Our people sharing their safety stories
Strengthening safety capability, Northpower shared critical risk stories to reinforce controls and empower teams to prevent life‑threatening incidents.
28 May 2026
Recognising wellbeing and safety excellence
National industry recognition this year affirmed Northpower’s leadership in wellbeing and safety, highlighting a culture built on care, collaboration and responsibility.
These awards reflect a consistent focus across the business – building a culture where wellbeing and safety are part of how we work, not an add on.
Winning two Transpower STAR Awards
At the Transpower New Zealand Safety Thanks and Recognition (STAR) Awards, we received the Wellbeing Award in recognition of the progress we’ve made to strengthen wellbeing across the organisation.
Our approach has focused on practical, people led actions – improving mental health literacy, increasing access to support, providing clearer role expectations and encouraging more frequent, meaningful check ins. The continued growth of the Kaitiaki Network has also strengthened our culture by helping people feel confident to speak up and support one another.
In accepting the award, Wellbeing Manager Matt McCormick spoke about the importance of steady, genuine change rather than short term programmes.
“What we’re trying to build isn’t a programme – it’s a culture shift made up of quiet increments. The kind where people actually check in on each other, not in the ‘are you done with that incident report?’ kind of way, but in the real, meaningful way that actually matters.”
Northpower were also named the joint winner with Transpower, Pipeline and Civil and CB Civil of the Team Safety Award for the 220kV Brownhill–Pakuranga cable jointing project.
The project brought together multiple contractors working across several high risk sites. Its success was driven by strong collaboration, shared planning and open communication, with safety embedded into every stage of delivery.
General Manager Transmission and Growth Brett Sweeny acknowledged the collective effort behind the achievement.
“It is great to see the teams rewarded for the collaborative environment that has been established, which has allowed staff to share learnings and continue to deliver a safe and quality service.”
Project Manager Gavrilo Kovacevic also recognised the role of teamwork in achieving the outcome.
“This achievement is the result of everyone’s hard work and collaboration. Each person involved played a vital role in making this outcome possible.”
Recognising complex work on the ground
Our people and projects were also recognised in Safeguard magazine, with a feature on the Brownhill–Pakuranga cable jointing project, which was a finalist in the 2025 Safeguard Awards – Collaboration category.
One of our most complex underground builds, the project involved multiple contractors, specialist teams and up to 70 people from more than 20 nationalities working on site each day. Team members were interviewed for the feature, highlighting the co-ordination, planning and care required to deliver complex work safely in a constrained urban environment.
Acting to keep the public safe
Our commitment to safety extends beyond our work sites and into the communities we serve. At the Powerco SHINE Safety Awards, Project Manager Ryan Watts and Design Estimator Danny Brown from our Tauranga depot received the Public Safety Award for their actions following a serious car accident.
After witnessing the incident, Ryan and Danny immediately stepped in to reduce further risk, supported those involved and safely redirected traffic until emergency services arrived. Their calm, decisive response demonstrated care, professionalism and a strong sense of responsibility for public safety.
A shared commitment
These awards highlight what’s possible when people feel supported, connected and empowered to do the right thing. They reflect a shared commitment across the organisation – putting people first, working together and holding safety and wellbeing at the centre of how we operate.
We’re proud of this recognition and grateful to every person who contributes to building a culture where looking out for each other is simply part of the job.
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Shared learnings for better outcomes
Through its National Safety Forum, Northpower strengthened safety culture by enabling open discussion, shared learning and collaboration across teams.
Nobody goes it alone at Northpower
Strengthening wellbeing capability, Northpower’s Kaitiaki Network supported mental health through trained peer support, building connection and care across the organisation.
