New Zealand asset management and public works professionals joined with IPWEA Auckland in May for the annual New Zealand Excellence Awards Gala dinner. Organisations from around the country entered their projects in eight categories, with the winners announced at an event held in collaboration with principal sponsor Brightly Software.
New Zealand Country Head, Steve Mooney, says the awards highlight best practice in the sector.
The awards celebrated innovative projects in New Zealand and offered a networking opportunity for industry peers, and a chance to hear a special keynote address from Rob Waddell, a former NZ rowing world champion and Olympic gold medallist.
Read more about the category winners below.
Best Public Works Project Under NZ$2m: Fulton Hogan – Masterton District Council Project
Using an innovative natural assets approach, contractor Fulton Hogan and development partner Agmar Tools took a design from nature in one of the worst places on the planet for coastal erosion.
On the windswept south coast of the North Island, nature plays a few tricks but Fulton Hogan and Ecoreef developer Agmar Tools had a trick of their own.
The solution was the hexagonal or honeycomb shaped interlocking Ecoreef concrete pods which now protect Wairarapa’s South Coast from the sea. The pods have been installed on nine non-coastal projects for Masterton District Council, from dropouts to bridge abutment repairs in a project costing NZ$1.9m.
The Ecoreef pods weigh only 500 kilograms each and can be installed in soft, sandy environments. They lock into each other and are filled in-situ with locally sourced aggregate which trebles their mass to 1500 kilograms. The Masterton installations extend from keeping the sea at bay, to supporting road pavements and acting as a drainage system.
Judges praises the project as the “most innovative in the category” and the first of its kind in New Zealand.
“It’s focus on sustainability and community involvement sets a great example for future projects,” the judges said in their comments.
“The product and methodology can be adapted to suit unique challenges and needs, proving this to be a highly transferrable solution.”
Best Public Works Project Between NZ$2-5m: Auckland Transport – Devonport Project
Auckland Transport identified Devonport as a high-risk town centre due to high numbers of vulnerable road users – children, senior citizens, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
This led to a project to improve the traffic management and public safety infrastructure, while also minimising the impact on businesses, public transport timetables and parking amenity. The safety upgrade comprised a raised road table, new pedestrian crossing and expanded footpaths.
The objective was to promote safe speeds through the Devonport town centre as this offered the greatest potential to reduce the chance of serious injuries and deaths. There have been no deaths or serious injuries since the improvements.
The Devonport town centre and local community now benefit from a safer environment, as people can now cross Victoria Rd with ease and parents can feel comfortable that their children can walk to school safely. Cyclists can also feel safer coming up Victoria Rd as they cycle up a busy road.
Collaboration and community consultation were critical to the project, with a ‘one team’ approach among contractors and strong engagement at all stages with stakeholders and road users.
Judges said the project demonstrated a “well structured approach to safety improvements through proactive stakeholder engagement and effective communication.”
Best Public Works Project Over NZ$5m: Christchurch City Council – Te Kuru Project
Te Kuru is a transformational redevelopment of a 110-hectare area in southwest Christchurch, formerly a raupō wetland drained for agricultural purposes. This project aims to establish a multi-value stormwater management area that not only addresses flood risks but also treats stormwater runoff effectively.
Designed to store over one million cubic metres of floodwater, the facility significantly mitigates flooding risks for downstream homes and effectively manages urban and rural runoff through a series of carefully designed wetland basins.
The project has introduced 150,000 native trees and 650,000 native plants to foster the restoration of vital habitats and enhance the character of the landscape. Restoration efforts include over three kilometres of stream enhancement and naturalisation, creating essential wildlife habitats that supports local biodiversity.
The facility also features 14 kilometres of shared pathways for pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging recreation and deepening community engagement with the natural environment.
Judges said the project “demonstrates strong innovation” and a commitment to sustainability in the management of environmental elements, balancing that with strong stakeholder and community relationships.
Excellence in Asset Management: Ventia – Transmission Gully Motorway
Ventia has the contract for the 25 year stewardship of the Transmission Gully Motorway connecting the Kapiti Expressway to the Porirua-Johnsonville Motorway, providing a safer connection to Wellington.
Ventia’s responsibilities includes proactive and preventative maintenance and inspection, corridor management and traffic control, along with seismic monitoring, incidence response, data collection and environmental management. This is delivered across the 27 kilometre four lane motorway, including the Te Ara a Toa bridge and four major interchanges.
Ventia Transport undertook ISO 55001 certification for the asset management framework and practices on the contract, a process which embeds a culture of continuous improvement.
Through the process of certification Ventia’s existing asset management system underwent rigorous audits to ensure compliance with ISO 55001 standards.
Since receiving certification in November 2023, the project team has leveraged the continuous improvement framework to achieve excellent outcomes on their key Asset Management Objectives (AMO) to maintain the assets in a safe, reliable, and available condition.
The judges noted that Ventia’s project for the Transmission Gully motorway is “highly innovative,” leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as drones, LiDAR, InSAR, and AI for improved asset management and safety.
“The project excels in sustainability, community engagement, and environmental stewardship,” they said.
“The use of advanced technologies and alignment with Te Ao Maori principles adds considerable value.”
Excellence in Project Innovation: Stantec – Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study
The Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study (MSFAS) was developed by Marlborough District Council (MDC) with Stantec to respond to the severe damage to 500 kilometres of the Marlborough Sounds road network following storm events in 2021-22.
The purpose of MSFAS was to establish a “sustainable long-term solution for safe, resilient access to the Sounds.” The project had several innovative features driven by the technical constraints, unprecedented storm events, the urgency of the recovery and a highly constrained fiscal environment. There was also little established guidance or precedence to go by.
A key input into the assessment of the roads was the natural hazard susceptibility assessment, a process which created susceptibility maps and a summary table that highlighted the total length and percentage of each road considered at risk.
This helped the technical team to understand where to focus investment in strengthening the network, and allowed the team to build this information, alongside information about land use and transport, into a logical set of programmes for assessment.
Stantec took a strategic network approach for the MSFAS instead of a response typical of recovery works, where the network is replaced as it was, or better. Instead, Stantec considered each road segment and identified a range of responses that could be provided. These were then assessed to understand the costs, benefits and value for money. The study has been successful, and has led to a program of repair co-funded by NZTA.
The judges praised the use of a data driven economic assessment tool in informing long term investment decisions.
“Overall a massive project with great complexity and a ground up approach to the creation of a framework and supporting tools vastly different to that of before,” the judges said.
The project showed “excellence in a risk based asset management approach” and judges were impressed by the number of wider stakeholder engagements.
Excellence in a Water Project: Hurunui District Council – Water Safety, Protozoa Compliance Project
Hurunui District Council manages 17 water schemes with 26 water sources spread across a district of 8,641 square kilometres. With around 14,000 residents, the district has the 6th lowest population density of any local authority in New Zealand.
Water quality was previously variable in some parts of the district and this led to an initial project which addressed bacteriological risks. The chlorination of water supplies in 2019 eliminated e.coli transgressions, and this follow up project relates to protozoa compliance.
The Council signed off on water treatment plant upgrades under a long term plan which runs to 2028, and to date 13 plants have been upgraded with the remaining three due in 2025. The plants utilise filtration, ultraviolet treatment and ultra-filtration methods for protozoa protection. The total cost of the project is NZ$24 million.
The Council used the plant upgrades as an opportunity to combine three small plants into a larger water treatment plant, contributing to improved water quality and operational efficiency by ensuring water was extracted from optimal sources.
The project also included the establishment of four new water sources in anticipation of further growth. This has increased the sustainability of the water schemes.
The Council’s water treatment plants are all unmanned. Due to geographical spread, it was previously necessary for watermen to travel up to two hours each way to reach some plants for routine operations.
During the plant upgrades, the Council sought to increase automation and it is now possible to automatically shut down plants if required, modify plant settings and restart plants remotely.
The project enhanced water quality and led to a fresh approach for the management of capital projects across the Council.
Judges said this was an “exemplary example of the values of IPWEA within the local government context.” This model of project delivery could be replicated by other councils, the judges said.
Excellence in Road Safety: Fulton Hogan – Moncks Bay Coastal Pathway
The Moncks Bay Coastal Pathway is an example of how infrastructure – in this case a pedestrian/cycling path built along a highly sensitive strip of cherished coastline – can help nurture ecosystem health and conserve biodiversity.
The project, the final stretch of Ōtautahi’s Coastal Pathway Te Ara Ihutai that links Ferrymead with Sumner, integrates urban development and environmental conservation.
More than minimising harm, the project achieved its aim of improving the environment for its inhabitants. Foremost among these was the endangered white flippered penguin (kororā), which is unique to this small pocket of coast. No element of the project occurred without considering the kororā’s wellbeing and enhancing their habitat.
This included halting the project at any time there was any uncertainty about the effect of works on the penguins to enable the inspection and assessment by project ecologists and Environment Canterbury.
The project also achieved the feat of ensuring there was measurably zero ingress of sediment into the estuary at any stage during the project.
The imperative to enhance the environment of the kororā was also a factor in the design and development of the cantilevered walkway that forms approximately 250 metres of the eastern side of the pathway in Monck’s Bay.
Penguins nest under the cantilever, and it is one of the main sites where nesting boxes, built by Fulton Hogan and local community group MenzShed, are now located.
Geofencing — laser scanning and GPS survey of above ground assets and GPS pick up, GPR location data and /as-built data for below-ground assets – was an important aid on the project.
This gave complete assurance, for example, that no excavation could occur outside of the consented area.
“This project was able to outline its challenges and undertook some new innovative approaches to making sure that these challenges were met and both the environment and ecological system was not compromised in the process,” the judges said.
Excellence in Environment and Sustainability: Christchurch City Council – Te Kuru Wetland Redevelopment Project
Also a winner in category 3, for the best public works project over NZ$5m, the Te Kuru Wetland redevelopment has also been recognised for Excellence in Environment and Sustainability.
With over $NZ50 million invested by Christchurch City Council on the 100 hectare site in southwest Christchurch, the project exemplifies the council’s dedication to sustainable development and resilience in the face of climate challenges.
Te Kuru officially opened to the public in October 2024, combining its multi-faceted use as a stormwater management area with a recreational space with public amenity.
The project has made remarkable progress in achieving its defined objectives.
Early assessments indicate a significant reduction in flooding incidents in surrounding areas, demonstrating the effectiveness of the facility’s design in managing stormwater.
The integration of multiple wetland basins has proven beneficial, enhancing water quality and supporting local ecosystems.
Collaborations with mātauranga Māori advisors and local stream care groups ensure that ecological enhancement and restoration goals are met, incorporating traditional knowledge and fostering community pride.
The judges said Te Kuru demonstrated a dedication to sustainable development and resilience “to mitigate the risks posed by climate change.”
The project had created a “great environmental asset drawing on nature and its capabilities to work with, not against, environmental harmony.”
