Following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, RBS Group initially volunteered in Hawke’s Bay before being appointed by the Regional Council Silt Recovery Task Force as an authorised contractor to support the region’s large‑scale clean‑up effort. Recognising the need for a coordinated, solution‑focused approach, we rapidly expanded our capability to provide civil construction and earthworks services alongside our established vertical construction expertise.

To meet the significant demand, we assembled a fleet of excavators, tractors, and trailers, enabling us to support a wide range of recovery and rebuild projects. As the main contractor, our responsibilities included job‑site coordination, staff and subcontractor management, project and site management, earthworks delivery, machinery maintenance and compliance, project reporting, and full health and safety oversight.

We partnered with several local subcontractors — including truck drivers, machinery operators, and silt‑screening teams — ensuring the recovery effort supported local employment while providing a streamlined, end‑to‑end service for clients navigating an extremely challenging time.

Across eight months with the Silt Task Force, our team moved approximately 350,000m³ of silt and 50,000m³ of waste and demolition material, contributing significantly to the region’s clean‑up and rebuild.