ASSIGNMENT: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Spoken introduction: “Building high rises, apartments and hotels is all about taking high risk to gain high reward and it doesn't always come off. Just this week another construction company collapsed - and that brings to six the number of companies who’ve gone to the wall in the last 12 months; all of them owing millions. Tonight, Assignment looks at an industry in crisis and - for the first time since his company collapsed in February - Wayne Hartner breaks his silence ... [We] examine the personal toll when a project fails and a construction company goes under.”

Introductory interview excerpts:

“They didn’t get paid. [So] I don’t get paid. Then you’ve got to go into Social Welfare and say, well, could I have a food parcel?”

“The reality is: So what. Y’know? I’ve built the wharf; finished the wharf. It’s finished. You can’t take it away now.”

Interviewed are: Cliff Sharp, electrical subcontractor; Luke Crease, painter; Gordon Hesketh, painting subcontractor; Rodd Fowler, electrical contractor; Geoff Bayley, Disputes Consultant; Ward Pearce, Discount Crane Hire; Ian Power, Power Painters; Shelly Power, wife & business partner; Graham McKenzie, Onehunga ITM; Shane Breauey, Multiplex Construction; David Henderson, Kitchener Group - developer; Wayne Hartner, Hartner Construction; Marivic Crease, Luke’s wife; Rachel Hesketh, Gordon’s wife; Gordon Cairney, Paul Turner, Craig Blaikie, concrete contractor’s; Evan Geeves, former Hartner Construction manager; Cameron Marsh, Marcam Developments; Mark Perriam, Marcam Developments.