Spring Creek learners get a close-up look at project
Taylors Contracting is providing the opportunity for the students at Spring Creek School to get a close-up, and safe, look at the work the company is doing near the school.
On 11 December Taylors hosted a visit from a group from the school. The children were able to get up close to some of the large machinery on site and learn about the project that is underway to upgrade flood protection in the area on behalf of Marlborough District Council.
“We love that the children as so interested in what’s happening right on the school’s doorstep,” says Charlie Taylor, CEO of Taylors Contracting. “We want to encourage that curiosity, you never know who amongst the children might be a brilliant future digger operator or environmental advisor.”
Taylors is supplying the school with a class set of child-size high vis vests and will look forward to future visits from Spring Creek School.
“We are incredibly grateful to the team at Taylors Contracting for generously extending their smoko break to create such a meaningful learning opportunity for our tamariki,” says Cheryl Alderlieste, Tumuaki/Principal, Spring Creek School.
“The chance to ask questions, learn about the environment, and hear firsthand about construction site safety made this experience both engaging and valuable. A huge mihi to Taylors for supporting our kura and our tamariki in their role as kaitiaki of the Wairau Awa.”
The Spring Creek contract is the latest project in an 50-year connection that Taylors Contracting has in Marlborough going back to the work led by Charlie Taylors’ late father Bob in the 1970s.
“Back then we were setting up the infrastructure required for the power lines and telecommunications, and the roading needed for forestry,” says Charlie. “Since then we’ve done work to reopen the roads into the Marlborough Sounds following adverse weather events and have worked for the Marlborough District Council on repair and remediation work. We understand how important that work is for the community.
“Half of the current crew who are working at Spring Creek are local people and we are looking for more Marlborough people to join our team. In the past we’ve had a physical office in Renwick and we are considering setting up another base in the region in the near future.”
ENDS
Notes for editors:
The upgrade to two primary sections of stop bank along Peninsula Road near the township is needed to prevent the banks failing. If this happened it would compromise the safety of Spring Creek township and State Highway 1.
The stop banks were damaged in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and 2021 and 2022 floods. While repairs have been carried out, they remain vulnerable.
The repair and resilience work in Spring Creek will be funded by Council and the Government’s Kānoa regional development fund. The project cost is $22.5M with $13.8M funded by Kānoa and the remainder by Council.
The contract for the project was awarded in early November to Taylors Contracting Co Ltd and is on track for completion in June 2027.
