Mana whenua

We’re proud to support a programme that’s facilitating construction careers using a Te Ao Māori approach. Our Wairarapa team is involved in He Kahui Wairarapa’s Mahi Ora programme which supports Wairarapa locals who’re interested in a career in civil construction.

Mahi Ora, which is funded by local iwi and the Ministry for Social Development, also offers pastoral support to the people involved. This includes helping them learn about financial management and find rental accommodation. Ed Ward, Higgins Wairarapa Construction Manager provided guidance to the trainers and trainees, saying it gives him an opportunity to build on his link with the community. “My good friend and neighbour, Joe Nuku leads He Kahui Wairarapa and has been talking to me for a few years about how to best run the programme and get young people into construction. He got the programme up and running when I joined Higgins Wairarapa, so it was perfect timing.”

He says some of the trainees have also lost touch with their iwi, hapū, marae and whānau. “The course helps them to reach out and reconnect, and to find their identities.”

The Mahi Ora programme recently had its first batch of graduates – with all eight people who started in the programme graduating and ready for work. Ed says Higgins Wairarapa has been interviewing graduates for some roles. The team has offered one graduate a role in the 2024 Cadet Program with more roles opening up in the new year.

“We have also recently recruited two graduates from MSD traffic management training programme, one going straight into traffic management and the other starting as a labourer with our surfacing team.”

“It’s historically harder to recruit in Wairarapa as younger people tend to leave for bigger towns and cities. Mahi Ora assists with our recruitment strategies and by partnering up we can help mould the programme to our needs as a business.”

A collaborative approach in the co-design of the H4 Auraki Stream Road Retreat Project has yielded positive results for all stakeholders. 

The co-design team included Higgins, Waka Kotahi, Beca, Mills Albert, JC Environmental, Horizons Regional Council and three Iwi groups, Ngāti Rangi, Uenuku Charitable Trust and Te Korowai o Te Awaiti. 

The aim of the collaboration was to improve the road retreat design developed in 2020 providing better care for the environment and reflect the values of Te Waiū-o-Te Ika.  It involved embracing simple values such as truly listening and considering the views of others and doing so in a timely way. To achieve this, multiple design/planning workshops, site visits, and weekly Hui were held with the co-design team as the designs progressed.  

Fletcher Construction was one of the first construction companies in Aotearoa-New Zealand to introduce work-site signage in both English and Te Reo Māori.

Timed to launch during Māori Language week, the bilingual signage was installed along the then under-construction Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway. The now-complete expressway forms a key part of the Wellington Northern Corridor, which is one of the Government’s roads of national significance. The Transmission Gully motorway, Mackays to Peka Peka and Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressways are the main infrastructural developments of the corridor.

When the signage was launched, the project manager Andy Goldie said it was both appropriate and courteous to use English and Te Reo Māori signage when engaging with a community with one of the highest percentages of Te Reo speakers in the country.

“Having bilingual signs is a way in which we can show respect for the Māori language and those who use it daily. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to encourage constructive links between the project team and the local community”.

With two Māori immersion schools and two bilingual units within mainstream schools in Ōtaki, there was also a real health and safety benefit.

The project team used Te Puni Kōkiri guidelines to develop the signage and involved pupils from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Rito to ensure the wording was right.  

Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Rito, Hēni Wirihana, says senior pupils at the kua took the job very seriously.

“Ka rawe te kite I ngā pānui reo-rua kit e hapori nei. It’s awesome to see bilingual signage for such a huge construction task here in Ōtaki. The fluency level of parents and staff at Te Rito gave us confidence that the wording would be succinct and correct. Ngā mihi, PP2Ō Expressway.”

Gail Campbell, Acting Manager Cultural Wealth at Te Puni Kōkiri told us the agency was delighted with the approach. “The guidelines were developed with public agencies in mind, so it’s great to see such a big private sector company embracing them. We commend the team for responding to their local community in this way,” she said.