
27 Sep EUROFLO® pipe used in aftermath of Napier flooding
EUROFLO® pipe used to restore roads in aftermath of Napier flooding
After Cyclone Gabrielle caused devastating flooding for the Napier-Hawke’s Bay region earlier this year [February 2023], the focus quickly turned to fixing damaged infrastructure, reopening roads and helping the community get back on its feet.
Before contractors could start fixing roads and restoring access to isolated communities, one of the big challenges was getting the supplies needed to carry out the much-needed repair work.

That’s when the team at P&F Global stepped up — overcoming closed roads, diversions and freight restrictions to help get a massive load of EUROFLO pipe through to the Fulton Hogan Napier team so they could get on with the rebuild.
“Shane Tipu from Fulton Hogan Napier reached out to our team to find out what pipes and stock we had available,” says Joseph McLean, Sales Manager at P&F Global. “We shared a list of everything we had available in the country and the response that came back was that they would probably need it all.”
Everyone that has been part of this project in some way can be proud of the role we have played in helping restore rural roads and supporting vital access for rural communities cut off by Cyclone Gabrielle. By getting Fulton Hogan the product they needed, when they needed it, we have been able to help them reinstate vital infrastructure that thousands of people rely on.”




Communications were disrupted for large parts of Napier which meant the exchange of messages and information with Fulton Hogan was brief and quite sporadic, but the P&F Global team forged on with arrangements because they knew speedy delivery of supplies was essential.
In the days after the flooding, P&F Global’s Operations Manager Hannah Short tapped into her freight contacts and in less than two weeks, the team was able to dispatch 20 full truck and trailer loads of EUROFLO pipe from the company’s yards in Auckland and Invercargill.
“In total we dispatched about 40 x 40 foot containers of product across all of our customers who were impacted by the floods or working on flood-related projects, and in one week we dispatched what we normally dispatch in a month. It meant some late nights and early starts but everyone really wanted to help out and make it happen because they knew there was a real need for it.”
Due to the size of the order, and knowing how busy the Fulton Hogan Napier team were, Joseph and P&F Global Civil Specialist, and local territory manager, Wayde Hastings rescheduled work plans and postponed annual leave to head to Napier, unload pipes and set up the yard, including building the timber framing to stack the pipe.
Product dispatched to Fulton Hogan included 630mm, 800mm, 1000mm, 1200mm, 1300mm, 1500mm, 1700mm, 1900mm and 2100mm SN8 EUROFLO pipe, as well as 630mm, 800mm, 1000mm and 1200mm SN4 EUROFLO pipe and the connecting rubber rings to fit each pipe size.
“We basically said to Fulton Hogan, leave it to us for a few days and let us get the yard set up,” says Joseph. “So we had the yard plan I had sketched, Wayde was on the tools building the timber framing to hold all the pipe and I pre-arranged an 8-tonne forklift through a friend and dusted off my forklift licence for the first time in a year or two and together we were unloading trucks and getting it all stacked in the yard. We also dropped off some snack boxes to the people that were out there doing the hard work. The best way to make this all happen and, for us to help with the rebuild, was for us to do what we do best, so Fulton Hogan could get on with what they do best and fix the roads for their community.”
At the same time as getting stock to the Napier and Hawkes Bay region, P&F Global was also focused on helping other flood-affected parts of the country. One step they took was to source more stock and send 13 full truck and trailer loads of pipe out to local PGG Wrightson yards with a three-month right of return.
“We wanted to make sure the pipe was ready and waiting if and when people needed it. We saw that as playing our part in the rebuild. At the end of that period, if they don’t end up needing it, we’ll take it back.”
The high levels of demand from flooding events have created some challenges for the team at P&F Global but Joseph says the overwhelming feedback is that people feel proud that “our pipes are helping with the rebuild”.
“Everyone that has been part of this project in some way can be proud of the role we have played in helping restore rural roads and supporting vital access for rural communities cut off by Cyclone Gabrielle. By getting Fulton Hogan the product they needed, when they needed it, we have been able to help them reinstate vital infrastructure that thousands of people rely on.”
WHAT: Large diameter EUROFLO® pipe
WHERE: Napier, Temporary Yard Construction
PROJECT: Cyclone Gabrielle Access Restoration
WHEN: March 2023
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