Downer has been awarded a new seven-year Field Services Agreement (FSA) by New Zealand telecommunications infrastructure provider, Chorus, valued at more than NZ$550 million (~A$500 million).

The contract replaces and expands the scope of the current FSA, which Downer has held since 2022. Under the new FSA, which commences on 1 April 2025, Downer will provide services spanning the South Island and lower and central North Island.

The scope of work covers construction and augmentation of the fibre network, copper and fibre network maintenance and restoration, customer connections, and maintenance in single dwelling, multi-dwelling and commercial premises.

Chief Executive Officer of Downer, Peter Tompkins, said Downer was proud to be a long-term partner of Chorus, having supported the build and operation of their network for more than 20 years.

“We are a leader in the telecommunications sector in Australia and New Zealand, with the core capability and technical expertise to support the evolution of our customers’ networks,” Peter said.

“We look forward to furthering our partnership with Chorus to provide end-to-end technology and communications solutions, and are committed to enhancing Chorus customers’ experience as they connect to the network or have faults repaired.”

Executive General Manager Telecommunications, David MacKenzie, also congratulated the team and acknowledged the hard work that went into the winning bid.

“Downer has been a long-term partner of Chorus for more than 20 years and this announcement is testament to our renowned technical expertise and our strong track record for exceptional performance,” David said.

“I look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with the Chorus team as we safely and successfully connect their customers to the network and help to enable communities to thrive.”