October 30, 2013
Jobs held out as dam sweetener
The company trying to build the Ruataniwha Dam says at least a quarter of the construction workforce will come from local iwi.
Andrew Newman, the managing director of Hawke's Bay Regional Investment Company, says companies bidding to build the dam were required to include a Local Industry Participation policy in their tenders.
That includes opportunities for local contractors and suppliers, skills and training opportunities and an aspirational target of 25 per cent iwi employment within the construction workforce, which could be up to 300 to 400 jobs.
The shortlist includes French-based contractor Bouygues Construction, and a joint venture between New Zealand company Hawkins and Spanish company Obrascon Huarte Lain.
The 83-metre-high dam west of Waipawa has been opposed by Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc, but the Hawke's Bay Regional Council, which is driving the project, has been trying to get backing from hapu in the area.
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