Farra Engineering

22/10/2026

🎉⚡ The results are in! Huge congratulations to the Queen’s High School EVolocity Team! ⚡🎉

What an incredible achievement to come away from the Regional Finals with not one, but TWO awards:
🏆 Engineering Design Award – Standard Class
�🏆 Highly Commended – Standard Class

The team has shown what's possible through innovation, teamwork, determination and a willingness to tackle challenges head-on. From overcoming last-minute hurdles and problem-solving on the fly, to presenting with confidence and putting their bike through its paces on race day, they should be immensely proud of what they've accomplished.

Katie Gotlieb, Farra’s Access Machine Project Engineer in our Design & Innovation team, had the privilege of mentoring and supporting the team throughout their EVolocity journey. Katie has loved working with the students and has been continually impressed by their creativity, commitment, resilience and the quality of what they have built.

At Farra, we're passionate about supporting future engineers, innovators and problem-solvers, and it's fantastic to see young people applying engineering principles in such a hands-on and inspiring way.

👏 Congratulations to everyone involved, including the teachers, whānau, supporters and sponsors who helped make this journey possible. Enjoy the celebrations team. You've earned it! 🚲⚡🔧


https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Frkm6E8Lo/

16/10/2026

🏙️🌿 Our latest Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) is looking mighty fine on site! We're excited to see how this project transforms once all the greenery is fully established.

🚧⬆️ It's incredible to see this feat of engineering installed on a 112m-tall, 36-storey Sydney high-rise. 💪🏗️

09/10/2026

🎓🔧 Congratulations, Ben Lister 👏🚀 at the end of last year, Ben graduated from his apprenticeship and achieving his NZ Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Trade) Level 4! A little late posting this, but better late than never!

Since joining Farra in 2022, Ben has earned a reputation as someone who gets stuck in, takes on responsibility, and delivers good work wherever he's needed. Along the way, he's contributed to some impressive projects, including the One Circular Quay BMU, where he worked alongside experienced tradespeople assembling telescopic column systems, and the Hawea Gates project, where he was involved in laser alignment and the installation of large flow-control structures.

As our site supervisor put it: "He's got the right amount of brute force, but the right amount of brains to know when not to use it". He also mentioned something about some debate about pie consumption; however, the official number remains unconfirmed. 🥧😂

We're proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to seeing him continue to make his mark in the industry. 👏🔧🎓

Congratulations, Ben! 🍻🎉🔩

Thanks again to PPS Industries Ltd from supporting our apprentices with their grad gift.

02/10/2026

⚙️ From raw material to precision-engineered component.

These photos show the journey of a specialised 16-ton non-magnetic large stainless steel crane hook, from the original block of material through to the near-finished product.

We're manufacturing three hooks for a client, with each one requiring around 50 hours of machining on our Hyundai Twin Pallet, expertly machined by Mike A.

Designed for use in aluminium smelters and other specialised environments, these hooks help reduce the risks associated with magnetic interference, sparks, and chemical corrosion that can create operational and safety challenges. The final step will see a manganese wheel fitted into the slotted section of the hook, allowing smooth movement during lifting operations.

BTW the work boots in the side of one of the photos gives you an indication of the size and scale!

23/09/2026

💧 "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴?" 💧 That question has been a recurring theme throughout the Water New Zealand Conference & Expo this week.

For Farra, curiosity isn't just a conference talking point, it's how we approach engineering challenges every day. ⚙️ From wastewater treatment plants and milliscreens to floodgates, pump stations, water flow management systems and critical infrastructure upgrades, the best outcomes often come from looking beyond the obvious answer.

Sometimes that means refurbishing rather than replacing. Sometimes it's combining design, fabrication, machining and maintenance expertise to solve a problem differently. Often it's simply asking more questions. 💡

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by our stand over the last two days. We've enjoyed the conversations, the ideas, and the opportunity to showcase how Farra is helping build resilient water infrastructure across New Zealand. 🌊

One more day to go! If you're at Water New Zealand Conference & Expo 2026 tomorrow, come and say hello to the Farra team. We'd love to chat about the challenges you're facing and explore what's possible when engineering expertise meets curiosity. 🤝

💧⚙️

👀 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼!

Day 2 of Water New Zealand Conference & Expo 2026 has challenged us to think differently. Yesterday, Craig Thew challenged us to consider the "failure of curiosity". Following this morning's reflections from Raveen Jaduram on governance, that message continued to resonate, emerging as a common threa...

21/09/2026

𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲! Brodie and the team are all set up at the 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟮𝟮-𝟮𝟰 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿. This is NZs largest exhibition dedicated to water and its management!

Visit the team at 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟭𝟯 to chat about 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 in Aotearoa and discover how we're ‘engineering confidence’, delivering smarter solutions and engineering support to NZs Water Infrastructure Industry. We’d love to hear about your challenges, industry needs, and future projects.

The Expo is open and 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 for visitors during selected hours, and we'd love to see you there. Check out the visitor opening times and register via the link below.
See you there!

https://avenues.eventsair.com/water-new-zealand-conference-and-expo-2026/visitor/Site/Register

10/09/2026

Built from scratch at Farra 🔧These biomass screws have been manufactured entirely in-house, including the shaft and flights. Kieran is putting the finishing touches on our Russian lathe before dispatch and onsite assembly. As an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer, we produce screw conveyors and augers of all sizes for industries ranging from dairy and food processing to hydro and heavy industry. Quality engineering, made right here in Dunedin. 💪⚙️

04/09/2026

𝗗𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗯𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀 🔧⚙️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

Our large plate rollers might not be the newest machine in the workshop, but when it comes to getting the job done, it’s still hard to beat. 💪

After some time out of action while our main fabrication bay underwent a major roof replacement 🏗️, the Roundo PS500 rollers are back in action, this week rolling a 3m wide,10 mm MS plate into a cylinder.🔄🔥

Getting the best out of a machine like this takes experience, and Dave is a bit of a master when it comes to the Roundo. 👨‍🏭👏 It's also a great opportunity for our apprentices to work alongside experienced tradespeople and learn specialist rolling skills they wouldn't get exposure to in many other workshops. 🎓⚒️ Achieving the perfect result comes down to the setup and the careful forming of each end, ensuring the correct curvature of the ends before committing to the final roll through the full length of the material to create a complete cylinder. It’s a combination of the right tools, proven technique, experience, and timing.

This roller is a valuable asset not just for Farra, but for engineering projects across the lower South Island. 🌏 Our largest in-house rolling machine, the PS-500 Roundo Rolls Roller, can handle plate up to 3000 mm wide and 30 mm thick, allowing us to manufacture everything from heavy-duty tanks and industrial ducting to structural components, wear plates, curved beams and large-scale infrastructure projects. 🏭🏗️⛏️

Good to have the roller back in action! 🙌⚙️

27/08/2026

🎉 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗗𝗮𝗻! 🎉

A huge congratulations to Dan on completing his apprenticeship and becoming a qualified Fitter Machinist! 👏🔧⚙️

Since joining the team in 2021, Dan has gained experience across a wide range of industries and projects. Throughout his apprenticeship, he has been part of site teams working on:

⚡ Hydroelectric power station maintenance
⛏️ Mine shutdowns
🌲 Timber processing plant moulding chains
💧 Wastewater treatment plants
🛠️ Small machining projects in the machine shop

Most recently, he's added the Hartford CNC machine to his growing list of skills and experience. 📈

Along the way, Dan has also transitioned through a couple of memorable nicknames, from "Peanut" to "Goose" 🥜🪿, each with its own story attached! His positive attitude and willingness to get stuck in, no matter where the job is or what's involved, have been greatly appreciated by his foremen and teammates. 👌

Dan first joined Farra as a labourer after completing work experience in our machine shop. That experience cemented his decision to pursue a career in engineering, and an apprenticeship offer soon followed. Fast forward a few years, and his hard work, commitment, and determination have paid off. He is now officially trade qualified. 🎓🔩 Well done, Dan. 🚀

👏 A special shout-out to Ron and the team at PPS Industries for your support of our apprentices.

🔧 ⚙️ 🚀 📍 Competenz

20/08/2026

✨ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 ✨ Grates and ground guttering that not only function well but look great too. Stainless steel and powder-coated metal stand up to traffic and harsh conditions where plastic often struggles - they crack and often break under traffic pressure, fade, or distort over time. Metal delivers a much cleaner, more premium finish. Just like this one.

Perfect for industrial applications, but increasingly popular in residential projects as well. You might be surprised at how easy it is to get exactly what you're after, and how affordable a custom solution can be.

At Farra Sheetmetal, we manufacture custom:
💧 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀�
💧 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
💧 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 & 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀�
💧 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆-𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀

Available in standard patterns or fully customised designs, our grating systems are made right here in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and can be supplied in raw stainless steel or powder-coated to suit your project.