Daniel
Goodman.

GROWING UP / WAMBERAL

Learning around
the rigs.

I grew up in Wamberal and worked in the family drilling business through school. Before university and the larger construction sites, there were rigs, in-house tooling, and people who knew how to get their hands dirty.

That practical grounding has stayed with me.

2009–2013 / NEWCASTLE

Seeing the
whole project.

Under a full scholarship awarded by the University of Newcastle Industry Scholarship Scheme I was exposed to an initial work placement with my sponsor company Abigroup Contractors, and immediately stuck-around for further undergraduate employment.

I am very grateful to have fallen under some great role models at what became Lendlease. I also consider myself incredibly lucky to have ended up at the right place at the right time, and to have been given a lot more insight and responsibility into tier 1 construction management than an undergraduate should reasonably expect.

Arriving at the completion and defects period for the Mater Hospital Waratah and other recently completed projects. I was then involved in tendering, building, commissioning, handing-over, and managing defects for the $120million Westrac Tomago project. I am very thankful for the responsibility that I was given to prepare, let and manage some trade packages as well as being given a general and generous insight and responsibility into all areas of the project.

An understanding of what builders need from the contractors around them.

2014 / UNOPS, BELIZE

Responsibility
on the ground.

In 2014 a multi-partner program was developed to strengthen Belize's health services and included the construction of some new physical infrastructure. I was allocated as the in-country Construction Supervisor for the design and construction of three hospital extensions and one new facility.

I am particularly proud of my success in keeping the Contractors happy and motivated while pushing them well beyond their contractual obligations and the existing standards of quality, safety and technology. Early on, for example, while reviewing the structural designs I identified significant failures of buildings foundation design and the local technical knowledge, and was able to mediate and manage appropriate corrections with the designers and Contractors without major delays, cost variations or the early breakdown of relationships.

To the same extent, I am also fond of the cooperative and social relationships that I built with the local PAHO team, EU delegates and especially the Ministry of Health engineering department - all legends, which I feel helped the reception of the project by the government and local community.

While I am very proud of my achievements in Belize and believe the project was a good use of European Union funding, the design and construction process was not perfect and there were short falls that I was able to observe and take lessons from. I believe that I walked away from that great experience with well-rounded knowledge and serious confidence in my ability for ethical, responsible and productive independent decision making.

Technical judgement, clear communication and responsibility for the outcome.

2016 / CENTRAL COAST

Back to the
family business.

In 2016, my dad, David Goodman, was ready to pull back from Goodman Drilling Pty Ltd. I returned to Australia and helped manage the business, including through the sale of its name and assets to new owners.

I was still keen to stay in the industry, with a lighter load of responsibilities. Perhaps because I was so proud of my Dad's achievements building Goodman Drilling Pty Ltd from the ground up... I wanted to build something in my own way. I wanted to combine the lessons I’d learned in the wider construction industry with my hands-on skills, to work more productively with fewer legacy overheads.

No company has ever truly replaced Goodman Drilling Pty Ltd and nobody will be able to replace Dave Goodman.

A fresh start, my way.

FROM JULY 2016 / AUSTRALIA

Different ground.
Deeper experience.

I helped establish Landfill Drilling as a separate operation, managing equipment, safety systems and the logistics of working around Australia. Today, I’m its Director.

We install gas and monitoring wells through ground containing tyres, mattresses, steel, concrete and Barbie dolls.

Experienced operators, purpose-built tooling and a constant interest in drilling better holes.

AUGUST 2017–TODAY / HEAVY FOUNDATIONS

All of it,
put to work.

As Director of The Heavies, I bring my groundwork experience to CFA piling, bored piles, screw piling, restricted-access work and basement shoring. I bring my construction management experience from large projects to our basement packages.

Good people, honest working relationships and better workmanship at better value than you can find anywhere else in the industry. That’s what matters to me.