Operations & Works Group
About Works Group
The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Works Group is a stand-alone business unit that provides service delivery functions for HBRC. The Operations Section carries out civil engineering works (formerly the Works Department of the Hawke’s Bay Catchment Board).
The Group has operated since 1989 and is involved in all aspects of river and drainage works in rural and urban environments, from maintenance - mowing, spraying, excavating drainage channels, bridge works, and fencing – to civil and concrete structure construction and drain laying.
The Group also does contractual and hourly hire work for Hastings District, Napier City, Wairoa District, CHB and Gisborne District Councils, and as head or sub-contractors for construction of other civil engineering works. Through our work across the region and with local councils, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Works Group has excellent knowledge and experience of local conditions and District and City Council policies.
Contact
Works Group main Office and depot, river end of Guppy Road, Taradale, 0064 6 845 9210
Southern District depot, Takapau Road State Hwy 2 Waipukurau, 0800 108 838
Project Management
The Group currently undertakes the majority of its work under tendered or negotiated contracts and therefore has a good understanding of contractual expectations and issues.
Work programmes and deadlines are managed through daily tasks setting, job sheets and timesheets in accordance with an annual work programme or contract timetable. The Group has a fleet-link radio network, providing coverage within Hawke’s Bay. .
Emergency management forms a critical part of our core business and our workforce is highly-skilled in this area. We have responsibility for managing and operating a network of flood control and drainage schemes, including all stormwater pumping stations. Our staff are also trained responders for any oil spill events.
Management Skills
The Works Group has its own management structure headed by the Works Group Manager and Contract Manager who work closely on a daily basis with the Council’s Asset Engineers for rivers, drains, and open spaces. This management team offer over 30 years of combined experience in Civil Engineering and contracting works. Working alongside the Managers are two overseers who are directly responsible for the management of staff and plant on a daily basis, in both the Taradale and Waipukurau Depots.
Quality Assurance
The Works Group has a formal quality assurance system to TQS 1 standard for continued improvement. This standard, plus the provision of quality equipment and well-trained staff provide an experienced unit that takes pride in the type and quality of work they deliver.
Staff
The 25 staff have areas of expertise covered include civil construction and working around or in civil machinery, chainsaw use and tree felling and chemical application to registered spray applicator status, fencing, specialist pipe laying and bridging. All staff complete annual assessments and training plans are developed.
Equipment
The Group has as part of its modern and well-maintained plant fleet tractors, trucks, excavators, weedboats, reach and flat mowers, spray units, scrub bars, chainsaws and other small plant items.
We also encourage innovation and initiative within the Group. Examples of this are purpose-designed hydraulic spray application booms, significant modifications to long reach mowers, and design and construction of purpose-built weed-boats.