The joining of forces between three Mercury Bay contractors to undertake a major tree removal operation in Hahei is being heralded as a win for the local economy and a blueprint for how smaller local businesses can successfully work together. Family-run company, Land & Tree Works, responded to a request for tenders from Thames-Coromandel District Council to fell 250 pine trees along Lees Road to facilitate widening of the road. “We knew it was a job we wanted. Our company regularly works in the Mercury Bay South area and has a sense of whakapapa and belonging to those 250 or so trees,” says director Pete Wilson. In order to compete with larger national corporations, the Whenuakite-based operator decided to get creative and see who else they could bring on board to secure the contract. Consequently, when work kicked-off, 16 Mercury Bay residents were inducted onto the site with Land & Tree Works subcontracting Whitianga’s Tree Man Trav and Roadworx to help deliver the job. “Trav and his team have worked seamlessly on site with the Land & Tree Works crew. Amber, also of Tree Man Trav, has delivered traffic management, easing the wait time with a friendly smile for patient Lees Road residents while trees were felled,” says Pete. Ray Blackler of Roadworx has worked extensively in the past with both tree care companies. “Ray has a quiet integrity, a passion for projects and a real willingness to share his wealth of knowledge. The joining of forces between three Mercury Bay businesses to sucessfully deliver a major Thames-Coromandel District Council tree removal contract in Hahei is heralded as a win for the local economy.He’s a great mentor to many and is invaluable to the next generation of operators wanting to gain experience delivering contracts at this level,” Pete says.
Both residents of and visitors to the Lees Road area will benefit when the road is widened and sealed before Christmas 2019. Pete says through awarding the tree removal contract to a local business, TCDC has helped foster a network of professionals capable of delivering significant local contracts. “The whole project has been extremely rewarding. We have a local council supporting local businesses, who in turn employ local people. We also collectively have a real understanding of the local environment and our communities. The success of this approach should give TCDC confidence in using this model for future contracts,” says Pete. TCDC’s District Manager North, Allan Tiplady, says, “Our council is big on endorsing and supporting local as much as we can. This is another quality example of our business community working together to get the job and doing it well. We were also fortunate to be able to do the same thing with our Whitianga town centre upgrade.”
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A bit late in the season but this winter we had a lot of rain so Pete's ok with planting another 500 trees at the new Cemetery a few kms south of Whitianga.
Battle of the SommeToday we learned that this time 100 years ago 15,000 New Zealand men entered the Battle of the Somme. Marking the first major entry into WW1 6000 New Zealanders were injured and 2111 were killed...
At Land & Tree Works we're not particularly into war. We love trees! And today we've begun to plant 2300 at the Stella Evered Memorial Park as part of a contract we have with Thames Coromandel District Council in commemoration of WW1's fallen soldiers. The Stella Evered Memorial Park is a far cry from the battlefield of the Somme but perhaps it was matched in name because of its steep trench-like gully into which the trees are being planted?! The park, created by Eric Evered in memory of his wife, Stella after she died in 1981, is now in trust with the Perpetual Guardians. Today is glorious with only birdsong and the sound of spades digging holes for trees, not trenches. There are five New Zealanders, one Australian, two British and one Italian all working with the vision that in 100 years the trees may have become a forest. We remember... A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they'll never sit in - Greek Proverb. This last week the crew have had a stunning job removing two Panasta Pines for the Department of Conservation. The trees have been breathing down the neck of two significant Pohutukawa trees and DOC want the weeds gone. The lagoon-blue ocean was a delicious back-drop for the guys this week. Another hell day at the office, check out some of the photos...
Getting into the Blogg 2/16/2016
0 Comments There's always lots going on at Land & TreeWorks and today Pete & Susa sat down with a graphics guy to look at nailing the company's brand ID. Meanwhile, the Team are in Tairua titivating trees and moving rocks for a landscaping project. |