CCL

Nothing beats a feed after a solid run of work. The Levin crew out for brekky to mark a great effort on site.

Thanks to the team at Raewyn's Café for looking after us!

The team out in Eastbourne last week, renewing service laterals for the local community.

It's the kind of work most people never notice, which is exactly the point. Better connections, fewer problems down the track, and a street left the way we found it.

Heads up, Alicetown. We're starting a wastewater renewal job next week on Tama Street, Mudie Street and Fitzherbert Street.

If you live or park nearby, it's worth a read, and thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.

Another big week in Levin. We're into the final stretch now, with just 16 metres between us and the finish line.

Great effort from the team out there. Keep it up!

New machine day. We're pretty excited to take delivery of our new Yanmar SV86.

Over the next few days we'll get our branding on it and spend some time getting acquainted, then it's straight to work replacing wastewater mains in Alicetown for Tiaki Wai.

We looked at a lot of options before settling on the SV86. For the sort of work we do, it hits the sweet spot: small enough to work safely and efficiently in tight urban streets, but with the reach, lifting capacity and hydraulic performance we need for deeper excavations, manhole installations and trench shoring.

Like all our plant purchases, this wasn't about buying the biggest machine. It was about buying the right machine for the job.

A big thank you to Dan Clavelle and the team at TDX for helping us through the process. Looking forward to putting it to work and seeing what it can do.

We're in the people business. We just happen to lay pipes.

Plenty of people have started at CCL with little or no industry experience and gone on to become skilled operators, drainlayers and civil infrastructure tradespeople.

Some are still with us. Some have gone on to other opportunities across the wider New Zealand construction industry. Either way, we're proud to have played a part in their journey.

From a team of six in 1991 to around 46 people today, backing our people and investing in training has always been part of who we are. We've always believed that if someone leaves CCL better off for having worked here, that's a good thing.

We train our own, back people to have a crack, and give them opportunities to develop their skills and build a career.

If you're looking for a trade with long-term opportunities, water infrastructure is a pretty good place to start.

We're always keen to hear from:

• Civil construction labourers
• Drainlayers
• Class 2 and Class 4 drivers
• Excavator operators
• HDD locators and operators
• Project managers
• Site managers.

Email: [email protected]

The best pipe replacement is the one you never see.

Replacing underground services doesn't always mean digging up roads, footpaths, and berms.

Using trenchless methods such as pipe bursting and horizontal directional drilling, we can renew or install underground infrastructure with far less excavation. That means less disruption for residents, fewer traffic impacts, reduced reinstatement, and a quicker return to normal for everyone.

CCL has been delivering water and wastewater infrastructure across the Wellington region for more than 35 years, and we continue to use specialist trenchless methods, including pipe bursting, horizontal directional drilling, and pipe ramming.

When conditions are right, trenchless construction is one of the smartest ways to renew ageing infrastructure while minimising the impact on the people living and working around it.

Less digging. Less disruption. Better for the community.

Be the best place to work.

That has been our BHAG for years, and it has not changed. We are the people who work for us, so it matters that everyone here feels CCL is the best place to work.

It shows up in the detail. Our eight core values are etched on the windows of our offices, displayed in our training room and up in our site offices. Every week, examples of our team living those values are shared at senior leadership meetings, and the same values are the award categories at our end of year function.

It also shows up in our teams. Each one has developed its own identity, shaped by the people and leaders in it. Teams change over time, but the pride and comradeship carry through.

And it shapes the work itself: infrastructure built today, for tomorrow and 100 years to come. We design our projects with kaitiakitanga in mind, guardians of the land and water, building something our communities can rely on well beyond us.

Well, that's a wrap. The 2026 CCNZ Conference is done and, with it, my time as President is almost at an end.

If you didn't make it to Wellington this year, you missed a good one.

For me, one of the best things about Conference has always been catching up with people. It's a chance to reconnect with old mates, make a few new ones, see what others are doing, and spend some time talking about the things that matter to our industry.

Over three days we heard from politicians, industry leaders and innovators. We talked about infrastructure, procurement, workforce challenges, technology and the work that still needs to be done to give New Zealand the infrastructure it deserves. We didn't solve every problem, but there were certainly plenty of good conversations.

It was also great to see our associates and suppliers out in force. Their support of the Conference and the wider industry is hugely important and greatly appreciated.

One of my favourite parts of the week is always the awards. We have some incredibly talented people in this industry, delivering outstanding projects in often challenging conditions. To all the finalists and winners, congratulations. You should be proud of what you've achieved.

As I come to the end of my time as President, one thing stands out above everything else. CCNZ is only as strong as the people who volunteer their time, share their experience, support one another and step forward when the industry needs them. Over the last two years I've been fortunate enough to work alongside some outstanding people and see that spirit firsthand.

Thank you for allowing me to be part of that journey. It's been one of the great privileges of my career.

David Howard, CCNZ President & CCL CEO

Not a bad view from the office today! ☀️

The team spent the day at the top of Mt Vic disconnecting an old reservoir for Tiaki Wai, with the airport and Wellington harbour laid out below. Hard to beat working days like this one.