The Year Ahead, from Team Morden
What’s in store for 2023?
While industry reports have been relatively pessimistic, Dave Morris and Phil Hebden have their own ideas on where the construction sector is heading.
They also share some insights into Wellington’s unique construction scene.
As the seat of government, Wellington has its own micro-climate of construction activity and government departments have historically built and maintained a strong pipeline of work, despite contractions in the construction industry. Dave and Phil anticipate this will continue into the immediate future with ongoing work to support the delivery of community services such as housing, retail and education. Also, there are several very large-scale residential projects in the pipeline for the Wellington region. Some of which will run over multiple years which will still go ahead despite the current climate and economic forecasts.
Finance is going to feature high up on the agenda with the cost and availability of capital causing the more cautious developers to hold off or, even cancel smaller projects.
Construction Activity Across New Zealand
With reference to commercial and residential activity in general, Dave and Phil believe New Zealand is roughly 10 years into what should have been a typical seven-year cycle. Any other time, we would now be several years into the downward trend of the cycle, but the complications of COVID meant the property market and subsequent construction activity continued and even thrived, albeit in a challenging environment. The changes in the RMA and the Building Act are no doubt going to have their own impacts, but what that will be remains to be seen.
With a steady number of consents having been issued, Morden believes the next two to three years will be relatively consistent, without significant rise or fall. There is still a lack of resource and skilled labour and experience which has impacted the ability for some projects to be completed on time. New Zealand needs people coming in from overseas to help with this shortfall, however when they arrive, those people are also needing somewhere to live.
Building a Resilient and Sustanable Industry
The Morden team stresses that players in the construction sector need to evolve as the market changes. Phil summarises the general volatility of the construction industry by saying, “No plan can survive by being so rigid that it cannot adapt to external forces and how the market is going. We have to be flexible to survive through the ups and downs of our industry which by its very nature is volatile.”
It’s their first-hand experience from years of navigating the challenges typical of the building industry that led Phil and Dave to come together to set up Morden. Over the course of their careers there isn’t one type of construction project or issue they have not handled head on. Their endeavours have included building commercial, residential, industrial as well as community centres, sports and leisure centres, wildlife centres and hospitals. Their projects have included large scale government contracts through to smaller, one-off private projects.
As consultants they work collaboratively with clients across New Zealand who need help to solve problems and challenges in the construction industry. Dave and Phil understand that sometimes. the pressures of trying to achieve what’s needed to be done has the potential to become overwhelming. With a fresh perspective, Dave and Phil enjoy giving clients the confidence, reassurance and added expertise to turn their ventures around, guiding them through the complex issues they are facing and leading them to a successful outcome. Their biggest kick comes from knowing they are making a real difference.
The most successful outcomes are from being prepared. Sound planning, good programming, and methodology and above all, teamwork from the outset is what produces results. Having Morden from the very beginning is an edge that all clients, contractors, and construction stakeholders can benefit from.
What are Morden’s Next Plans?
This year Morden will continue to grow its core service offerings of programming and planning, project management, quantity surveying and construction management and they have a number of exciting projects already in the pipeline for 2023.
Dave states, “Ultimately, we want to help build a sustainable industry that in itself gives people jobs, allows families to grow, allows people to prosper and helps grow the economy. We are actively seeking out projects that do that.”
Dave and Phil want to give back through broader outcomes that benefit the socio-economic climate of New Zealand’s communities. They are keen to work on projects that will have a lasting benefit to society and that enhance the community. Projects Phil and Dave are most interested in being involved with are the ones that improve society, such as building a rehabilitation centre for injured animals or a natural history education centre for schools.
Preparing for Growth
The company has prepared for growth this year by establishing new offices in February 2023. This will allow for team growth and provides a comfortable and secure place of work which encourages wellbeing as well as providing state of the art boardrooms, meeting spaces and even a gym. Dave and Phil know that their team excels in delivering very high quality, professional services that will benefit not just their clients, but potentially the Wellington community and the industry as a whole.
While Morden is located in Wellington, if their clients need them elsewhere, they can cover all of New Zealand.
Is it time to have a conversation with the team at Morden? Reach out today for a chat. It could be just what you need to complete your next successful venture.
