The job with the best view in the city

The crane, which was installed onsite in June 2023, has been used to lift construction materials, like diggers, from the loading zones on Harris Street and Victoria Streets into the building. The machine can lift around 8 tonnes at short distance, and 5 tonnes when the jib (neck) of the crane is extended.

“You’ve got to keep the weight of the crane balanced,” explains Dylan, “crane operating feels a bit like standing on a fence post with a fishing rod in your hands.” 

Dylan’s team is made up of a crane driver, two dogmen (riggers), one rigging lead, and one person assisting with the load landing at its destination. On a good day, they can complete around 30 lifts, but a lot of safety considerations need to be made when hoisting things up in windy Wellington. 

“Operating a crane is an unforgiving task when it comes to the weather,” explains Dylan, “every day we come in and figure out what we can safely achieve, as we need a good run of fine days for a lot of the work to go smoothly.”

Materials that the crane lifts must rise evenly and steadily, and Dylan must make many calculated adjustments to counteract the gusts of wind. 

When moving lighter materials like panes of glass, the crane team attach cables to keep everything stable as it is being lifted and shifted.

While the panes may be keeping steady, Project Manager Stu Hercus says he is blown away by the talent of the team.

“It takes a lot of skill to deal with a crane in the Wellington wind- I’d say the team are up there with the best in the world.” 

Although the work is challenging, Dylan’s work gives has given him an elevated perception on the construction process.

“It’s a different world when you’re operating a crane,” says Dylan, “you just can’t comprehend how much they can lift compared to moving things by hand.”

“Plus, the view from the crane is incredible, there’s not many places where you can see the Southern Coast, Eastbourne, and Hutt Valley all at the same time.”

While LT McGuinness have wrapped up their crane work onsite, they won’t be forgetting the project anytime soon.

“We take a lot of pride in the work we’ve done here,” Says Stu, “we’re not likely to see a project as complex as Te Matapihi again.”

The crane is currently being removed from Te Matapihi. Victoria Street will be closed to all through traffic from Willeston Street to the Mercer Street intersection during the removal period of 14-19 September (weather permitting), with contingency days of 20-26 September.