Civil Services (HB) Ltd

Our Team

Meet Our Team

Niels Nikolaison

Managing Directing/Senior Project Manager

Niels is an Associate Member of Survey and Spatial NZ and is a Director of Civil Services HB Ltd with over 30 years engineering and construction experience. He started Civil Services HB Ltd in 1995 because there was a need for good quality, reasonably priced survey and setout. This quickly grew to site testing and project management due to demand.

Niels has been involved in projects in New Zealand, Western Australia and Pacific Islands including Project Engineer of the Emerson Street Redevelopment (Napier), Project Manager for subdivisions (Terraces, Te Awa, Kanuka Cliffs, Highbrook Heights), Contract Manager for Brick Arch Sewer Rehabilitation – inserting wastewater, stormwater and ducts in old brick arch which was a first for NZ.

He has also been involved with and had a key role in:

- HB Expressway survey & setout, design, settlement monitoring and as builts
- Christchurch Earthquake Land Assessment
- Monarae Station airstrip design and construction supervision
- Maraekakaho Irrigation & Frost Protection Dam
- Matahorua Realignment Enabling Works on - Matahorua, Black Stag and Samarkand Stations.

Niels understands the need for good communications between project participants and assists contractors with costings and methodologies. He was an executive committee member for the HB branch of Civil Contractors New Zealand.

Elwyn Smith

BE, PhD - Director/Senior Engineer

Elwyn has a background in physics and electrical/electronic engineering, and for 18 years now has applied his technical expertise and attention to detail to a wide range of civil engineering and
surveying roles with Civil Services.

His skill range includes civil design, engineering surveying, drawing production, data management, and quality testing. He regularly performs earthwork inspection, testing, supervision, and monitoring for local projects. His responsibilities include the survey set-out and/or as-built locations and drawings of several significant public infrastructure works, in both Hastings and Napier.

While primarily focused on projects in Hawkes Bay, he has worked on projects in New Zealand from Waikato to Wairarapa, and as far afield as Fiji and Micronesia.

Perry Smith

Senior Engineering Surveyor

Perry is a Senior Engineering Surveyor with over 30 years’ experience. He started his career as an Engineering Officer Cadet with the Ministry of Works, completing a New Zealand Certificate in Land Surveying, while gaining a wide variety of engineering survey experience including highway
realignments, bridge replacements, investigation and construction set out.

Perry has been with Civil Services (HB) Ltd for 18+ years working on a wide range of projects, with subdivisions being prominent. These include Te Awa Estates, Parklands and The Terraces in Napier, and Northwoods, Lyndhurst/Frimley area and Arataki in Hastings. He has been involved with the construction of Summerset retirement villages in both Hastings and Napier.

Working for International Engineering Consultancies has provided Perry with work experience in Vanuatu, surveying the Bauerfield Airport in Port Vila, and projects in Hawkes Bay such as SH2
Matahorua Gorge realignment and Hawkes Bay Airport runway resurfacing.

Perry’s experience on a wide variety of engineering projects means there are not many survey jobs
he cannot tackle.

Brendan Nikolaison

NZDE (Civil), MEngNZ - Civil Engineer

With over 10 years of experience in the field of Civil Engineering, Brendan has demonstrated his expertise and dedication since embarking on his career as a technician/surveying assistant. Throughout his professional journey, Brendan has achieved significant milestones, including the completion of a New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (Civil) while steadily advancing to become an Engineering Technician. After gaining valuable experience as a Civil Engineering Designer, Brendan returned to join the team at Civil Services (HB) Ltd as a Civil Engineer.

Brendan's skill set encompasses various areas, including 3D modelling and geometric design, soil and rock logging and testing, survey set-out (both topographical and as-built), CAD drafting, and construction management. His proficiency
in these domains ensures that he brings a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to each project he undertakes.

Over the years, Brendan has actively participated in a diverse range of projects, spanning across Hawkes Bay and beyond. Notable projects in his portfolio include Te Awa Estates Subdivision, Omarunui Landfill, Hawkes Bay Airport Runway extension and main building redevelopment, Aomarama Earth dam construction, geological drilling in Central Hawkes Bay, retaining wall construction, roading and subdivision development, area-wide pavement treatment overlay, and geometric designs, as
well as the construction of Ryman's Retirement Village, among many others.

Brendan's wealth of experience and involvement in these projects attests to his expertise and ability to deliver high-quality outcomes in various civil engineering endeavours.

Jerram Hollis

Senior CAD Designer

Jerram is a Senior CAD Designer with 25 years of experience in civil engineering and 10 years of experience in geographic information systems (GIS).

Jerram has worked in a wide on a wide range of projects across New Zealand, The Pacific Islands and The United Kingdom, these projects have involved computer-aided design (CAD) work, GIS database input, land development, airport investigation, civil infrastructure design, landslip analysing, retaining wall inspection, geotechnical investigation, site survey, and project management.

Jerram has a wide range of knowledge in 12D design package helping to establish draughting and digital data procedures. Jerram has carried out site testing, survey work, managing site projects, and report writing.

Nate Galey

Engineering technician

Nate has 10+ years of experience in welding and fabrication in the agricultural sector, specialising in MIG welding, machining and robot welder programming and operating. Nate also has 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering specialising in small four-stroke engines.

Nate has completed a Nuclear Density Meter Training course and their primary role is to assist the senior surveyors, engineers and technicians with a range of tasks, including, surveying, ground testing and compaction verification.

Nate is currently studying to further himself in the civil engineering sector.

Dhruv Chokshi

Beng – Civil Engineering Technician

Dhruv has a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Civil) from Gujarat Technological University, India. Dhruv has completed a Nuclear Density Meter training course.

Dhruv's primary role is to assist the senior engineers, technicians and surveyors with a range of tasks,
including ground testing, compaction verification, stormwater analysis, CAD modelling and drafting,
report writing, and surveying. Dhruv has been involved in a wide range of projects since joining the
team at Civil Services including: Omarunui Landfill compaction verification and topographical
surveys, Summerset Retirement Village construction, and Limestone development stages 1 and 2.

Cristian Berdini

BENG - CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN

Cristian completed a civil engineering bachelor’s degree in Argentina. He
has a background as a Site Engineer for contractor companies, and experience in quality testing such as compaction and concrete controls.

Cristian has been involved in projects in Argentina, gaining valuable experience in construction management,
where he has learned about steel and fiber-reinforced concrete,
kerbing, formworks, asphalt, soil stabilisation and earthworks.

Cristian has a background in 2D modelling in Autocad and
3D modelling in Revit. Cristian is currently studying to further himself
in 12D software, stormwater design, land development and planning.

Hicran Tasdemir

MSc - CIVIL ENGINEER

Hicran has 5+ years of experience as a civil engineer in infrastructure and superstructure projects in Turkey,
possessing extensive expertise in structural engineering and design, as well as overseeing construction
processes to ensure compliance with regulations and standards. She has managed projects,
ensuring the suitability on-site and maintaining the safety, durability, and quality of structures.

Notably, she has worked on the Bizimtepe Aydos project, comprising 17 blocks, each 13 stories high,
totaling 1037 residential units, along with various amenities such as hobby gardens, bicycle and running
tracks, children's play areas, pergolas, decorative pools, grass amphitheatres, a private kindergarten,
and commercial units. Additionally, she has served as a consultant for occupational safety on construction sites.

Hicran holds a master's degree in civil engineering and occupational safety. She has conducted earthquake
risk analysis using programs like Seismosignal and Deepsoil, focusing on soil dynamics and seismic hazard analysis.
Moreover, she has published an article on sustainable green buildings. Hicran aims to further enhance her expertise
through projects undertaken by Civil Services (HB) Ltd

Chantal Westman

Office Assistant

Chantal is our Office Assistant (Mum). She has 15+ years of experience working in administration roles. Chantal gained valuable skills and a nurturing demeanour managing the office at a special needs kindergarten before transitioning to the accounting industry. She has gained many crucial skills working for a large financial organisation, which has set her up as a competent and well-rounded problem solver. Chantal thrives on providing essential administrative support to the team, always ready to lend a helping hand.

Beyond her administration duties, she takes pleasure in arranging the social aspect of the teams’ interactions to ensure that her colleagues have the opportunity to unwind and foster strong bonds outside of work. Her dedication to both the professional and social well-being of her team members makes her an invaluable asset to the group dynamic.

Marius van Zyl

Senior Surveyor

Marius, a senior surveyor with 29 years of experience, began his career as a mine sampler and later as a mine surveyor in South Africa. He has experience with underground, surface, and planning surveys in the mining sector. In 2019, he moved to New Zealand as an engineering survey assistant and later as a senior surveyor with civil and construction setout experience.

He has worked on projects such as Transmission Gully, Summerset Te Awato, and New World in Havelock North.