Cape Reinga project scoops top roading award

September, 2009

Cape Reinga project scoops top national roading award

Healing Te Rerenga Wairua – Cape Reinga Upgrade has been honoured with the Best Practice Award for Environmental Sustainability at the 2009 New Zealand Roading Excellence Awards.

This three year project to seal the remaining 20km length of State Highway 1 from Waitiki Landing to Cape Reinga is part of a major upgrade of visitor facilities including two new carparks and eco-friendly restrooms.

The project team headed by professional technical consultancy AECOM (formerly Maunsell), includes the Department of Conservation, New Zealand Transport Authority and Whangarei based contractors United Civil Construction working in collaboration with local iwi Ngati Kuri and Te Aupouri to ensure the best outcome for both the environment and the culture of the local people.

Dean Kimpton Regional Director of AECOM in New Zealand said, “It’s wonderful that the efforts of the local people involved in the planning and construction of this project have been recognised by this award. The new facilities are a showpiece for the far north and will provide enduring economic benefits to the region. AECOM are very proud to have been involved”.

The name ‘Healing Te Rerenga Wairua’ refers to the improved access as a result of the sealing of the final length of SH1 and the removal and re-landscaping of inappropriate infrastructure built on culturally sensitive sites.

The project is also about honouring the Government’s commitment to restore and heal past damages done to Cape Reinga by inappropriate building and infrastructure placement.

The innovative project is the first in New Zealand where training and work experience for local people was a condition in the contract. As a result, more than 20 locals were employed in the construction and revegetation programmes.

Te Hapua resident Phillipa Evans, who graduated from an apprenticeship scheme to work on the project, says “I never thought in a million years I’d be driving a roller. I used to think, how am I going to drive this? But practice makes perfect”, says Phillipa.

Local workers were also hired to lay more than 17,000 m2 of coconut matting used as erosion control measures on the steep slopes. They also hand-picked thousands of native seeds used to propagate the hundreds of thousands of native plants that have been used to revegetate the area.

As part of the revegetation programme, AECOM and the NZTA are supporting a Northland Polytechnic / DOC / iwi initiative to establish a purpose-built, fees free NZQA accredited horticultural nursery. Over 500,000 plants, including 17 targeted native species, will be propagated and used to revegetate the area. Once the revegetation programme is complete the nursery will function as a commercial operation in its own right.

Nursery Manager, Wayne Petera of Ngati Kuri says, “This project is already acting as a positive catalyst for development by others in the community who are leveraging off this initiative to further improve visitor facilities and experiences. We also have small businesses positioning themselves to gain better access to visitors and to improve the quality of the environment”.

In the long-term the project will continue to provide job opportunities for the people of the far-north. Visitor numbers are expected to increase by about 5% each year, in part due to reducing tourists’ heavy reliance on tour bus transportation. The increase in free independent travellers will increase tourists’ length of stay and average spend, generating further economic benefits for the region.

Howard Marshall Project Manager for NZTA says, “The award is a great accolade for the effort that has gone into providing an environmentally sustainable solution for the Cape. The project has not only healed the Cape but forged positive bonds with all involved”.

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