excavators, graders, tipper trucks, watercarts, rollers and loaders.

While hoping to attract people with experience in civil construction, there are also opportunities for those wanting to gain experience to receive training. Key to being successful in these roles is a good level of fitness, the ability to work well as part of a team, a strong focus on safety and quality and, most importantly, a great work ethic.

“We’re very keen to hear from Tararua residents who are interested in working on the project, particularly those in the Weber / Wimbledon area” says Andrew.

“Employing locally reduces travel costs and risks such as fatigue while also maximising the economic impact of the project for our district.” Andrew is also interested in hearing from local small businesses that might be interested in becoming supply partners to the project.

“If your business has experience in roading projects, earthworks and/or bridge strengthening we’d like to hear from you.”

There will also be supplier opportunities for land-based aggregate (subject to access, quality and quantity criteria), traffic management and plant nurseries that can supply trees for roadside planting and land stabilisation.

All contractors will be required to have health & safety management plans and processes that meet Tararua Alliance standards. An information evening for suppliers will be held in late February or early March so register your interest now by emailing [email protected]

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DIRECT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Expressions of interest are sought for the following positions:

• People interested in gaining experience in the civil construction industry
• People with experience in the civil constriction industry, particularly:
  • Drivers (Class 2-5 licences)
  • Excavator Operators
  • Labourers seeking development opportunities
  • Grader Operators
• A Project Administrator To be successful you will need:
• A good level of fitness * The ability to work well in a team
• A strong focus on safety and quality
• A great work ethic
• To be able to pass a pre-employment drug test

To express your interest in these positions please email your CV to [email protected]

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SUPPLY PARTNERS

We’re particularly interested in hearing from businesses in the following areas:

• Small scale civil contractors seeking to gain experience on roading projects
• Small to medium scale civil contractors experienced in earthworks and road construction
• Contractors with experience in bridge strengthening
• Land-based aggregate sources close to Weber or Wimbledon (subject to access, quality and quantity criteria)
• Traffic management
• Plant nurseries that can supply trees for roadside planting and land stabilisation

An information session about the opportunities available will be held in late February or early March so register your interest now by emailing [email protected] Please include a description of your business, area of expertise and relevant health & safety information.