Contractors in alliance to tackle recovery work

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Higgins Contractors has signed an agreement to work alongside a group of experienced contract partners on a cyclone recovery plan for Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.

In signing an interim alliance agreement today, Fletcher Building Construction company Higgins will be working alongside Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail as well as fellow contractors Downer and Fulton Hogan.

As an interim alliance, the group will develop a framework that outlines the full scope of work required in the two regions, and how that could be managed, designed and delivered over the coming years.

The interim alliance’s work will cover the mobilisation, planning and engineering phase of the recovery. The group will create a plan for the next phase, which is the delivery of the required major civil construction work including rebuilding roads, bridges and rail corridors with the support of local contractors and supply chains.

Higgins general manager Brian Kirtlan said he was looking forward to working alongside alliance partners to plan the best possible recovery for the two regions.

“We’ve seen first-hand the devastation to local people and infrastructure, and hope to continue playing a significant role in the East Coast’s recovery. We bring the power of our parent company Fletcher Construction, and the wider Fletcher Building supply chain, to give certainty of delivery to local communities.”