For Auckland is a new Spinoff podcast of civic conversations with people working to create and sustain a better Auckland for all. In episode three host Timothy Giles spoke to Mark Spencer about how to build a construction sector that can build a world-class city.
On Sunday the government announced an agreement with the construction industry designed to mutually help each other sort their mess out.
The sector certainly needs improvement. Industry leader Mainzeal Property and Construction collapsed in 2013 owing $110 million and the effects are still being felt. The latest failure, Eberts Construction liquidated in August last year leaving debts that have grown to $108 million.
To help explain the issues the struggling sector is facing, and how to chart a way forward Mark Spencer, global director buildings for Beca and Committee for Auckland co-chair, joins our latest For Auckland podcast.
Spencer is an engineer who has worked his whole career in one of New Zealand’s construction success stories, Beca – a 3000-employee company that works across the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, with a fledgling presence in Europe. Spencer oversees Beca’s building practices in New Zealand, Australia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Europe, giving him a unique perspective from which to explain the challenges and opportunity for the construction industry to make Auckland into a world-class city. He believes New Zealand has unique characteristics to make a robust and healthy future achievable. For once, our lack of size is an asset – but only if the whole sector raises its aspirations and radically changes its behaviour.
