Three Waters, resource management reforms and energy were hot topics in 2022 and will continue to be key themes in the coming year, Buddle Findlay National Chair Jennifer Caldwell says 2022 was a busy year for the infrastructure sector.   Continue →

The addition of green list pathways for skilled civil construction trade workers alongside skilled civil engineers shows the world New Zealand is open for business once more, says Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard The changes will see Green List pathways for residence for skilled civil construction machine operators, drainlayers, site supervisors and truck drivers – people who often had vital skills and practical knowledge that often went unrecognised. Continue →

Over the past three years we’ve learned you can work from anywhere for many roles.  Continue →

The critical skills shortage in the manufacturing and engineering sectors is set to grow to 40,000 workers by 2028 unless immediate action is taken, a Government report finds The research commissioned by Hanga-Aro-Rau, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council, found widespread disruption caused by COVID-19, immigration policy settings as well as constraints on supply chains and the international labour market will see the industry skills gap continue to widen – if left unchecked. Continue →

There is a lot of work ahead for the country’s infrastructure sector, going by the Government’s response to the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s 30-year plan, says Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard Published in June, Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa – New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022–2052 set out the infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand over the next 30 years. Continue →

As travel restrictions lift, trades businesses face both risk and opportunity, Findex Accounting and Business Advisory Partner Larry Mitchell says Immigration is expected to rise again, and with it, the need to be aware of the requirements of employing employees with specific immigration and employment rules. Continue →

Almost every large building has systems to control and monitor power and lighting, temperature and ventilation, elevators and more, known collectively as Building Management Systems, Claroty ANZ Regional Director Lani Refiti says Historically, Building Management Systems (BMS) were siloed with their own control facilities, connected over separate dedicated networks. Continue →

New Zealand’s female secondary students have had a taste of careers in the infrastructure sector – and they’ve loved it ‘Girls with Hi-Vis’ (GWHV) has seen events held nationwide throughout June to offer young women the opportunity to visit infrastructure companies in their region with their school, to try first-hand some of the skills the sector requires and to hear from other women already succeeding in the industry. Continue →

Open data is gaining traction in infrastructure planning, procurement, and delivery, Open Contracting Partnership’s Head of Infrastructure, Bernadine Fernz says ‘Open data’ means data that is available in a convenient and modifiable form that can be freely used, reused, and redistributed by anyone.  Continue →

As inflation drives up infrastructure delivery costs, consider this advice from the Global Infrastructure Hub Infrastructure delivery costs are expected to exceed economy-wide inflation due to rising commodity and energy prices. Continue →

The global stimulus spend on infrastructure has led to a call for it to do more than create an asset   The call represents both a risk and an opportunity for the sector. Continue →

While the Government is not obliged to formally respond to the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s 30-year Strategy until September, it would be negligent not to act now with urgency, Civil Contractors Chief Executive Alan Pollard says New Zealand’s civil contractors have welcomed Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa – New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022–2052 as ‘a new beginning’ and look forward to working to address the country’s massive infrastructure deficit with increased support, better planning, and targeted investment from government. Continue →

The success of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s new 2022-2052 strategy will depend on the buy-in of local and central government, and the broader infrastructure sector itself, Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Claire Edmondson says Infrastructure New Zealand welcomes today’s release of Infrastructure Strategy 2022 – 2052 from The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga. Continue →

Without clear entry points for new workers to start jobs and gain the trade skills they need before starting work, New Zealand will struggle to develop the skilled workforce it needs to carry out its infrastructure construction programme, a Civil Contractors New Zealand report finds A new report on entering New Zealand’s civil infrastructure construction workforce has been published by national association Civil Contractors New Zealand, with support from the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Continue →

Massive changes happening in New Zealand’s labour market could take us back to the ‘bad old days’ of the 70s and 80s, when major conflict between employees and employers was commonplace, Civil Contractors Chief Executive Alan Pollard fears In addition to blanket wage reforms and increased mandatory leave, the government has announced a plan to introduce an employee income insurance scheme, designed to support workers with 80 per cent of their income for up to seven months if they lose their job through no fault of their own, for instance a redundancy, health condition or disability. Continue →

As a business owner or manager, you need to be ready for the increase in minimum wage rates on Friday, 1 April 2022 If you have not yet talked to your accountant, payroll provider or your finance/HR teams, now is the time. Continue →

Eight winners were announced last month at the 2021 IPWEA NZ Asset Management Excellence Awards, providing an opportunity for asset and infrastructure management professionals to showcase their great work A successful infrastructure project is usually a team effort delivered by a range of parties including local government, central government, consultants, contractors and suppliers. Continue →

With work shortages forecast to continue and predictions that up to 30% of the workforce may have to isolate, businesses big and small are looking to automation, TMX New Zealand General Manager Caleb Nicolson says Over the last 18 months businesses have been grappling with a severe labour shortage, with unemployment dropping to 3.2 percent earlier this month, the lowest level on record. Continue →

On International Women’s Day, work-based learning organisation Competenz is calling for more women to enter the trades and redress the gender imbalance and pay inequity While there has been a gradual shift with more women taking on a trade apprenticeship or training, it’s a slow burn and only 12% of trade jobs across all industries in New Zealand are held by women. Continue →

Hiring managers are known for asking the wrong interview questions without understanding the kind of questions that will validate culture fit and good leadership skills Hiring managers are known for asking the wrong interview questions without understanding the kind of questions that will validate culture fit and good leadership skills. Continue →