Whangārei’s Civic Centre Project was named as one of three finalists in the 2021 New Zealand Beacon Awards, alongside KiwiRail and New Plymouth District Council.
Beacon Projects are awarded by the Construction Accord (a partnership between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and major construction companies) and are recognised as examples of good practice and innovation in the construction sector.
The judges involved with the Civic Centre Project appreciated the community outcomes this project delivered. They were blown away by the results in terms of women on site and subcontractor engagement, seeing this as a story that can support transformation and boost construction’s mana in communities.
This building will be owned by our community, as a hub for civic facilities and services. We wanted this project built using a collaborative model. Local hapū were identified early as a key project partner, and cultural narratives are incorporated into the design of the building and surrounds. It’s important to us to have Northlanders working on a Northland project.
The project has had up to 20% female workers onsite, and the target of using 80% local subcontractors has already been exceeded.
Each business or subcontractor on this project has committed to 10% trainee or apprentices, we’re currently hitting 17%. This will make an enduring difference to this project while developing talent and capability in our local communities.