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The Waterview project is all go.
The final Board of Inquiry decision granting designation and resource consents to construct the Waterview Connection has been made.
This clears the way for the Transport Agency to shortly name the successful consortium to construct the country’s largest roading project to date.
The NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland Tommy Parker says this is an exciting decision and means construction will start later this year.
The Waterview Connection with its twin three-lane tunnels, is a complex undertaking that is the first ever roading project to be considered using the new national consenting process.
Last month, the Board released a draft decision granting the NZTA consent to construct the project.
The Waterview Connection, linking the Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20) and the Northwestern Motorway (SH16), – also includes widening and raising the causeway and other capacity improvement works on the Northwestern Motorway to provide a transport alternative to SH1 through central Auckland.
The project will also provide better connections and improved facilities for those going by cycle or by foot. NZTA says catching the bus will also be easier with new bus priority measures and the addition of dedicated bus lanes for key sections of the project.
The NZTA’s application for designation and resource consent to construct the Waterview Connection was lodged with the Environmental Protection Authority in August last year and referred to a Board of Inquiry soon after. Hearings to consider the application began in February, where the Board considered all the evidence and submissions on the project from the NZTA, local authorities, the community and other interested parties.
Mr Parker says the NZTA felt that the decision - which has required some additional mitigation measures from the NZTA - reflected the careful consideration of the project requirements and the community’s needs and concerns.
“The Board was tasked with considering detailed investigations and evidence provided as part of the NZTA’s application as well as taking into account the community’s concerns.
“As a result the Board has tasked the NZTA with making some changes to the scheme including moving the location of the vent stacks and providing some additional open space measures. We now look forward to constructing a project that delivers best value for money while mitigating the effects on the community. We’ll also be creating community liaison groups – made up of community representatives - prior to construction to ensure that the community is kept well informed of what’s happening.”
The NZTA has been running its tender process to construct the Waterview Connection Tunnels and Great North Road Interchange in parallel to the consenting process. In November last year the two consortia - led by Fletcher Construction Co. Ltd, and Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - were shortlisted from three registered competitors.
Mr Parker says that importantly for the community, the procurement strategy the NZTA has adopted will enable the successful tender to deliver a final design that is the best outcome for the community.
“The short listed tenderers have been well engaged with the Board of Inquiry process and are familiar with the issues that are of importance to the community and the Board of Inquiry and have adapted their designs accordingly,” he says.
Running the tender process in parallel has also enabled the NZTA to make the most of the current economic conditions to get best market prices.
“Running the two in parallel will save us up to a year in the construction timetable as well as offer significant savings on the overall cost of the project. We are committed to delivering the project as quickly as possible and with the best value for money,” says Mr Parker.
The NZTA is now looking forward to awarding the contract in late August and anticipates construction will begin soon after.
The Waterview Connection Project is a crucial component of completing the Western Ring Route. It is one of the seven ‘roads of national significance projects identified by the Government as key to unlocking the New Zealand’s potential for economic growth. Other components of the Western Ring Route are well underway or complete. The Hobsonville Deviation and Brigham Creek Extension Project is scheduled to be completed this year, six months ahead of schedule. Once completed the Western Ring Route will provide a 48km alternative to SH1 and will help to ease congestion and travel times for both freight and people.
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2 Comments
It was a pretty positive consenting process, and I am quite impressed with how good the Board of Inquriy process / fast tracking turned out. This could have dragged on for forever under the old rules, and left lots of people feeling like losers. This result turned out to be much more acceptable to many than expected.
The interesting thing here will be how this bodes for future fast-tracking, such as that proposed for the Basin Reserve project in Wellington - was the quality of the Auckland process just because Judge Newhook and his panel listened to the locals a lot? Was it a positive fluke, or even something that Joyce will try to prevent the next time (as it did add quite a bit of cost to the project from what NZTA wanted).
In other words, will the next Board, staffed with other people, assessing a different set of project objectives, and maybe using a modified statute, screw the communities more - or is the process itself beneficial to local communities in at least getting good mitigation in place where the minister is dead-set on pushing through a project?
Time will tell. I am cautiously optimistic though.
Good news!!