{"id":334619,"date":"2026-03-17T21:51:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/334619\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T21:51:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:51:09","slug":"bay-of-plenty-veteran-ready-to-dig-deep-at-nz-excavator-operator-showdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/334619\/","title":{"rendered":"Bay of Plenty veteran ready to dig deep at NZ excavator operator showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img  alt=\" Bay of Plenty champion Andy Morris with 1-year-old granddaughter, Ivar, at Fieldays after winning the Bay of Plenty regional event. Photo \/ Civil Contractors New Zealand\" class=\"article-media__image responsively-lazy\" data-test-ui=\"article-media__image\"\/> Bay of Plenty champion Andy Morris with 1-year-old granddaughter, Ivar, at Fieldays after winning the Bay of Plenty regional event. Photo \/ Civil Contractors New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>A test of precision and nerves<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">This year\u2019s competition will see operators perform an extraordinary range of precision challenges, from slam\u2011dunking basketballs and pouring cups of tea to painting pictures &#8211; all using their excavators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">In past years, competitors have even faced off in a giant Connect Four\u2011style challenge, a spectacle tested by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during the 2024 event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">But beyond the showmanship lies a serious test of industry\u2011critical skills. Competitors must complete health and safety quizzes, pre\u2011start machine checks, and the Connexis One\u2011day Job Challenge, which assesses planning, scoping and execution of a job from start to finish.<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">Northland\u2019s Steven George, who claimed the national title in 2025, returns as the man to beat after securing his latest regional victory &#8211; his third consecutive Northland win. The self\u2011styled \u201cKing in the North\u201d is chasing a rare consecutive national championship.<\/p>\n<p>Competition with real\u2011world impact<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">Civil Contractors New Zealand chief executive Alan Pollard said this year\u2019s competition carried added significance following the devastating floods and landslides that struck the upper North Island in January.<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">He said skilled excavator operators were among the first on the ground clearing debris, reopening roads and supporting isolated communities &#8211; work that is both vital and often overlooked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">\u201cTheir work in the aftermath of those events was nothing short of heroic,\u201d Pollard said. \u201cIt\u2019s a side of their profession that often goes unrecognised.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">An EPIC Careers Hub will run alongside the competition course, giving the public a chance to learn more about careers in civil construction at a time when demand is expected to surge. <\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">With major projects such as the Government\u2019s Roads of National Significance and significant water infrastructure upgrades on the horizon, more operators will be needed around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Inspiring the next generation<\/p>\n<p class=\"KYEvgaSZnwMMmNilyq\" style=\"display:none\">Crowd favourite Doug the Digger returns for his 20th anniversary at the national finals, offering a \u201cmini dig\u201d experience for children keen to try their hand at the controls and mimic the skills on display.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bay of Plenty champion Andy Morris with 1-year-old granddaughter, Ivar, at Fieldays after winning the Bay of Plenty&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334620,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1975,1561,25819,88853,179434,111,43,139,69,1118,44355,1562,34592,30948,61,9347],"class_list":["post-334619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-at","tag-bay","tag-deep","tag-dig","tag-excavator","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-operator","tag-plenty","tag-ready","tag-showdown","tag-to","tag-veteran"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}