Westport Waterfront - Toki Poutangata
Location:
Westport
Disciplines Involved:
Project Management, Civil Engineering, Landscape Design
Project Timeframe:
February 2020 - Late 2021
Financed by the provincial growth fund, the Westport Waterfront Riverbank project aims to revitalise the current industrial area between the Buller River and the town center. At its center is the Toki Poutangata Bridge, which crosses over the existing railway line and creates an attractive passageway between the main street and a new riverbank community space. The project has the backing of the local Iwi Ngāti Waewae, and the design carries Māori motifs and symbolism throughout of strength, mana, bravery and triumph.
CGW led the design team through consultation, approvals and procurement phases and were appointed as the Engineer to Contract (ETC), responsible for administering the terms of the NZS 3910 contract. The role of ETC includes reporting to principal funders, the Provincial Development Unit and the BDC Project Board. We are also responsible for delivering the civil engineering and designs.
Work on the project involved:
collaborating with the local community and Iwi to develop a design narrative that speaks to the site’s history and context
obtaining the necessary consents from Kiwirail to safely traverse the railway corridor
supporting the wider socio-economic goals of the project and providing a catalyst to recovery from the economic effects of the pandemic
overcoming challenges created by shortages in skilled labour and materials shortages arising from the Covid-19 pandemic
remote management due to Covid-19 restrictions with multiple sub-consultant contracts to manage.
The project is due for completion before the end of 2021 and has met all key milestones to date, in spite of flooding and Covid-19 restrictions. Fabrication of the bridge has been successful in parallel with onsite works. In addition, thanks to funding provided, trade apprenticeships not otherwise available have been established with Westport businesses.
Stakeholder engagement sessions were well attended, with locals taking pride and ownership of the riverbank development.
BDC Project Sponsor, Mike Duff, congratulated CGW’s involvement in the project.
“Well done to the PMO and all the programme/project managers. Everyone is doing a fantastic job with exciting progress across the board and many of the jobs ramping up and hitting key milestones on or ahead of schedule.”
