Assisting with two flood events within 18 months of each other has seen QRS grow its operational strength and coordination to meet the district’s needs.
The response has led to more employment opportunities for locals and a strong foundation for QRS says the Wairoa roading company’s chief executive, Jeremy Harker.
The compassionate and practical response to Cyclone Gabrielle and the June flooding from Quality Roading and Services staff has cemented the company’s value to the region for years to come.
Jeremy reflects back to February 14 2023, when the events of Cyclone Gabrielle were pivotal for the midsized company.
“During the state of emergency, we found ourselves in the eye of the storm, and I am very proud of how QRS and the community reacted.
“Not only did we respond to the community’s needs immediately after the cyclone, but once things had settled down, we began playing our part in the government-funded recovery with NZTA Waka Kotahi and Wairoa District Council,” explains Jeremy.
QRS coordinated its own staff and over 40 sub-contractors to focus on reopening roads, silt removal, and clearing flood-damaged property. The staff commitment to the community was impressive given
that QRS’s own depot was seriously flooded and that some employees were managing severe damage to their own homes.
“Our staff hit the ground running, making early decisions based on what aid and assistance we could provide. The good relationship we have with our owner, Wairoa District Council, meant it had confidence in us to just go out there and start.”
Soon, the much-needed financial boosts for repairing local roading arrived, and the region began to move forward with the continuing help of QRS.
Staff focused on connecting communities by clearing and opening roads, culverts, slips, and other damage. They also worked alongside local contractors removing silt and flood debris from flood-impacted property. “Secure funding gave Wairoa District Council and ourselves a way forward, a new-found focus.”
Recent strategic positioning and business diversification by QRS meant the company could handle the daunting tasks that lay ahead, says Jeremy. It’s also meant the nearly 30-year-old company has been able to successfully springboard into its next phase. “We saw that with our response to the June flooding. We were on the ground and could take our previous learnings and respond more effectively and efficiently.
“Staff numbers have grown from 90 to 130, including in the concreting and traffic management divisions. QRS now has greater bitumen spraying capability, two new project supervisors, a competency assessor, and a second health and safety staff member, all supporting the urgent civil infrastructure work needed across the region.
There are other long-term positives to have come out of the event. “The cyclone has had a large impact on our town, but one good thing is that we now have the confidence to be a company of scale, a company that has earned the respect of locals, and the civil contracting industry nationally. That’s good for our future and, as a result, good for our community.”
4 November 2024
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