Hughes Contracting 2002 Ltd

18/04/2026

Sad news with the passing of Brian Small or better known as Smally.

Smally had been part of our business since the early 2000s and a subcontractor and then as an employee once he sold his truck to retire.

Smally passed away last Thursday after a battle with illness. He was one of life’s good buggers and once you got to know him he would do anything to help you or point you in the right direction. A bit rough a round the edges and a hell of a vocabulary of swear words no matter where he was but all in all a hell of a decent bloke with a heart of gold.

Rest easy Smally, finally at peace.

11/04/2026

🎉 40 Years Strong! 🎉

We’re proud to celebrate 40 years in business at Hughes Contracting! From humble beginnings to where we are today, it’s been an incredible journey built on hard work, great people, and the support of our loyal clients and community.

A huge thank you to everyone who has been part of the ride — past and present. Here’s to the next 40 years!

Here are a few snaps of the celebration we held last night, thanks to everyone who made the effort to celebrate with us 🚜💪

24/01/2026

We currently have surplus grass for sale located in various locations across Southland. 3rd and 4th cut grass, all excellent milking quality. Get in touch if you are looking for high quality milking silage anytime from now until the end of the season.

11/01/2026

Due to staff returning back to the UK earlier than expected we are on the lookout for some extra help to finish the season off. Ideally you would have the following attributes,

Be in NZ already
Have the relevant Visa or Work permit
Be able to commit to staying until at least Late March to early April
Be experienced in Rural Contracting work
Be able to work as part of a team or individually.

We can offer competitive rates of pay, accommodation on site, modern well maintained equipment, variety in day to day tasks
and a great team environment.

Please get in touch if you are looking for a change and may be able to help us out.

Please apply through the employment section of our website.

www.hughescontracting.co.nz

Cheers

Rural Contracting throughout Southland Established in 1986, Hughes Contracting offer rural contracting services across all areas of Southland, with Depots in both Waimatua and Browns. Hughes Contracting have a wealth of knowledge in the rural sector, and with well-maintained, modern equipment, we...

31/12/2025

Happy 2026 everyone, hope everyone’s heads are not tapping away too much today.

Here’s a little write up that the NZ Rural Contractor & Large Scale Farmer magazine has done about us recently.

When Brian Hughes first set out contracting across Southland in the mid-1980s, there was little time to think about where the road might lead.

The work was hard, the hours long and the margins thin. It was a time when most jobs were won on handshakes and reputation, when the smell of diesel and freshly cut grass carried a certain pride and when every new season demanded another leap of faith. Yet even then Brian understood that real success in contracting would never come from chasing the cheapest job.

Read more at https://www.ruralcontractor.co.nz/blog/keeping-it-in-the-family-the-evolution-of-hughes-contracting

Hughes Contracting 2002 Ltd

24/12/2025

Some of the team headed out to the Riverton Christmas parade last night, the parade has been going for around 80 years and gets an awesome turnout. The boys had the gear looking sharp and the kids would have loved seeing it rolling through the streets. Merry Xmas 🎅

23/12/2025

We would like to wish all of our clients a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you for allowing us to support you throughout 2025.

A massive thank you to our staff and their families who go out of their way to make sure we are providing a top notch service it is very much appreciated.

Also another big thanks goes to our suppliers, support businesses and subbies that keep the wheels turning bloody good job.

Merry Christmas 🎅 🍺🍺🍾

Chris and the team at Hughes Contracting

14/12/2025

Hey Team,

Been a bit slack with the photos lately, here are a few pics from some of our operators. The team have been busy recently with the weather being nice and settled allowing us to pump out the work which has been nice in the lead up to Christmas. Some awesome pictures here.

Cheers

29/11/2025

Due to a staff member having to head back overseas due to illness we are after someone to fill the gap while the grass is cranking. Ideally the person will be experienced in the agricultural industry already as we need them to hit the ground running. Single accommodation is provided with shared living and bathroom areas. Please get in touch if you or know of someone that may fill our vacancy. We have an awesome crew here already and don’t want to put any added pressure on them, Thanks very much 👍🏼

01/11/2025

Often a change of direction leads to opportunity, and for Brian Hughes, that change came in 1986 when he shifted from working as a diesel mechanic to launching his own contracting business. He’d...

23/10/2025

S**t what a day…….

Same old story team, sing out if you have anything you may need a hand with. Trees or any damage you have we have the ability to lend a hand wether it be with machinery diggers, loaders or telehandlers or even labour as we will have plenty of tractor drivers hanging around while the weather is like this.

Keep in touch 👌