History
Maungatua Contracting (Wanaka) Limited was found in 1953 by Murray Duncan after his father purchased a farm from the Stancombe family at Maungatua. He took over a tractor from Ted Stancombe, and started agricultural work on the Taieri Plains. In 1959 he went into partnership with his brother-in-law Murray Brundell.
They gradually started moving away from agricultural contracting into quarrying and rock crushing work for all the County Councils in Otago. With their portable crushing plant, they also moved up into the Central Otago and West Coast areas carrying out numerous crushing contracts for Ministry of Works and County Councils.
By 1974 Murray’s three sons Robert, Les and Colin were working for the business. During 1975-1976 it was one of main contractors responsible for the construction of the access road of the Treble Cone Ski Area. Having one of the few rock drilling rigs in the Otago, the company was called upon by Harliwich Earthmoving for their expertise in rock drilling and blasting.
In 1977 Murray Duncan and Murray Brundell ended their partnership, with Murray Brundell taking over the crushing plants as Otago Crushing Limited, and Murray Duncan the earthmoving equipment retaining the name Maungatua Contracting.
For the next five years, they were responsible for five contracts for the re-construction of the Lindis Pass highway from 1978 through to 1982. One of these contracts was the winner of the N.Z. Contractors Federation Construction in 1982. Murray Duncan retired in the 1983, Robert Les and Colin taking over the running of the business.
In December 1986 they moved their operations to Wanaka, continuing with subdivision work and ongoing work at Treble Cone. In 1988 Robert Duncan, a civil engineer, took over sole ownership of the business.
Maungatua have continued with their involvement with Treble Cone Ski Area to this day, being responsible for all slope development earthworks, site excavations for chair lifts, sewerage and water lines etc.
Robert has now been joined by his two sons Blair and Kane Duncan, both civll engineers, to continue the family business which has been operating for over 55 years.
