Alliance to fix cyclone damage
An interim agreement between Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, KiwiRail and three large contractors is being described as an important step towards recovery of the East Coast’s transport network.
The deal enables Waka Kotahi to work alongside KiwiRail, Downer, Fulton Hogan and Higgins to establish the design and construction management team for the long-term recovery.
In addition to planning for the coming rebuild, some enabling works in the rail corridor will also be undertaken.
Brett Gliddon, pictured, Waka Kotahi’s general manager of transport services, says an alliance model was chosen for Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti following its successful use for the Kaikoura earthquake rebuild.
“This type of delivery structure is well-suited to complex environments where social and economic outcomes for local communities are as important as the physical work itself,” he explains.
“In other areas, such as Northland and Coromandel, we will be using a combination of existing maintenance contractors and individual construction contracts.
“The situation in Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti is very different, and we need to tailor our solution to meet the needs of these regions. We’re committed to a regionally led, centrally supported approach. Local knowledge and resources will play a key role.
“While this first step sees us build agreements with large companies with nationwide presence, a significant amount of work will be undertaken by smaller, local contractors.
“The Kaikoura recovery, which saw almost half of the total work cost delivered by local supply-chain partners, is a good example of our intent.”
The alliance is expected to be in place for several years and work in coming months “will ensure it is set up for success”. In parallel, work is under way to determine what the rebuild will include.
“The impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle have been devastating and we know how important the rebuild is to everyone who lives and works in Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti,” says Gliddon.
“There are ongoing discussions around resilience and the need to build this into our solutions. We see this as an opportunity to provide outcomes that are wider than just the transport network.”
KiwiRail’s chief executive, Peter Reidy, says: “Like Kaikoura, rebuilding infrastructure across Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti is going to be on a huge scale.
“KiwiRail has mobilised more than 1,000 staff in Auckland, for example, but it’s only been sustainable for a week or two. The alliance, like the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery, will be able to mobilise large numbers of people on the ground for as long as they’re required to get the job done.
“Working together also ensures much greater co-ordination, more efficient planning, and access to national supply chains, which will be needed to source the quantities of aggregates, pre-cast concrete products and other materials needed to reinstate the regions’ rail and roads.”
The full alliance team is expected to be in place by mid-2023. Until then, ongoing recovery works to improve access levels are being undertaken by the existing maintenance contractors in affected regions. KiwiRail has this month reopened the line between Woodville and Hastings, with significant work still to do between Hastings and Wairoa.
