WELLINGTON, Jul 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand’s civil construction industry is riding a massive rebound in post-pandemic business confidence, but this may be undermined by skills shortages, which continue to be the industry’s top challenge, a survey showed today.
Findings from the 2021 Construction Industry Survey, a partnership between Teletrac Navman and Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ), validate growing sector confidence, with 50 percent of those polled optimistic that the New Zealand construction industry is on the upward trajectory, and over half predicting turnover and staff growth in the next 12 months.
A significant difference in this year’s survey results is a rise in the requirement for skilled staff to unprecedented levels, with growing workloads and closed borders. Industry is confident about future work, but needs clarity from local and central governments, on when work will come to the market.
As New Zealand normalises post-pandemic, issues such as fluctuating costs, sustainability and environmental impact, have returned to the spotlight, and will influence client procurement decisions that set how the country’s infrastructure is built, in years to come.
“It’s encouraging to see the groundswell of optimism in New Zealand’s civil construction industry, which indicates the country is back to business-as-usual post-COVID,” said Peter Silcock, CEO of Civil Contractors New Zealand.
“The future of construction in New Zealand certainly lies in keeping the people within this sector confident, so civil contractors can continue to invest in the right people, capability, and equipment for the work ahead.”– NNN-XINHUA
