Our History

Downer EDI Works traces its origins back to the 1870s when it was part of the New Zealand public service.

Following the corporatisation of the New Zealand Ministry of Works and Development in 1988, the company operated as the New Zealand Government owned contracting company Works Civil Construction, until its sale to the Downer Group in 1996.

The 1990s saw Works extend its operational base, acquiring more than 20 Local Authority businesses in New Zealand. The sale to the Downer Group further expanded the company’s scope with the acquisition of companies in New Zealand and Australia, including the New Zealand roading and bitumen supply businesses of Technic Group Limited, MC Jackson Limited and Bitumix Limited and its wholesale bitumen supply. In 1999, the Downer Group acquired CSR-AWP Contractors in Australia and brought the civil contracting arm into Downer EDI Works.

In 2001, Downer EDI Works substantially expanded its rail track maintenance and railway overhead electrification capability in Australia and New Zealand following the Downer Group’s takeover of Evan Deakin Industries Limited.

In February 2006 Emoleum was purchased by Downer EDI Works from the Rinker Group and Mobil in Australia. This has provided Downer EDI Works with an asphalt manufacturing capability and additional capability to service the road construction and maintenance markets.

  
In the period 2002-2006 the company acquired and integrated the following businesses in Australia to make Downer EDI Works what it is today:

• Emoleum- Asphalt Manufacturer, Paving
• LB Consultants- Rail Maintenance (WA)
• Primary Producers Improvers (PPI)- Road Maintenance (NT)
• RPC Roads- Road Maintenance
• EDI-PTC (Victoria)- Rail Maintenance
• Civil Construction Corporation(CCC)- Road Maintenance (TAS)
• Earthex- Earth Moving (WA)
• BSS- Emulsion Spraying (WA)
• DPC- Emulsion Manufacturer (VIC)
• Pavement Salvage- Road Profiling, Road Stabilisation (NSW)
• Kerb Quic- Kerbing (WA)
• Pavement Technology Limited (VIC,WA,SA)