When the heavens opened over the Nelson Tasman region in the first half of July, unleashing devastating flooding, a man and his team put on their work boots and donned their hi-vis to re-open the highways that form a lifeline for the region’s communities.

That man was 33-year-old Nick Webby, who heads up the team responsible for maintaining 386km of state highway in Nelson Tasman as Fulton Hogan’s Network Outcomes Contract (NOC) Manager for the region.

He says the damage they came across in many areas was enormous and it was all hands on deck to clear state highways of debris, make them safe and reconnect lifelines.

“There’s an immense pride in knowing we got in there and got the job done safely to get a road open for people to get through. That’s real job satisfaction.”

More than just road maintenance

Nelson-based Nick has overseen the maintenance of state highways in the region for five years and says most of the time his work is straightforward.

However, when extreme rainfall struck this month, his role transformed from routine road maintenance and renewals to emergency response – making critical decisions to keep people safe.

“You get satisfaction out of being able to help people, connect communities and make a difference. Our teams live locally in the community, so they’re able to give back to them as well.

“Being a part of the community means that, like others, some of our staff were directly affected with property damage. Fulton Hogan rallied around them and donated to the Mayoral Relief Fund.”

Dealing with the flooding involved collaboration with Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency and even the army, with the Emergency Operations Centre relying on Nick and his team to provide critical intelligence on whether emergency services could get through.

“We might close a full length of highway, but it’s actually maybe two or three pinch points. Being able to pass that information on to emergency services means they know they can reroute or if they bring an appropriate vehicle, they can get through.”

Working with other agencies has also been key to getting the job done quicker, he says.

“The fire service have been helping us out, doing some sluicing on rock faces to bring down debris – there’s been some good collaboration.”

Taking care of people, not just roads

Nick says the priority is always his people who have been doing a “bloody awesome job on the ground”. It’s vital to keep them safe while they’re trying to help others.

“It’s a challenge getting the message out to the public to stay off the roads, this is crucial to keep the public safe and our teams too. Some of the risks that we face are uncontrolled, like active slip faces and rising flood waters.”

The work of Nick and his team has meant 98 per cent of the state highway network in the Nelson Tasman region had become traversable, even before the regional state of emergency was lifted on 17 July.

He says whether it’s emergency response or routine maintenance, the approach is always to improve the existing infrastructure where possible, which seems to be paying off.

“We do build back better where we can, which is probably proving its worth in the sense that we don’t always seem to be going back to the same spots.”

Nick says one positive to take from the situation is how the civil construction industry pulls together in times of crisis, with him talking regularly with his counterpart in Downer, which looks after roads in the Waimea area to discuss ways they can help each other achieve their goals.

“People’s walls come down because we’ve got the same common goal. Everyone wants to try and connect people and get roads open. It brings down barriers and it’s always quite humbling to see that we can just muck in together.”

Nick says he takes pride in how situations like the recent extreme weather events showcase Fulton Hogan’s values in action and what its people can do.

“Fulton Hogan has core values of respect, energy and effort, attitude and leadership. An event like this really shows what we do as a company and how we push that.”

Ready to step up?

For people considering careers in civil infrastructure, Nick’s story shows that no two days are the same when you’re working in civil infrastructure construction and road maintenance. One day you can be building and maintaining essential infrastructure, and the next you can find yourself playing a vital role on the frontlines in emergencies, reconnecting isolated communities and potentially saving lives.

If you’re looking for a job that combines challenge, community service and collaboration, plus the chance to become a hero in hi-vis, explore the world of opportunities in the industry by taking a wander through the Civil Construction Careers Roadmap.