Manawatū excavator operator Jim Beamsley to compete in national competition

Manawatu-Whanganui finalist Jim Beamsley digging for glory during the 2023 regional competition, where he won first place. Photo / Supplied

Bunnythorpe resident Jim Beamsley will have his mettle tested in Feilding this week when he shows off his skills in a 13-tonne digger.

He is representing Manawatū-Whanganui at the Civil Contractors New Zealand National Excavator Operator Competition at the Central Districts Field Days.

Beamsley is one of 13 champions from around New Zealand whose excavator skills will be pushed to the limit over a series of challenges. Some of the challenges will test real-world skills such as traversing a trench and digging around pipelines, while more unique tasks may include slam dunking a basketball into a two-storey concrete pipe using an excavator’s bucket, and a slalom course.

When asked what he thought his chances were of it being third-time lucky, Beamsley was positive.

“I’ve got a different drive and focus now. I’m going to go in with a lot of really good energy and give it my best. Hopefully it will be third time lucky – I just want to win it once. Surely this is my year.”

Manfeild Park in Feilding will host the heavy metal showdown, which will take place on Friday and Saturday.

Beamsley qualified for the event after his success in the Manawatū-Whanganui regional competition earlier this month. He works for ARC Asbestos Removal and Demolition and got the bug for driving diggers in 2015, having carved out a 10-year career in civil works concrete placement before putting his skills to work in the demolition field.

Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) chief executive Alan Pollard says the competition is about celebrating the exceptional skill of New Zealand’s top excavator operators and inspiring the next generation to get behind the controls.

“The more unusual tests of skill always bring the spectators but the competition also has a more serious side, with plenty of more traditional tasks such as trenching, operating around underground services, and tests of operators’ health and safety knowledge.”

New Zealand’s national excavator operator competition was founded in the mid-1990s by the CCNZ Manawatū Branch.

Pollard says it is “one of the most unique spectacles New Zealand has to offer”.

“The operators at our national finals are the elite, the SAS if you like, of our excavator operating community.”

Some of the competitors have been involved in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.

“Excavator operators play a critical role in nearly all of our country’s biggest projects. Not only do they transform the terrain for roading and water projects, but they also build stopbanks to defend against flooding and assist with the clean-up when the worst weather hits.”

There is more demand than ever for civil construction workers.

The Central Districts Field Days is the largest regional agricultural event on the rural calendar, and is being held at Manfeild from Thursday to Saturday.

There will be more than 500 exhibitors, drawcard competitions, entertainment and notable food providers.

Visitors can learn about farming innovations including automated tractors and drones and watch petrol tanks being built on-site in real time.

The RNZAF Black Falcons will provide an aerobatics display.

For details visit cdfielddays.co.nz.