About us

History

Hazell Bros was founded in 1944 by brothers Donald and Rowley Hazell as a transport business operating in Southern Tasmania. In the 1950s, Hazell Bros became involved in earthmoving projects and by the 1970s a civil construction arm began. Over the next 30 years, the business continued to expand throughout Tasmania adding quarries, concrete batch plants, a commercial building business and a crane company to the portfolio. In 2010, Hazell Bros expanded into Victoria and Queensland acquiring civil construction and plant hire operations and in 2013, was awarded a long-term contract with Nyrstar Port Pirie (SA) for materials handling and dust suppression activities.

Rowley & Donald Hazell

Click here to see our timeline

Today

Hazell Bros remains a proudly family‑owned and operated business, now led by second‑generation brothers Geoffrey Hazell, Managing Director, and Robert Hazell, Director. Together, they continue to guide the organisation’s strategic direction and daily operations, supported by both the Hazell Bros Group Board and the Hazell Bros Qld Board, as well as a strong and experienced leadership team.

This structure reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to family values, continuity of leadership, and sound governance.

Geoffrey & Robert Hazell

The Board

The Hazell Bros Group Board comprises second generation family members Geoffrey, Managing Director, and Robert, Executive Director.  Third generation family members are currently working in the business and there is a plan for them to join the board in the future.

 

Geoffrey and Robert have spent their entire lives working in the business and have an intimate knowledge of all facets of it and its people.

 

 

The Hazell Bros Qld Board comprises Geoffrey and Robert Hazell and Executive Directors, Justin Leslie and Simon Barr. Justin and Simon head up the Queensland Civil construction business and have both worked in that business since Hazell Bros acquired it in 2010.

Leadership Team

Geoffrey Hazell Managing Director

Geoffrey is committed to setting the tone from the top and ensuring that the ethics, standards, culture and values flow from the Board to the organisation and outwards to stakeholders and the public in general.

Geoffrey has a highly developed network including private, local and state government leaders as well as strong ties to construction and resources industries.

Robert Hazell Executive Director

Robert’s key focus in the business is asset management. His passion for machinery, data and technology ensures that Hazell Bros keeps pace in this rapidly changing environment.

Over the years Robert has held key positions in the business including development and management of the workshops and the waste management division. Robert preceded Geoffrey as the Managing Director in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Ed McPhillips Chief Operating Officer

Ed is a seasoned construction leader with a proven track record delivering landmark infrastructure across Australia’s eastern seaboard. Renowned for his pragmatic leadership, strong safety culture, and collaborative approach, he most recently played a pivotal role as Construction Director on Tasmania’s transformative New Bridgewater Bridge project.

As COO, Ed drives operational strategy, project delivery, and performance across all facets of the vertically integrated business model. His disciplined, people-focused approach fosters high-performing teams and trusted client partnerships. Leveraging Hazell Bros proud history, Ed is highly motivated about the company’s role in shaping Australia’s infrastructure pipeline. He is also a passionate advocate for inclusion and capability building for the future.

Craig Lester Chief Financial Officer

Craig commenced his career working in finance and accounting roles in 1996. After graduating from UTAS, Craig spent the next five years working for accounting firms in Hobart before having a ten-year stint overseas working in financial services and the public sector. During this time Craig completed his professional accounting qualification and worked for several organisations that allowed him to develop his skills and experience further before returning to Tasmania in 2011.

Craig has been the CFO at Hazell Bros since 2015 and is responsible for the financial management of the Group including implementation of working capital and cash management strategies; business acquisition and divestment strategies; financial governance and risk management; financial planning and reporting; and driving achievement of the strategic business plan. The ICT, Financial Systems, Property and Business Improvement portfolios also report to the CFO role.

Patrick Moore Chief Information Officer

Patrick has over 17 years’ experience in Information Technology, nine of which have been with Hazell Bros; first as a contractor then, ICT Manager, and in 2025 he was promoted into the newly created CIO role.  During his time with Hazell Bros, Patrick has demonstrated both his technical expertise and strategic mindset in delivering on a range of ITC related strategies and improvements for the business. The CIO role reflects an acknowledgement by Hazell Bros that both security and technology enabled solutions are critical elements to our collective success.

Patrick brings a unique perspective to the executive team, focusing on aligning IT strategies with business goals, driving innovation, and improving operational efficiencies.

Andrew Barratt Chief People Officer

Andrew is a Senior HR executive whose key focus is to develop and embed the business’ strategic People objectives, build employee capability and cultivate a high-performance culture that drives organisational growth objectives.

With over 25 years of experience working across various heavy industries within resources (mining), manufacturing, and construction. Andrew’s key strengths reside in leveraging a strong operational focus with extensive experience in strategy, developing & empowering teams and change management.

Andrew joined the Hazell Bros team in January 2025 as the Chief People Officer and is responsible for developing and implementing all aspects of our People Strategy and Employee Experience.

Justin Leslie Executive Director (HBQ) and General Manager Qld

Justin has more than 30 years of experience in delivering civil infrastructure projects, which has resulted in a thorough understanding of the risks and opportunities associated with constructing complex civil engineering projects. Justin has honed his expertise in various management disciplines of the construction and engineering industry. His skill lies in swiftly and accurately dissecting intricate management and technical challenges. Equally adept at overseeing both the fine details and overarching strategies, Justin takes great pride in inspiring and guiding the QLD team to achieve exceptional results and build the Hazell Bros brand in QLD & Northern NSW.

Justin is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, overall financial performance, building and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, implementing efficient processes and workflows to enhance productivity, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations and safety standards.

With Justin at the helm, the team benefits from his extensive experience and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Simon Barr Executive Director (HBQ) and Operations Manager Qld

Simon has more than 30 years of experience in delivering civil infrastructure projects. His contract management skills have been proven in managing projects in the UK, New Zealand and Australia across various civil disciplines including earthworks, drainage, road pavement, airport infrastructure, public utilities, and bridge and other structural elements. With the experience he has gained during this time, he is able to oversee and mentor high-performing project teams and resolve project and contractual issues.

Simon is responsible for the overall project delivery of the business’ civil construction contracts in QLD.

Policies

CERTIFICATIONS

Hazell Bros maintains high standards in all we do and to ensure these standards are upheld we regularly conduct internal audits and are subject to external auditing for compliance with the requirements of these systems.

 

CERTIFIED INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Hazell Bros has implemented an Integrated Management System comprising Quality, accredited to AS/NZS ISO 9001; Environment, accredited to AS/NZS ISO 14001; and Occupational Health & Safety accredited to AS/NZS 45001.

ACCREDITATIONs

Hazell Bros has demonstrated compliance to the Australian Government’s building and construction WH&S accreditation scheme, Federal Safety Accreditation. Accreditation number 0118
Hazell Bros’ QualTech Laboratory, for testing concrete and quarry products, is accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) to ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

Hazell Bros was first recognised as and Employer of Choice in 2008 and is proud to have maintained that status.

HEAVY VEHICLE ACCREDITATION SCHEME

Hazell Bros is accredited for Mass Management, Maintenance Management and Basic Fatigue Management Accreditation Number T419287523

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