2023- 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
The Taylors Way
A great workplace culture
Many workplaces say that they value their people. At Taylors we treat everyone who works with us like they are part of our family.
Taylors Contracting Co. Ltd. is a familyowned business that began in 1971 when the late Bob Taylor and his wife, Marlene, bought a single Fiat bulldozer and went about the district clearing land, building tracks and roads for forestry clients, irrigation dams for horticulture and general farm water supply ponds.
Today, Taylors Contracting Co. Ltd. employs more than 150 employees and is based at its purpose-built facility in Brightwater, near Nelson, with a regional office in Christchurch. Taylor utilises integrated systems, GPS survey equipment, the latest soil testing equipment, and maintains a communications network that covers more than 130 machines.
OUR KEY VALUES
SAFETY
Of Staff and Suppliers.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Environmentally responsible to the community while meeting the requirements of the law.
RELATIONSHIPS
Developing positive relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, clients and staff.
QUALITY
Project completed how, when and where
For more information go to www.taycon.co.nz
Message from the CEO
Thank you for taking the time to read the Taylors Contracting Year in Review.
The past year has been a challenging one for our industry as it feels the impact of wider economic conditions. We know from experience that when the market is tight, it’s important to concentrate on those things that differentiate us from others, which include our high standards, our commitment to doing things safely and properly, our ability to respond to project challenges with innovative solutions, and our commitment to environmental stewardship.
I’m pleased to share our Year in Review document with you, as it provides an opportunity to showcase some of the memorable projects from the past year, and to celebrate some of the people who help make our Taylors culture so positive. This year we undertook a number of stopbank projects in the South Island and lower North Island. We are proud of the contribution this work makes to community resilience, particularly given our experience with the impact of climate change on our weather and the pressing need to adapt to the challenges it presents. Our Rivers team also responded to a flooding event with innovative planting and remediation solutions which are now being seen as an example for other local authorities and their contractors to follow.
In Marlborough, our civil team found themselves contributing to a fire response on the first day of a vineyard reservoir project, which was successfully completed despite challenging environmental conditions in the hot and dusty Awatere Valley.
Our quarry team executed an ambitious rock export project from Port Tarakohe in Golden Bay to Wellington that captured the attention of many in the industry, especially given the tight resource consent, time, and space constraints that the team worked within.
Our forestry team’s skill and expertise was acknowledged with four awards at the Top of the South Forestry Awards this year, which included
“We know from experience that when the market is tight it’s important to concentrate on those things that differentiate us from others.”
two awards for our longstanding subcontractor Kevin Palmer.
No record of this year would be complete without acknowledging the huge milestone of the Waimea Community Dam becoming fully operational. This has been a key project for our team for a number of years and it is a privilege to contribute to the first dam of this size and scope in New Zealand since the Clyde Dam, thirty years ago.
I am immensely proud of our people and the lengths they go to in order to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. As a family-owned business, we appreciate the loyalty and hard work of our team. They embody the Taylors Way each and every day. Thank you.
CEO
Waimea Community Dam
PROJECT
Rock Export to Lower North Island
Client: Taylors Contracting
Collaborators: Heron Construction, Port Tarakohe, CentrePort
KEY PROJECT CHALLENGES
● Tight space constraints at Balcks Quarry and Port Tarakohe
● Managing weight distribution as the barge was loaded
● Adapting to continual layout change in the wharf environment
● Strict resource consent constraints for rock size, rock removal and storage of the extracted rock
● Unfavourable weather conditions impacting the barge’s ability to cross via Cook Strait to Wellington
Port Tarakohe
Pictured at Port Tarakohe from left to right are: Alan Brunning (Sollys), Kevin ‘Skin’ Bruning, Neil McKay, Wayne ‘Swassie’ Schwass, Ben Burbidge, Mick Fenemore, Kerry ‘Butch’ Schofield and Rob Cumming.
CentrePort Wellington
Wharf configuration for Load 1, Port Tarakohe
Wharf redevelopment impacts ramp placement, Port Tarakohe
Rock Export to Lower North Island PROJECT
Client: Taylors Contracting FROM PORT TARAKOHE TO CENTREPORT WELLINGTON
In just 79 working days, 21,263 tonnes of rock was extracted from Taylors’ privately-owned Balcks Quarry to comply with the quarry’s consented three-month annual operating window. Taylors team members commuted from Nelson to the quarry in Golden Bay Mohua each day to undertake the work.
The quarry site itself was extremely constrained for space, so rock had to be extracted and stored offsite until transported to the port. This challenge was exacerbated by the fact that the consent was only for one size range of rock. Everything smaller had to be carted out to an interim dump site. That rock will eventually be returned to the quarry site at the end of the quarry’s life. The rock export project presented a number of challenges for the Taylors team. The busy Port Tarakohe site needed to accommodate multiple users’ activities during barge loading, including a wharf redevelopment project. Taylors was able to work collaboratively with the owners of the barge, Heron Construction, Sollys, and other Port Tarakohe users to load the barge.
Consent conditions at CentrePort meant that the barge couldn’t be unloaded on a Sunday. However, the majority of the loads were loaded at Port Tarakohe at the weekend. The Taylors team needed to be flexible, managing logbook hours, and making sure that there was
enough rock on the wharf ready to load. Team members took days off during the week to accommodate weekend work.
“After the first load we had to slightly change our loading style as we learned more about the optimal weight distribution on the barge, as we could not go past a set water line,” says Quarry Department Manager Ben Burbidge.
“Another level of constraint was added to the site due to the ongoing wharf development work that was underway at the same time. With each load, our work space got smaller and smaller as they moved into our area, and they were also having to rebuild the ramp we were using for every load. I don’t think we used the same ramp twice.”
“We had to be highly adaptive in view of the everchanging wharf configuration, working in closely with other users. Wharf users worked together to meet everyone’s requirements, and we helped each other to keep everyone’s spaces maximised.
“It’s been a good trial run for potential future opportunities. Thank you to everyone in the Taylors team, both my team and the workshop team, who dropped everything when required to go over to Golden Bay at a moment’s notice to get things sorted so we could keep things moving.”
Port Tarakohe
KEY FACTS • 2023–2024
Rock Export
Taylors Contracting successfully exported 21,263 tonnes of rock from Port Tarakohe to the lower North Island.
21,263
Tonnes
of Rock
14 Hours
Average time to load the barge
To extract the rock from the quarry
13 People
79 Working Days Days to Load the Barge
2
Load
Stopbanks PROJECT
Clients: Various
Community resilience is a key focus of many of Taylors’ projects. Over the past year, we have been involved in several stopbank projects in Tasman, Marlborough, and the lower North Island. Our efforts have centred on repairing and enhancing infrastructure in response to recent flood events and proactively constructing stopbanks to protect people and property from future flooding.
Motueka Stopbanks, Tasman
Client: Tasman District Council
Taylors worked to refurbish and improve the resilience of sections of the Motueka River stopbanks. The stopbanks were at 10 separate sites across a five-kilometre section on the river. The project has been underway for the past three years and was completed in 2024. The work supports flood protection for approximately 1400 hectares of surrounding land, including northern Motueka. The refurbishment improves the integrity of the stopbanks and provides safer access for ongoing maintenance.
The third and final phase of the stopbank project was undertaken in 2023-2024 and involved an extension of work at the end of Whakarewa Street, additional work at Hurley Bank and Brooklyn Stream, adjacent to the Plant and Food Research Centre, and Peach Island. The back channel of the Motueka River at Peach Island was also cleared of debris deposited during Cyclone Gita.
Key achievements:
Repairs involved adding compacted clay to the front and top of the existing stopbank. The aim was to resolve two types of issues:
● Raising the crest of the stopbank in areas where it is no longer high enough to provide protection from a 1-in-50-year flood event.
● Repairing the stopbank in areas where it might have weaknesses that could cause it to fail in a large flood event.
The total value of the project is $10 million, of which central government funded $7.5 million via the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
Motueka
Client feedback was extremely positive with the team being congratulated for their workmanship, professionalism, and collaborative attitude.
Marlborough
Mills Street
Stopbanks PROJECT
Mills Street Stopbank
Client: Greater Wellington Regional Council
Key collaborators: Fletcher Construction, Aecom, Winstones, Heron Construction
This flood resilience project aims to upgrade the stopbank from a current 1:74 to a 1:400 flood event level. The scope includes site vegetation clearance, haul road construction, installation and removal of erosion and sediment control measures, extraction of 55,000m3 of river gravels, excavation of a new alignment and pools in the Hutt River, and screening of the river gravel to generate the filter layer product.
The project required the winning, transport, and placement of low permeability fill material from a nearby Winstone quarry, as well as the supply, transport, and stockpiling of Rip Rap rock and construction of the new stopbank.
Key challenges: Working in a river environment, ecological and consent requirements, managing the logistics of barging rocks between the South Island and North Island and through ports, and quarrying activities.
Key achievements: No injury to staff to date, and no environmental compliance breaches.
Facts and figures:
● 22,000 tonnes of Rip Rap extracted, transported, barged, delivered to site, and stockpiled
● 55,000m3 of river gravel extraction
● 2000m3 of filter product screened
● 8000m3 of low permeability fill excavated, transported, and placed
● 18000m3 of pre-load river gravels excavated and placed in the new stopbank.
Mills Street Stopbank
Fish Salvage and Relocation Activities Summary
– Te Awa Kairangi gravel extraction works
● Gravel extraction and river realignment works within Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River was undertaken in four main stages with fish salvage and relocation activities required by a team of ecologists (Stantec / Aecom) to take place prior to the commencement of construction works within each stage.
● A combined approach was applied using electric fishing methods as well as overnight deployment of Fyke nets and Gee Minnow Traps to ensure that fish abundance within the original flowing river channel was reduced prior to construction impacts within each affected reach.
Marlborough Stopbank Realignment
Upper Condors
Client: Marlborough District Council
This contract involved the construction of the Stage 2 (West section) of realigned stopbank of approx. 760 lineal metres. Client feedback was extremely positive, with the team being congratulated for their workmanship, professionalism, and collaborative attitude.
The team prepared the new stopbank footprint by clearing the topsoil strip and an unsuitable undercut.
The river gravel was then crushed and placed to form the stopbank core (30,000m3). Existing stopbank material was relocated or reused.
Key challenges:
● Key in and merge new stopbank to existing stopbank ends
● Stopbank batter Filter Medium placement/ compaction on floodway side
● Stopbank batter Facing Material placement/ compaction on floodway side
● Topsoil re-spread on stopbank surface and landward side batters.
Problem solving and innovative approaches during the project included using machine-controlled GPS to meet design tolerance requirements and resolving design issues in-house using survey design model analysis.
Taylors’ specialised excavator attachments were used for compaction of filter material on the batter slope, with compaction methodologies produced to meet design specification requirements.
The team achieved an excellent health and safety record during their work on the project.
● In one of the four impacted reaches of original habitat, a total of 1073 fish and 11 fish species were relocated, including the ‘Threatened’ lamprey and five ‘At Risk’ species including longfin eel, giant kōkopu, inanga, giant bully, and bluegill bully.
● More than 4000 fish and 14 species were successfully caught and relocated to suitable areas outside the impacted work area during these works.
● The abundance and diversity of fish discovered during these works is indicative of high quality fish habitat within this section of Te Awa Kairangi.
Marlborough Upper Condors
Mills Street Taylors
Our People Taylors, a great place to work
Jamie Smith Training Facilitator
Jamie may be newly appointed to his current role, but has 40 years’ experience behind him, including two years with Taylors.
The establishment of Jamie’s role was partly in response to feedback from a recent staff survey. Jamie believes this reflects the business commitment to continuous improvement in training.
“My role is across training and development for everyone in the company, from our depot here in Brightwater, to our offices in Canterbury and Wellington. Taylors’ CEO Charlie Taylor and others have identified that staff growth and development is an important part of the company, and having someone dedicated to the role is vital.”
Jamie began as a machine operator at 17, worked his way up to foreman, and then owned his own company in the North Island for 14 years.
After coming to the South Island, Jamie worked as an area manager for Downers.
He has also been a committed volunteer firefighter for more than 30 years, with 25 years at a senior officer level.
Some of the current work Jamie is delving into involves bringing some of the older paper-based training modules into the digital world, and keeping staff up to date with unit standards requirements.
Other rewarding work is more people-based, such as mentoring people and working with them on their development pathway.
The Training Facilitator role, which Jamie describes as boots-on-the-ground, allows him the scope to get out into the field chatting to the guys and listening to their concerns.
“The project manager and site supervisor need to be focused on their work programme, budget, and project delivery. They need support with someone getting alongside their young operators to identify where staff might need a bit of assistance to develop, so that’s where I come in. In my experience, not that many companies in the industry invest in their staff in that way, but it’s a very clear sign that Taylors is putting its people first.
‘I don’t feel confident doing this’ or ‘I don’t know’ without feeling stupid. He says that speaking out about your gut instincts is rewarded rather than dismissed as time wasting – and in his many years of experience, your gut feeling is rarely wrong.
“You can’t move dirt with machines alone. It’s the people that make the dirt move.”
“You can’t move dirt with machines alone. It’s the people that make the dirt move.”
Jamie feels that Taylors have created a workplace where people have the confidence to put their hand up and say,
Jamie has become adept at recognising different ways that people learn and has incorporated that into his day-today work. He realises that we all learn differently and will help to break down the barriers that people may be experiencing with their learning.
Supported by Taylors, Jamie has recently completed his assessors’ unit standard qualification, meaning he will be able to set, deliver, and mark unit standards before submitting them to NZQA. Jamie has also started his Level 5 qualification in adult teaching, which will help him to put some more structure around the training that he is currently developing.
Ultimately, what gets Jamie out of bed in the morning is helping people to achieve what they thought they couldn’t.
Jamie Smith (left) and Ethan Kingi at Mills St
Tony Dwane
Environmental Advisor
Taylors’ Environmental Advisor Tony Dwane wouldn’t call any day a ‘normal’ day.
It’s his job to monitor Taylors’ environmental performance across all its earthworks, rivers, and quarry jobs, as well as some of its forestry work.
As part of his role, Tony coaches others, leading the company on how it can improve and ensure compliance across all the different environment-related regulations and legislation.
“I’m here to uphold the values led by Taylors’ CEO, Charlie Taylor, making sure that the Taylors name is held in high regard because we always do a good job, and we’re professional in how we go about it. I help to make sure the company’s reputation isn’t damaged by uninformed practices, or enforcement by councils or other agencies.”
A typical job involves Tony making sure that Taylors has “the right people, doing the right things”.
“Taylors would rather do the right thing than cut corners.”
“It sounds simple enough, but everyone coming onto a job site has a different filter that they’re viewing the work through. We all deploy our expertise to work together to make sure the job gets done properly – and I am the one who oversees that from an environmental perspective. I have my biosecurity and biodiversity filter on, thinking about aspects such as how we can protect any native species and stop spreading weeds or other pests like didymo.”
Tony says a recent Moutere weir job is one of the most interesting and challenging projects he has ever worked on.
“We had to fish out the stream before we started work, so I brought in an independent ecologist who looks after stream and catchment health. That freed me up to concentrate on biodiversity and biosecurity concerns. This job saw the relocation of 1600 fish (tuna, bullies, galaxiids) further downstream, while being mindful not to spread weed pests downstream or create disturbance of sediment – no mean feat!”
Tony previously worked for 12 years in the forestry industry; his former Northland company was the owner of Tasman Bay Forests, so he was already well familiar with the Te Tauihu Top of the South landscape. Before that, he worked for a regional council for nearly 10 years as an ecologist in both freshwater and marine. Tony has also worked on a lot of kiwi recovery projects in his time.
Now heading up biosecurity and biodiversity management
Tony Dwane
on Taylors’ jobs, Tony is constantly looking at ways to stop any inadvertent weed spreading via machinery. The crew needs to be particularly careful travelling to and from areas like St Arnaud as they do not currently have broom or gorse and these weedy pests are common in Nelson and its surrounds.
“Our guys are really good at reporting any sightings that might be important. If they spot some fish or other animal, they will report it to me and then I will often seek further advice from an ecologist.”
An example of this was the recent discovery of a native powelliphanta snail while stripping out a gravel pit. The worker stopped his digger immediately, put road-closed tape around the area and called his supervisor. The supervisor reported through to the client’s harvest planner and to Tony as environmental manager. A Department of Conservation rep visited the site, checked for other snails, and then the snail was relocated to the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary before approval was given for work to recommence on site.
Tony says that people at Taylors are open to his ideas and any improvements.
“Taylors would rather do the right thing than cut corners.”
SERVICES
Forestry
Over the last twelve months, our forestry team has been very busy working on numerous projects for our valued clients across the top of the South Island.
We have continued to build, upgrade, maintain, and add resilience to our clients’ infrastructure to ensure security of supply for their timber products and to handle the weather events nature delivers to our region.
With more than 50 years of forest engineering experience and expertise, we have the knowledge and skills to deliver safe, cost-effective, environmentally sound, fit-for-intended-use infrastructure to meet our clients’ needs.
We are very proud that the company is returning to many forest blocks that the company founder, Bob Taylor, assisted to road and prepare for initial planting. The company then returned 30 years later for the harvest of those first trees, and we are returning again for the second and third rotations, as these forests are once more replanted to support a sustainable future.
Forestry photos (recieved)
Mulch spreading/environmental controls Hira Forest
Slash management grinding Hira Forest
Soil protection, hay and seed spreading
STATISTICS
Taylors Forestry Department
2023-2024
78,000 safe people hours completed by our skilled and competent team
1 million+ tonnes of engineering support services
50km of roading construction and upgrade
140 processing landings and pads upgraded or constructed
100km of active log trucking roads maintained each month
5 bridge construction earthworks and rock protection engineering support
1006
water table culverts installed
30 large-diameter culverts installed
91,500 tonnes of processed gravel products utilised for forest infrastructure construction, upgrade and maintenance
Culvert installation Mārahau Forest
Excavator land preparation for replanting
The versatile backhoe, road maintenance, Greenhill Forest
Oversize log splitting for chipping
Active Trucking road mowing, Golden Downs Forest
Skid construction, Golden Downs Forest
Forestry SERVICES
At Taylors, we are fortunate to have awesome people who make the difference. They work away quietly in the back blocks delivering excellent results.
Our team have a wide range of skills and have continued to deliver a variety of specialist forest engineering support services every day, including:
● Project and site safety management
● Job task risk safety assessments, safety controls, and construction method planning
● Roadside mowing and mulching services
● Slash management and post-harvest clean-up services
● Harvest planning support, field validation of road grades, and practical buildability checking of plans
● Field and drone survey and design work
● Construction and planning advice
● Environmental controls, sediment controls, grass seeding and fertiliser spreading, hydro seeding, mulch, and hay spreading
● Land preparation and raking
● Emergency response support for fires and weather events
When the going gets tough Taylors gets drilling
Forest road gravelling, Suttons Block Kikawa Golden Downs Forest
Sunrise, Kohatu Golden Downs Forest skid construction
Danny Park installing drift deck/box culvert, Teal Valley, Hira
Nathan Price in action
Jay Brown drilling large rock Mārahau
Drainage coil to drain underground springs
Power pole and live line protection and safety marking, Lee Valley Forest
Excellent blast! Let’s get it cleaned up
Wayne Alekna ripping into it
Skid construction, Mahau Forest
Hauler tailhold access track above SH6 Whangamoa Forest
Harvest tracking, Hira Forest
Road construction, Lee Valley Forest
Truck and trailer spreading crushed forestry Grade 75 road gravel
D8s in action Rocky Rd, Hira
Fire pond under construction, Richmond Hill
Environmental controls, soil surface protection, hay and seed spreading
Utilising in-forest gravel seams for roading metal
Skid construction and road realignment, Moutere South Forest
Slash management and clean-up
Fire pond construction, Richmond Hill Forest
Hard rock requires blasting
Skid site benching and stripping, Hira Forest
Benching Rocky Rd, Hira
Slip repairs, Hira Forest Sturgeon Rd slip benching in progress
Bridge abutment storm damage scour repairs, Kokaroa Forest
PROJECT
Blairich Irrigation Reservoir
Client: Whitehaven Blairich Vineyard, Awatere Valley (Marlborough)
Collaborators: Marlborough Management Services (Engineer), Gilbert Haynes & Associates (Designers) and Viking Containment (Reservoir Lining)
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Taylors constructed an irrigation reservoir to hold 79,838m3 of water for a new vineyard being built for Whitehaven Wines.
The job was awarded at tender based on Taylors’ experience and ability to use scrapers, which enabled the team to move large volumes of dirt quickly.
PROJECT
Blairich Irrigation Reservoir
Wind and weather
Working on the project from October to January meant dealing with high temperatures, wind, and dust. At times, it also meant putting out fires. But there was also one day when it snowed!
Using the mudstone in situ to form a binding layer for the liner and dealing with the wind was frustrating at times. Wind made it impossible to lay the liner as it could pick the liner up and blow it away.
“We were under the pump to get the whole inside down before Christmas, before shutdown,” says Blair, “but we just knuckled down and got it all done.”
Scraper maintenance
Scrapers, while a key tool for this particular project, can be quite temperamental.
“There were a few breakdowns, but the workshop was really good and even though the project site was three hours away from the workshop, the team’s help meant that any issues with the scrapers never delayed the project too much.
Working away from home
For many of the team members, this was their first time working away from their families.
“All credit to the partners and families for dealing with the home life while the guys were away. You’ve got to have a good working culture when you’re working away from home. It’s not just working together during the day, you’re seeing each other every night as well.
“If everyone is open and talking to each other it’s the sign of a good environment, because people feel like they can talk. The talk’s always positive. After work you can switch off and still talk with each other about other stuff. You don’t just go into a shell and hide away. You work through problems together and you don’t blame anyone. Having a good culture and having the right guys on the job makes a big difference.”
Low river levels
“When we were finished the rivers were too low for the vineyard team to fill it; they couldn’t draw out of the river to fill it. So it sat empty for a while.”
Impromptu
fire response
The first day on site, the Taylors team assisted fire crews with a fire on the farm that had got out of control. Fire crews used the Taylors water cart to fill their trucks, and Taylors assisted with the water cart for almost two days. This was one of two fires the crew had to help put out while on the job (the fires were not related to Taylors’ activities).
“They had had some burn offs previously. They thought the fire had gone out, but it relit and spat embers up into the gum trees and it was away.”
Laying the liner
Blair says that working alongside Viking Containment was a great experience, and the Taylors team received some really positive feedback about their preparation work.
“It was cool to hear them say they’d never had a surface prepped so good. It was nice and smooth, consistent, and without any issues.”
Other highlights:
● No accidents on the job
● Good teamwork/culture
● Adam Hall and Richie McGlashen trained new operators (Ryan Ching and Jay Wright). There was an opportunity on this job to train up some of the less experienced guys on some of the bigger machinery
● Excellent relationship with the farmer who had sold the land to Whitehaven for their vineyard
● Footage of the scrapers operating that we shared on Facebook went viral!
Interesting facts and figures:
● 56,774m3 moved with scrapers
● 580m of pipe was laid for the subsoils
● Fossils were found in the soil that was being moved (mussel shells and cockle shells) and we were 200m+ above sea level
“We were under the pump to get the whole inside down before Christmas, before shutdown but we just knuckled down and got it all done.”
– Blair Palmer, Site Engineer
The Waimea Community Dam
Client: Waimea Water Ltd
Joint-venture partner: Fulton Hogan NZ
Designer: Damwatch
Dam Crest 76x parapet precast wall units placed, 21T each
New road construction for dam access
138m 1200mm OD HDPE string, welded and installed into diversion culvert
Waimea Community Dam is a concrete-faced, rock-filled dam in the Lee Valley, near Nelson.
This dam is one of the region’s most important infrastructure projects and the largest dam built in New Zealand in more than 20 years.
Land clearance works for reservoir inundation
~550,000m3 earthworks fill placed for embankment construction
Sawcutting and rock anchor drilling for spillway construction works
Production blasting for basement cut rock excavation
~900,000m3 earthworks cut for spillway and embankment construction
PROJECT
The Waimea Community Dam
The Waimea Community Dam is a landmark project for Taylors Contracting and Fulton Hogan NZ as joint-venture partners, for the Tasman region, and for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Taylors provided earthworks and construction management for the dam
● The dam is 53 metres high, 220 metres long, and six metres wide at the crest. There is also a 165-metre-long spillway.
● Approximately 490,000m3 of rock was used to build the concrete-faced, rockfilled dam.
● Filling of the dam commenced in 2023. Once filling of the dam was completed, activation of the spillway was permitted. This allowed final engineering analysis and verification of the dam performance to be completed.
● Ngāti Koata gifted the name Te Kurawai o Pūhanga for the reservoir behind the dam. It is named after Pūhanga Hemi Tupaea of Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kuia, and Ngāti Toa descent, who is considered a reservoir of knowledge in traditional Māori arts, crafts, music, and tikanga.
● The dam is already providing benefits to the Tasman community helping to ensure adequate supply of water and supporting the resilience and sustainability of the region.
Our People Taylors, a great place to work
Blair Chapman Construction Foreman
Canterbury-based Blair Chapman is a newly appointed Construction Foreman for Taylors, having been a digger and dozer operator within the business for the past 13 years. He still enjoys jumping on a machine as needed, but these days his role is more focused on team management and keeping projects moving along.
“At the moment, I run pre-starts, get the boys up and running and keep them on track. I give them their dayto-day tasks. If they have any questions or queries, they usually come to me. If anyone has to call in sick, they ring me.”
Blair’s interest in working for Taylors was piqued by watching their work on the Southern Motorway project.
“They had some pretty sharp operators doing pretty tidy stuff with pretty tidy gear. I drove past and thought I wouldn’t mind doing that!”
Prior to joining Taylors, Blair worked for a council in construction and water reticulation, looking after pump stations and water mains. That gave him some experience operating smaller gear.
“A job like the Southern Motorway there might be 50,000 vehicles a day going past ... if you’re doing a tidy job everyone notices it.”
Blair says that he enjoys Taylors’ team environment. “We’ve got a pretty small team and we all seem to get along pretty good. We have a good laugh, it’s a good environment.”
He also enjoys being part of a business that works on bigger, more challenging projects and the way in which the sharing of ideas is encouraged. The Canterbury team manager, Adam O’Meara, is open to hearing people’s thoughts and makes everyone feel valued for their contributions, says Blair.
One of the things Blair likes about Taylors is the way the business offers training and opportunities to its staff. Blair is open-minded about what the future holds.
“I’m open to anything! I’ve done a couple of courses learning drones and surveying and bits and pieces. It’ll grow as it needs to, I imagine. Taylors are always offering training. It’s probably about picking what path you want to go on and where you want to end up.”
Blair Chapman
Blair says that he’s grateful that Taylors gave him the opportunity as a pretty quiet young fella to learn from the more experienced operators he was working with.
“I didn’t really say much. I just took it all in. I hadn’t done any earthmoving, it was all a learning thing for me. I’d had some experience on diggers before and knew how to do a tidy job.”
Attention to detail is important, says Blair, particularly when you’re working on projects in the public eye.
“A job like the Southern Motorway might have 50,000 vehicles a day going past. Everyone sees what you’re doing. If you’re doing a tidy job everyone notices it. We do a lot of batter slopes. Everyone remembers the finished article. You have to be tidy and clean up after yourself.”
Blair says that the number one quality young people need who are looking to work in the industry is a good attitude. Armed with that, the sky’s the limit.
“Give it a crack! Someone’s got to give you a shot and you can take it from there.”
Steve Soper
Diesel Mechanic
Diesel mechanic Steve Soper has been with Taylors for nearly 11 years, having started with the business straight out of school.
“I started off in the workshop,” says Steve. “Then, Taylors gave me an apprenticeship and I’ve stayed. I’ve been qualified for six to seven years now.”
Steve connected with the business via his involvement as a player with Wanderers Rugby Club, which Taylors has sponsored for a number of years.
“Wanderers Rugby Club were going to start up again and they needed some players. I wanted to be a mechanic and Charlie (Taylor) was looking for mechanics and one thing led to another.”
The workshop team was smaller back then, but the good banter amongst the team has stayed the same as it’s grown over the years.
Steve says that it’s the people he enjoys most about working at Taylors. “It’s a pretty good crew in the workshop. We all get on and have smoko together all of the time. I enjoy coming to work.
“There’s a good variety of work. I enjoy it here. There’s always different problems to solve, not every day’s the same. A lot of the time a guy in the workshop has come across the problem before. We talk about things and usually someone has a good idea.”
Even the recent challenges with longer lead times for getting parts due to the global situation post-COVID has been managed by the team, says Steve.
“There’s a good variety of work. I enjoy it here. There’s always different problems to solve; not every day’s the same.”
“We sort of knew that there would be challenges getting parts a while ago, especially bigger, harder-to-get-hold-of items, but Taylors was pretty onto it. It was well handled.”
Steve says that it’s good working for a business that has a positive reputation in the community.
“Mates are always asking how it is. They’re always seeing our diggers and machinery around the show. It’s a good thing to be out and about and seen.”
Steve says that he will always be grateful that he had the opportunity to come to Taylors straight from school.
“Massive thanks to Taylors for taking me on initially, and believing in me, and giving me the chance. It takes roughly about four years to do an apprenticeship and there’s all sorts of pre-trade and polytech courses these days. I just enjoyed going out into the workforce rather than going into polytech.
“Like any job there’s always good days and bad days but I think it’s a good job. People need diesel mechanics worldwide. It’s a good opportunity for young fellas. Some of the work’s quite heavy and physical, but if women don’t mind getting dirty and lifting the heavy stuff there’s no reason women can’t be diesel mechanics.”
Steve Soper
PROJECT
Upper Motueka Flood Recovery
Client: Tasman District Council
In May 2023 flooding caused significant damage across the Tasman District Council’s maintained river network.
One site in the Upper Motueka River suffered significant damage when part of the flow jumped out of the active channel and began flowing through a landowner’s paddocks before returning into the river downstream. (continues on pg 36)
KEY FEATURES
● Hard engineering
● Bio engineering tools
● Trenched and weighted willows
● Willow planting
● Debris fences/traps
● Sacrificial gravel bunds
PROJECT
Upper Motueka Flood Recovery
Client: Tasman District Council
When the flood waters receded, there was a large volume of gravel deposited on the site, which meant that there was virtually no difference in height between the riverbed and the landowner’s paddocks. This meant that rainfall events as small as 19 cumecs would result in water flowing back through the paddocks.
“Within the conditions of the global resource consent held by the client, there was no option to build a bank to provide a protection for this site in future events,” says Taylors’ Rivers Department Manager, Ben Burbidge.
Willow planting
A total of 765 locally sourced willow poles (donated by Goldpine) were planted in rows between the packets of trenched willows. These plantings were later supplemented with an additional 223 in 2024.
Debris fences/traps
Two types of debris fences/traps were installed on the site. One type was made from salvaged pine trees trenched in to form a cross, while the other used untreated wooden posts and ropes. Both methods are designed to catch any debris in the flood waters and encourage the natural build-up of silts.
Sacrificial gravel bunds
“This is a solution that had never been implemented on this scale before.”
Ben Burbidge
After a series of planning discussions and site visits, it became clear that it would not be possible to prevent floodwaters from flowing through the site in high flows. However, the desired solution was to prevent flood debris from being transported into the landowner’s paddocks during these events. It was suggested that the best approach would be to turn the site into a trial for using a mixture of some hard engineering and bio-engineering tools to encourage the natural construction of a bank over time.
Taylors’ Rivers Department Manager
Hard engineering
It was decided that the installation of a rock retard at the upstream end of the site was going to be the best way to incorporate rock into this site. The function of this is to reduce the velocity of the floodwaters when they overtop the structure and to encourage the build-up of silts behind.
Bio-engineering tools
Across the site, the planned works incorporated four different bio-engineering tools – trenched and weighted willows, willow plantings, debris fences/traps, and sacrificial gravel bunds.
Trenched and weighted willows
Five packets of willows salvaged across the river were placed into a trench, weighted down using large rocks as an anchor, and tied together with rope.
On the downstream side of the packets of willows there was a gravel bund created to serve two purposes: one was to provide some protection for the willow poles that were planted from flood debris and the other is to work in a similar way to the rock retard to reduce the velocity of floodwaters to encourage the build-up of silts.
Like any new idea, there was some initial scepticism, says Ben, but the system has already proven its worth.
“This is a solution that had never been implemented on this scale before,” says Ben. “However, the results achieved have exceeded the client’s, landowner’s, and our own expectations,” says Ben. “There have been subsequent events of up to 50 cumecs that have not resulted in water flow through this site and even in larger events there has not been any flood debris flow into the landowner’s paddock.
Ben credits Taylors’ Rivers Supervisor, Ian Hogg, with working to gain buy-in from the Tasman District Council and the local landowner to trial this solution. Based on the success of this project, Ben thinks that other councils will use the same approach.
“It’s a solution that works in the right spot,” says Ben.
“The results achieved have exceeded the client’s, landowner’s, and our own expectations.”
– Ben Burbidge
PROJECT
Labyrinth Weir
Client: Central Plains Water Limited
Collaborators: Hamish Tait Projects Ltd, Riley Consultants, and Smith Crane and Construction
Taylors upgraded the existing standard weir and channel to a labyrinth weir to allow for more capacity during higher river flows. This upgrade allows farmer shareholders to irrigate when the river is in flood after rain on the Main Divide.
PROJECT
Labyrinth Weir
Client: Central Plains Water Limited
Collaborators: Hamish Tait Projects Ltd, Riley Consultants, and Smith Crane and Construction
During the procurement phase, Taylors suggested to Central Plains Water that Taylors meet with the designer and mutually agree on a concrete subcontractor. Working together at the design phase and choosing a subcontractor together meant that everything progressed much more smoothly, with no interface issues and better collaboration between the contractors on the project.
During the materials procurement phase, Taylors and Central Plains Water chose Smith Crane and Construction as the concrete prefabrication subcontractor. Making this choice early on in the project meant that Smith Crane and Construction could get on and construct the concrete panels for the weir, allowing more time and flexibility for the completion of the overall project.
From the client’s point of view, potential problems and delays were mitigated by the contractors working together in this way from an early stage.
For this particular project, there was a very strict timeframe for closing the canals to undertake the work. This could have posed a significant risk to timely completion, but working together during the planning and design phase helped alleviate these risks.
Taylors successfully adhered to the tight preconstruction and construction programme during the winter shutdown period, offset by Smith Crane and Construction precasting the concrete weir panels
in Christchurch. Assembling these panels on site compressed the programme’s timeframe to minimise exposure to flood events.
Accurately positioning the new weir at the exact location and height of the old weir was also a challenge. This was achieved using a combination of modern survey total station and a traditional dumpy level.
The concrete panel sections were poured into purposebuilt concrete moulds at Smith Crane and Construction’s yard. It took a lot of work to get the bull nose shape on top just right as well as the angle of each panel.
Interesting facts and figures
A total of 113m3 pre-cast panels were poured and trucked to site from Christchurch, with 266m3 of 50MPa concrete poured on site, and trucked in from Firth Concrete’s plant in Darfield.
There was 23,000m3 of material excavated to widen the channel to allow for the increase in flow across the new weir. This was achieved while the earthworks crew completed their usual winter maintenance work on site, excavating approximately 20,000m3 of silt out of the sediment pond/rowing course. Another 2500 tonnes of rock was placed around the new weir in July. All work was completed well ahead of the programme’s project deadline.
Our People Taylors, a great place to work
Jay Wright
Senior Operator
Jay grew up in the Waikato and moved to Nelson 17 years ago. At that time, his life was all about sport. Jay made the New Zealand rep team for touch rugby, was a Junior Mako, and also made representative teams for rugby league and cricket.
A prompt from his father-in-law to look at a job ad from Taylors was the nudge he needed to try a new career.
“Nigel (Jay’s father-in-law) also works for Taylors,” says Jay, “and he saw an ad for a trainee digger operator while I was working for Post Haste Couriers. Every boy wants to play with Tonka toys in the sand pit, so this felt like the adult version of that.”
Jay’s experience was a far cry from what he had been used to as a courier driver, especially during the frenzied time around Christmas.
“I’ve never worked for another company in this industry, so I don’t know what’s normal and what’s not, but I came from being a courier driver to working outside fulltime and getting time-and-a-half and a work vehicle and getting paid to drive to work – all those things that just weren’t normal to me. It felt like Taylors cared about the individual rather than just the bottom line.
The opportunity at Taylors was for someone to go to Westport and sit in digger school and learn. “Then I had the interview, and they said, “we’ll just teach you on site” so I ended up going to my first job at Grampian Oaks working under Dylan Hall and I learned everything from him and Hayden Allison.
“I’ve proudly been part of the Taylors team now for six-anda-half years, each one filled with growth and learning.”
“One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was sitting in a bulldozer on a barge heading from Kaiteriteri to Torrent Bay to reshape the beach there.”
Jay says that what he appreciates most about his job is the variety it provides and the opportunity to work all around the region.
“As a senior operator, my role encompasses being a multiskilled operator who can fit into any role required – from supervisor to helping hand – meaning no two days are alike in my role. I’ve been all over the region doing all sorts of stuff. I drive everything ... one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was sitting in a bulldozer on a barge, heading from Kaiteriteri to Torrent Bay to reshape the beach there.
“It was summer and I was sitting on a bulldozer in the middle of the ocean and then landing on a picturesque beach to reshape it. It was just cool. Something different!”
Jay enjoys the team environment at Taylors and the opportunity to learn and develop.
“Taylors fosters a culture of individual value and family. At times in a big company it may not feel like you’re anything but a number, but at Taylors, if you ever are struggling, the company does notice and does do anything it can to help.”
“I believe Taylors provides ample opportunities for growth and advancement, which is exciting for my future within the company and it’s where I want to be heading.
As a dedicated dad, Jay has a busy time outside of work with his family of three kids. “Much of my time is filled with family or sport such as cricket, touch, and golf.”
Jay Wright
Matt Henderson Foreman/operator
Foreman/operator for the Civil team Matt Henderson has been working with Taylors for two-and-a-half years after relocating from Auckland with his partner. “We wanted to move south somewhere. My partner applied for a job with AgFirst in Motueka and got it. I saw an opportunity for a multiskilled operator at Taylors and was successful.”
Matt had previously worked for a small contracting business as a foreman on projects in South Auckland and North Waikato, so working for Taylors has certainly been a change in terms of the scale of the business.
Since starting with Taylors, Matt says that he’s impressed with the way that the business looks after its people and by the interesting projects that he and the team get to do.
“The guys are good to work with. The Taylors boys tend to look after everyone well. Our work is good work. Once you finish and stand back a bit you can be proud of the work that you’ve done. It’s also really satisfying seeing it lead to future work, as opportunities pop up from it as well.”
Matt enjoys the team he gets to work with and loves the role of foreman, which utilises a range of different skills.
“You definitely need to have leadership and people skills and knowlege of the industry. It’s also important to have good management above you.”
Being an operator, especially when he gets to operate the
“Our work is good work. Once you finish and stand back a bit you can be proud of the work that you’ve done.”
grader, is also something he enjoys. Matt describes his typical day as “rocking up to work, doing our pre-starts, having a meeting, moving some dirt, and making things look tidy!”
Matt’s modesty and willingness to go above and beyond to get the work at hand done has been noticed by his colleagues and managers within the business.
“Matt is willing to learn new things and step up to lead the team as and when required,” says Charlie Taylor. “We have heard that he has even worked with other team members to learn some surveying techniques and undertaken some site testing, both of which are outside the scope of his role, so that he can help provide those necessary aspects of a job when needed in support of other staff. On a recent job, Matt provided insights for site engineers that saved the client time and money. He shows great initiative, over and above doing his job as lead operator with skill.”
Matt Henderson
Volunteering COMMUNITY
Taylors Contracting supports our community in a number of ways.
We have a longstanding connection with the Wanderers Rugby Club based in Brightwater and also sponsor the Tasman Rugby referees.
It’s not just sports we get behind, however. We are also proud to support volunteering within the communities where our team are based in Nelson Tasman, Canterbury, and Wellington.
Taylors Contracting is a proud employer of several FENZ and LANDSAR volunteers including Jamie Smith, Ben Hack, Scott Brooks, Tracey Hamilton, and Dave Robinson.
Jamie Smith has been a volunteer firefighter for more than 30 years, 25 years of that time as a senior officer.
While he is now retired from active service with FENZ, Paul Sixtus (known to all of us as ‘Mouse’) gave 25 years of service to the Richmond Volunteer Fire Brigade.
We are also very proud of the many and varied ways that other members of our team give of their time to support our communities, whether it’s by being a mentor, tree planting, or supporting other grassroots initiatives. Every act of service makes a difference, thank you!
Ben, who works in our team in Canterbury, has completed the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge five times, running up 51 flights of stairs of the Auckland Sky Tower wearing his full firefighting kit weighing 25kg. Ben is a member of the Kaiapoi Volunteer Fire Brigade and takes part in the annual challenge to raise awareness and money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ.
Scott Brookes (left) teaches a new recruit about branch handling
Jamie Smith (top)
Paul ‘Mouse’ Sixtus (middle)
Tracey Hamilton, LANDSAR IMT volunteer (bottom)
Forestry Awards AWARDS
Multi-Award-Winning Night for Taylors Contracting at Forestry Awards
Strong recognition of the contribution Taylors Contracting makes to forestry was provided at the Top of the South Forestry Awards in July 2024, with the business’s nominees winning four awards.
Forestry Department Manager Mike Fahey took out the Hero of the Industry Award for 2024.
The award recognises Mike’s 40 years working in the forestry sector, most of it spent with Taylors.
“We love it when our people are recognised for their work,” Taylors CEO Charlie Taylor says. “Forestry is a very important part of our business, and our success in these awards reflects our commitment to what is a vital part of the local economy.”
Taylors nominees received awards across a wide range of categories at the event, which was held at the Trafalgar Centre in Nelson. It was a night of records for the awards event, which attracted 580 attendees (exceeding the number of attendees in 2022) and a remarkable 78 award nominations.
Taylors’ contractor Kevin Palmer of AC Palmer & Sons
shared the Truck Driver Excellence category with Chris Dyer of Borlase Transport. Kevin also took home the best award of the night, Skilled Professional of the Year.
Taylors Contracting’s Heavy Equipment Operator John Brunsden won the award for Roading Civil Excellence, which, when considered alongside Kevin’s effort in the driving section, demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to safe and efficient operations, says Charlie.
Taylors was also a finalist in the Outstanding Environmental Management Award, which reflects the company’s endeavours to be good environmental stewards.
“The environment is very important to our company and to be in contention for this award shows we don’t just talk the talk – we walk the walk,” says Charlie.
“While we work hard internally to recognise the efforts and successes of everyone in our team, including our long-standing contractors, it’s a real boost when we are recognised externally for our efforts,” Charlie says. “These successes are something we can all be proud of.”
Te Pā Harakeke project continues award-winning run
Te Pā Harakeke, a project which featured in our previous Year in Review, received another award in 2024, this time for Stormwater Project of the Year from Water New Zealand.
From left to right are: Charlie Taylor, Mike Fahey (winner of the Hero Of Our Industry Award), and Matt Taylor
Nathan Taylor (left), Chair of the TOTS Awards, and Kevin Palmer, winner of the Skilled Professional of the Year Award and joint winner of the Truck Driver Excellence Award
John Brunsden (left) receives his Roading Excellence award from OneFortyOne’s GM Shaun Truelock
THE TAYLORS WAY Contact us
Operational experience with an innovative approach to problem solving
Taylors Contracting Department Managers
Charlie Taylor
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
021 501 715
Matt Taylor
COO – Chief Operations Officer 021 226 2383
David Robinson
General Manager Nelson Operations
021 385 345
Leanne Hutchinson
Chief Financial Officer
021 496 554
Mike Fahey Forestry Manager 021 460 735
Robbie Swarbrick
Nelson Civil Manager 021 501 195
Ben Burbidge
Rivers and Quarry Department Manager 021 542 540
Craig Merrion
Workshop Manager 021 501 720
Tony Dwane Environmental Advisor 027 2839 590
Nicole McKnight Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager 021 036 3481
Amelia Bradley
Human Resources Advisor 021 329 550
Adam O’Meara
Canterbury Manager 021 59 8253
“The past year has been one of significant milestones for Taylors.”
Ian Kearney ONZM Taylors Contracting Chair
As a family-owned company, our values, commitment, and vision have always been centred around not just business growth, but also the enrichment, sustainability, and wellbeing of future generations.
The Board of Taylors has eight directors, four of whom are Taylors family members. The remaining four are independent directors who offer a range of skills including experience in finance, construction management, and governance. We also have an observer director programme to support governance succession for potential future directors within the Taylors family, and during the year, both Katrina Taylor and Lachie Bell-Taylor spent some time on the board.
The past year has been one of significant milestones for Taylors, such as the extraction of large rock from our Golden Bay quarry and the dispatching of that rock to the Lower North Island, and the completion of the Waimea Community Dam.
The company has successfully navigated through both challenges and opportunities, including an emerging recession. Overcoming these challenges and seizing the opportunities can be attributed to the dedication of Taylors’
employees and the strategic guidance of the management team.
Taylors’ commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility continues to be a cornerstone of the company’s operations. As a governance team, we are acutely aware of the importance of managing Taylors’ responsibilities and risks in this area as we all adapt to the reality of climate change impacts.
Looking forward, we are excited by the opportunities ahead. Our focus remains on expanding our market presence, investing in advanced technologies, and nurturing future leaders within the company and the Taylors family. We are confident in the company’s ability to navigate the evolving market landscape and continue with its legacy of success based on a great company culture.
Regards,
As a family business, lasting relationships matter to us.
Thank you to all our clients for the trust you show in us by placing your projects in our hands.
We are proud to continue the legacy of our founders Bob and Marlene Taylor. We are delighted that the next generation of the Taylor family is taking an active interest in learning about the business as Associate Board Members.
Pictured from left to right are: Charlie Taylor and his daughter Katrina Taylor-Hewitt, Lachie Bell-Taylor and his father Matt Taylor.
Head Office Nelson
Phone: +64 3 542 3150
17 River Terrace Road
Brightwater, Nelson 7022
Christchurch
Phone: +64 3 281 8295
252 Hasketts Road, Yaldhurst, Christchurch 7678