CCF Vic launches excavator comp

At Civenex near Warragul in Victoria's Gippsland in mid February, the Victorian Civil Contractors Federation launched an excavator competition.

Half a dozen operators demonstrated their skills across a range of activities in machines provided by Cat rentals.

Tasks included painting the letters C, A and T on large sheets of butchers' paper set on easels, picking up and stacking tyres, negotiating witches hats barely wider than the excavator's tracks, upending and turning sections of concrete pipe and tipping water from one bucket to another.

In New Zealand, a national excavator competition run by the New Zealand Contractors Federation, provides a dozen opportunities a year for the public to see the skills the industry needs, and to encourage young people to enter it as a career, CEO Richard Michael told the CCF's national conference in November.

At the time he hoped Australia might import the competition from New Zealand. “Then we could have a Trans Tasman test series we'd have a chance of winning,” he said tongue in cheek.

Now it has happened.

The NZ competition comprises 12 regional competitions, either as stand alone events or as part of agricultural and other shows. Up to 20 people compete at a time although the ideal number is between 12 and 14. They lead to a grand final at Fielding in the southern central part of the North Island.

Sponsored by Telecom and Goughs Cat, the test involves operators performing at eight points on a test circuit. They use their excavators to grasp a teapot and pour the contents into a cup, lift a ball from a T piece and place it in a 4m tall pipe, write numbers on paper with a paintbrush, pick up flat-on-the-ground paving stones, travel through a slalom course and drive the machine onto a trailer.

“We also test their knowledge of OH&S and first aid. Then we test their PR skills because one of the things we do is encourage kids to drive mini skidsteers and have the competing operators there to help them.”

Sections

CCF Vic launches excavator comp

Weekly Top Stories

Document Actions