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The Hugo Trust has assisted the Twizel Heritage Group with a donation of $50,000 to renovate a D9G bulldozer for display at Twizel and add to a growing collection of machinery and equipment to create the largest outdoor display in New Zealand.
The donation enables Hugh Green and partner Barney McCahill’s involvement with New Zealand’s largest earthmoving project to be marked. The pair had started out earthmoving in 1960 on the Hamilton Arterial Route contract and purchased a D8 bulldozer and two scrapers.
In the mid 1960’s they looked at major projects in the South Island, taking over a contract on the Haast Pass Road, and with it, the equipment and staff of Roadways New Zealand-a company which had cut its teeth on the Benmore Dam project. Between 1960 and 1970 the staff grew to 300 men.
The Upper Waitaki Power Development required the largest earthmoving fleet in the Southern Hemisphere during its construction between 1968 and 1984. Green and McCahill had 14 items of plant including 2 D9G bulldozers, and a spread of Terex S24 and Caterpillar scrapers working on roads, the Pukaki Dam and canals.
When the Upper Waitaki project wound down, Hugh and Barney obtained other large contracts, principally in the North Island, until 1987 when they moved away from earthmoving. Barney went into semi-retirement but Hugh carried on with the Hugh Green Group.
The D9G will be placed behind an S24 scraper, and other machinery funded by the Trust placed around the Heritage Precinct site.
Posted in: Donation Stories 2025-2026
