Headline amended: It’s a sub-contractor of a sub-contractor, so not a “major contractor” as previously reported.

The lead company overseeing construction of the Christchurch stadium does not believe the liquidation of a steel company involved in the project will impact the construction timeline.

As first reported by NBR, Triangle Steel was placed into liquidation on September 5 following an application by Inland Revenue.

The company’s previous owner and director resigned on August 27.

Les Orchard was appointed as co-director on August 16.

Orchard has a criminal record with at least 1,160 convictions, including over 1,000 jail sentences, amounting to more than 5,000 years of maximum jail time.

He once told a reporter at Stuff, if he’d served the maximum sentence for each of his crimes consecutively, he’d have spent 5000 years at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

A spokesperson for BESIX Watpac, the lead contractor for the stadium project, told chrislynchmedia.com “Triangle Steel, a subcontractor for BESIX Watpac’s subcontractor Jinggong, was responsible for installing the perimeter radial trusses that support the roof.

“We partnered with Jinggong due to the stadium’s significant and complex roof structure, which required an experienced international subcontractor to meet the programme requirements.

“Regarding payment activities by Triangle to suppliers, BESIX Watpac is not privy to this information,” the spokesperson said.

“However, we can confirm that all works are progressing according to the project programme, involving all BESIX Watpac subcontractors and suppliers. Our focus remains on delivering a high-quality multi-use arena for the Canterbury region. The progress on this complex project is a testament to our team’s dedication, planning, collaboration, and the strong safety culture fostered by the project team.”

The Kotui Consortium, led by BESIX Watpac as the Design & Construction Contractor, involves all consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers. Notably, more than 75% of the businesses contracted for the project are local.

Venues Ōtautahi Chief Executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said, “As this is a construction matter versus a commercial or operational one, as the venue operator, Venues Ōtautahi is not in a position to comment on the liquidation of the steel company working on One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha.”

The liquidator’s first report was due on 10 Oct 2024, according to the Companies Office website.