David Howard has used his last conference speech as Civil Contractors New Zealand President to highlight the importance of certainty in infrastructure planning, no matter which political party is voted into Parliament in November. By Natasha Jojoa Burling.
Around 550 people attended the conference, which took place from 12–14 August at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre.
David told delegates that, being an election year, the conference probably matters more than usual.
“It’s been another challenging year for many of our members.
“We’ve continued to deal with uncertainty in the forward pipeline.”
He says businesses have had to make some difficult decisions and the world doesn’t seem any more certain than it was a year ago.
“And depending on where you are in the country, some parts of our industry are still busy, while others are still waiting for confidence to return.
“I know many of you are feeling that pressure. My own business hasn’t been immune from it either.”
However, David says when things get tough, civil contractors adapt, solve problems and find another way forward.
New Zealanders will soon head to the polls so there’ll be plenty of debate about the future of this country over the next few months, which is healthy and part of democracy, he says.
“Our job isn’t to tell people how to vote. Our job is to make sure whoever forms the next Government understands what it takes to deliver the infrastructure New Zealand needs.”
Regardless of who wins the election, the country will still need roads, drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, resilient communities and skilled people capable of delivering that work, says David.
“Because at the end of the day, nothing gets built until contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and our people have done their bit.”
He says there was a consistent message from members when CCNZ was putting its Election Manifesto together.
“Whether we were talking to contractors in Northland, Southland, Gisborne, Canterbury, Wellington, or anywhere in between, people kept talking about the same things.”
They are: the work pipeline, procurement, workforce, training, certainty and the ability to plan ahead and invest with confidence.
“That ability to plan ahead starts with certainty around the forward pipeline of work,” says David.
“Contractors aren’t asking for certainty because it makes life easier. They’re asking for certainty because it allows them to invest [in people, apprentices, plant, systems, capability, and the future].”
The same message came through loud and clear in the Cost of stopping report CCNZ commissioned earlier this year.
“Not because contractors needed another report. But because contractors have been telling us the same thing for years.
“When work stops, capability doesn’t just sit around waiting. People move on, skills are lost, businesses hold back on investment, and communities wait longer for the infrastructure they need.”
“Maybe one of the biggest opportunities for New Zealand is to spend less time focusing only on the lowest-cost option, and more time focusing on value.
“Because lowest cost and best value aren’t always the same thing.”
David says the roads that contractors build today will be carrying traffic decades from now, the water infrastructure they install today will be serving communities long after they’ve moved on and the apprentices they employ today could still be working in the industry 40 years from now.
“And that’s why infrastructure needs thinking that extends beyond the next budget cycle, the next financial year or even the next election.”
“Serving as CCNZ President has been one of the great privileges of my career.
“And I’m very grateful for the support, guidance, encouragement and friendship I’ve received along the way.”
David’s two-year term expired at CCNZ’s 2026 Annual General Meeting on 26 August, and he didn’t seek re-election. At the time of Contractor going to print, Vice President Jeremy Dixon had indicated he would be seeking election to the position of President.
Celebrations all round