Fletcher Higgins Fiji

We are the Principal Contractor on the Fiji Road Authority's Western Division Maintenance Contract to maintain the unsealed and sealed road network which includes:

• Zone 1 – Sigatoka Area, Nadroga Province
• Zone 2 – Nadi & Lautoka Area, Ba Province
• Zone 3 – Tavua & Ba Area, Ba Province
• Zone 4 – Rakiraki Area, Ra Province
   

We deliver a monthly program of work as approved by the Fiji Road Authority.

For sealed roads:

• Pothole repair
• Mowing
• Rip and remake/Sealing
• Structural repairs – Dig outs

For unsealed roads:

• Grading
• Mowing
• Re-sheeting
• Clearing of water channels
• Building new culvert with headwalls

Emergency response:

• Reinstatement of crossing and bridges approach
• Clearing of land slips
• Reinstatement of road dropouts
• Removal of debris on bridges and on low-line crossings
• Temporary pavement repairs to provide accessibility

Project base works

• Road furniture – Construction of bus shelters
• Village frontage upgrading works – Construction of kerbs, channels, and footpaths
• Construction of bailey bridges
• Upgrading of aged low line crossings
• Repair of bridges and wharfs
• Upgrading works – Unsealed to sealed road
   

We're proud of the improved accessibility that our work brings to rural communities. Children can travel safely to school and farmers can bring more of their produce to the markets.

Client - Fiji Road Authority

Budget - $2million per month (minimum)

On behalf of New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we are upgrading rural health centres in Viti Levu. This work will ensure people living far from main health centres have access to primary health care services.

Fletcher Higgins is leading the refurbishment efforts, with most of the work being self-performed. This includes a wide range of construction and renovation activities, bringing the facilities up to modern standards. Specialised local subcontractors have been engaged for electrical and HVAC systems.

A key aspect of this project is the exclusive use of local Fijian labour and middle management. This approach not only supports local employment but also fosters the development of skills and expertise within the community. This ensures the benefits of these upgrades are felt throughout the region.

This work is being completed in two stages:
• Stage One: NDMO Suva, Galoa, Wainibokasi, Makoi, Korovou, and Nausori
• Stage Two: Nausori (Stage 2), Dogo, Vunitogoloa and Momi

We completed Stage 1 in December 2023 and are now in Stage 2 of the project which is due for completion in February 2025.

Client - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade NZ
Budget - FJD$4 million (stages one and two)

We are working on a design and build contract for the construction of 10 new bridges on Viti Levu Island. This will help to connect communities and support the local economy through continuous road access across the Island. The bridges are designed to be resilient, capable of withstanding the challenges posed by the island’s environment, geo hazards and climate change.

Initiated in 2019, this ambitious project is scheduled for completion by mid-2026. The bridges being constructed fall into two categories: concrete deck bridges and composite deck bridges, each designed to meet specific structural/geotechnical, hydrology and environmental requirements.

Fletcher-Higgins Fiji is executing all construction activities with our in-house teams. This comprehensive approach includes the ground improvement works, piling, fabrication and installation of precast beams and precast panels, all temporary works design and construction, reinforced concrete works, embankments and other civil works such road pavements and surfacing. By self-performing, Fletcher-Higgins ensures high standards of quality and efficiency throughout the construction process.

Client - Fiji Roads Authority
Budget - FJD$120 million

We will begin asphalt milling and filling operations on the main runway of Nadi International Airport in July. The scope of work involves covering an area of 13,860 square meters over a period of two months, ending in September. The project will require approximately 2,700 tonnes of Asphalt AC20.

The Outer Island Pavements project involved rehabilitating existing runways on four outer islands in Fiji including Labasa Airport and Lakeba Airport. Key works at each site included pavement repairs, resurfacing and line marking.

We completed the work ahead of time, reducing the airport shutdown times. The work required a high degree of planning to ensure work was completed according to the construction programme. Typically, work was carried out in 12-hour shifts, six days a week until works were completed. We worked a 7-day week at Kadavu to keep ahead of programme.  

Logistics planning to get plant and materials to site was critical to our success. All plant, materials, and equipment had to be transported to each island via barge from the main island as local supplies would not meet specifications. Quality programming and detailed logistics planning allowed us to ship the right quantity of quality aggregates on time to each work site. This avoided long delays, reduced costs and enabled a high-quality finished product that was delivered ahead of schedule.

Working on these remote islands has given us experience in understanding and foreseeing the type of aggregate supply and logistics issues that are likely in the new contract, to mitigate them we: 

• Long-term plan

• Identify suitable aggregates through quality testing through a IANZ lab

• Secure required aggregate volumes in advance of works starting

There were challenges around moving plant and personnel around four remote islands, but careful programming, attention to detail and our strong experience working in Fiji meant we were able to overcome these challenges and the contract went smoothly.

Project Completion: August 2022

Project Value: $3.5 Million FJD

Project Client: Airports Fiji PTE Limited (AFL) t/a Fiji Airports

Roads facilitate the movement of people and goods between businesses and local and international markets, and enable people to get to jobs, education and health facilities. And perhaps most importantly – they connect communities.

We replaced four deteriorating timber road bridges (three on the main island Viti Levu, and the fourth on the smaller Vanua Levu) with modern concrete structures, creating safer, more resilient connections between villages and access to essential services.

The new bridges separate pedestrians from traffic, dramatically improving safety and are more resistant to both flooding and earthquakes. To maximise efficiency, we constructed three of the four bridges using the same method - bottom driven piles with precast beams. The fourth bridge is similar but founded on piles anchored into basalt rock. We produced the precast bridge beams on our retro-fitted pre-casting bed in Suva, using locally-sourced concrete.

We established our construction programme around a break in the sugar cane crushing season from December to June, as two of the bridges also serve as cane train routes.

Engaging people from the local villages was a key priority, so we employed and trained local people to work on the project. Skills gained helped team members to secure ongoing employment.

Completed in September 2016.

Visitors to Fiji can sit back and relax at the state-of-the-art Momi Bay Resort. The five-star Marriott-Branded hotel is located on Fiji's main island Viti Levu. The 250-room hotel was officially opened in April 2017. Fletcher South Pacific Manager Alan Brown said the Marriott at Momi  provides a new and unique hotel experience for the Fiji holidaymakers.

We were appointed by the client, Fiji National Provident Fund, to undertake remediation works and complete the 250-room hotel in late 2014. Situated between Fiji’s two most popular resort areas, Denarau and the Coral Coast, Momi Bay offers luxury hotel-style accommodation.

The resort includes three restaurants, two swimming pools, fitness and recreation centres, gift shops, tennis courts and a spa with eight treatment rooms, 114 free-standing bures and 136 standard rooms. Twenty-two of the bures are overwater ones – the first man-made, lagoon-based resort in Fiji.

Completed in January 2017.

We helped Fiji improve their international gateway through the Fiji Roads Authority N2 contract.

The contract involved a four-lane construction along the Queens Road in Nadi. The previous road was a heavily-trafficked route servicing about 15,000 vehicles per day. The new road has improved travel times and relieved traffic congestion for both visitors and the local community. Other improvements included better pedestrian footpaths, improved street lighting, and upgraded transport service facilities such as new bus stops.

Completed in April 2018.

United States Army Corps of Engineers built the first major bridge across the Rewa River in the 1940’s, connecting Fiji’s capital Suva with the surrounding Nausori District and the Tailevu Province in the north.

We replaced the outdated, two-lane structure with a modern, nine-span, four-lane road bridge, creating a faster, safer connection between the communities and reducing traffic congestion. With dedicated pedestrian and cycling access, the new bridge also provides a safer crossing for children travelling from Nausori to attend school in Suva.

Designed as a single cell concrete box girder, the 428m bridge was incrementally launched. Each of the 26 bridge segments were cast individually, stressed together with reinforcing cable and pushed progressively out over the water, from pier to pier, to the other side of the river. Segments were cast on a purpose-built casting bay and launched with the aid of a 23m-long ‘launching girder’ and four, 170-tonne hydraulic launching jacks. 

Our work also included a 1km approach road and a 20m-long, single-lane road bridge over Waicuku Creek.

Completed in August 2006.

Michael Valente opened the door to new opportunities in paradise when he moved countries to grow his construction career in Fiji.

His work experience in his home country of South Africa includes owning a civil engineering company for 19 years as well as time as a senior project manager specialising in all aspects of pipeline and road construction.

He started with us as Suva Manager in 2020, a role that represented an exciting opportunity for a lifestyle change for his family. He later relocated to Nadi when he became the Fiji-Higgins Fiji Country Manager in 2023.

Based in our Lomolomo head office, Michael oversees just under 700 staff, making Fletcher the biggest construction company in Fiji with a busy pipeline of work that has quickly ramped up post-Covid.

Michael is responsible for maintaining client relationships, sourcing new work as well as optimisation of existing projects. He visits Fletcher Construction’s head office in Auckland, New Zealand several times a year for senior leadership meetings and enjoys the close connection with the team there. “There’s no challenge that we can’t find a solution to, whether it’s health and safety or technology; we can draw on a wealth of knowledge and the company’s deep history and experience,” he says.

“Fletcher is a good employer and a caring company that looks after its employees.”

Michael promotes a strong safety culture, and has particularly enjoyed being part of the progress Higgins has made on the workplace health and safety journey over the last few years. “Our health and safety standards really set us apart here in the Pacific and I strongly believe in the philosophy of getting our people home safely every day. It’s rewarding to see the results we have made in standardising safety standards across the business and seeing the results of the way we care for our people.”

Although he’s no longer in his home country, Michael says he loves being part of the Fletcher family in the Pacific.

Fletcher’s graduate programmes and training and development support makes it an attractive employer in the Pacific, but has its downsides when staff rise through the ranks and get job opportunities in New Zealand and Australia.

“But on the other hand, it demonstrates the strong opportunities we offer and that once you spend meaningful time working with us, there are opportunities for career progression in the Pacific and further afield.”

Desley Khan brings her personal motto every day to work at Fletcher Higgins' laboratory in Lomolomo. “With every challenge comes opportunities,” says Desley.

Desley’s positive attitude has helped her advance her career. She joined Fletcher-Higgins Fiji as a lab intern in 2022, after pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Desley says she focused on knowing the basics and foundation of road construction to help her become a competent engineer. Desley is now an Asphalt and Bitumen Laboratory Technician, a role that sees her sampling, testing, and reporting test results according to standards.

“Each day has its challenges, like trying to meet the demands of clients by juggling various tests within a timeframe. But in tackling these, I get to learn new things and new tests, and I get to venture into other testing – both in the lab and out in the field. Challenges also make the team come together and have the resolve to deliver high quality results.”

Semi Nakadi has been with Fletcher-Higgins Fiji for nearly nine years, starting as Mechanical Engineer at the Higgins Navakai Depot.

Semi is currently Leading Hand and Asphalt Plant Operator at our Lomolomo Depot where he oversees operations to ensure customers get the best quality products. 

The company’s values of Protect and Be Bold really resonate with Semi. “Protect or safety really stands out for me,” he says. “I’ve never come across an organisation that drives you, how to work safely and efficiently, and teaches you that all injuries can be prevented.”

Meanwhile, Semi uses our Be Bold value to make sure everyone in his team knows and follows the safety guidelines. “I sometimes find it hard to remind people on how to keep safe. Safety really brings a good working environment. I need to be firm and show them the correct way to do things.” 

Senior Laboratory Technician Timoci Seru is currently a KTP and IANZ Signatory for Field Testing. He is also the team Leader for testing asphalt in the Lomolomo laboratory and on-site.

Timoci has been with Fletcher-Higgins Fiji for more than eight years and says working on the Marriot Hotel project so far has been his most unforgettable experience. “I worked on several levels - from subgrade, subbase, basecourse to asphalt level.”

Timoci says our great work atmosphere makes him look forward to going to the laboratory every day. He knows he’s got an amazing team with him. “Every workday brings challenges especially with the tight deadlines, but my awesome team makes them easy to overcome. Thanks to teamwork, we have tremendous sense of achievement after each project.”

Loraini Cavalevu began her career with Fletcher-Higgins Fiji as a Cadet Engineer in 2018. She’s now Maintenance Manager managing Zone 3 under the FRA Maintenance Contract in the Western Division. “I mostly deal with maintaining and upgrading the sealed and unsealed roads, SWCs and bridges and crossings,” Loraini says.

Loraini has several projects under her belt which include LTA Karavi pavement and SWC extension works, rip and remake along the Ba and Tavua arterial roads, and concrete deck crossings upgrades at Ba and Rakiraki.

She says working at Fletcher-Higgins Fiji challenges her to think outside the box and solve puzzles in her work field – and she loves it. “This business fuels my passion for engineering work. Projects give me the opportunity to learn and to improve.”

Rajan Samy had been with Higgins Auckland branch for 15 years when he decided to sign up as expat Asphalt Supervisor in 2020.

He's now helping to deliver several Fletcher-Higgins Fiji projects in Lautoka and the Fiji Airport.

Rajan says he’s very proud of the growth of the safety culture in Fiji. “When I came here in 2020, there was only a couple of things that my 30-man team could identify on how to stay safe – the five-metre rule and watching power lines. Now, one person can give at least 10 hazards and controls. I’m confident that the team will keep their work and home environments safe.”