Global Engineering Consultants Royal HaskoningDHV Expands APAC Operations

Leading provider of maritime engineering, resilience and adaptation management services, Royal HaskoningDHV, is pleased to announce the official establishment of its New Zealand entity as part of its ongoing commitment to environmental enhancement and protection across the Asia-Pacific region.

The new office will be located in Auckland, with plans already underway to grow the team further by the end of year. The company has held a strong presence in the country since 2018; the expansion is part of continued investment in the APAC region with Royal HaskoningDHV aiming to double its local turnover and significantly increase its local headcount by 2026.

This move accompanies a strong growth in climate adaptation projects in locations including Samoa, Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu, as well as Australia’s key flood zones and New Zealand’s Waikato and Northland Regions.

The company has already received recognition through awards for its local work, with the Thames-Coromandel Shoreline Management Pathways serving as a cornerstone for the company's portfolio of projects within the country. In collaboration with the local council, this project provided adaptation actions for 400 kilometres of the Coromandel Peninsula and included flood modelling and protection design work.

“Over the last few years, we have witnessed the devastating impacts of climate change first hand, and we are committed to helping our clients across New Zealand build their resilience and adapt for the future. Our expansion in the region reaffirms this commitment,” said Sian John, Royal HaskoningDHV’s Resident Director of New Zealand.

Ms John’s role has been integral in establishing the expansion and she will lead Royal HaskoningDHV’s local operations across strategic advice, risk assessment and adaptation planning, as well as building on its existing environment and social safeguarding service in New Zealand, the Pacific and in wider global operations.

With Aotearoa New Zealand’s first National Adaptation Plan now being implemented, local councils are actively progressing adaptation projects in catchments and along the coast. In addition to the ongoing work in the Coromandel, Royal HaskoningDHV has collaborated on several regional projects, including efforts with the Auckland Council to address water management challenges and with Auckland Transport on its climate change strategy. The company also worked with Kaipara District Council and Hauraki District Council on adaptation and resilience in the Ruawai flats and Hauraki Plains and with NZTA Waka Kotahi to restore natural flows to an estuary in the country’s far north.

“Since the introduction of the National Adaptation Plan, there has been a greater emphasis on readiness to adapt, resilience, and nature-based solutions, Mātauranga Māori. We are committed to ensuring that our adaptation projects tangibly reduce the risks to communities, lifeline infrastructure, and the environment from the impact of climate change,” said Ms John.

As a leader in this space, Royal HaskoningDHV is pleased its growing presence in New Zealand allows it to offer further guidance and support to local government and private companies, with projects for the maritime and transport sectors, including the Port of Tauranga, CentrePort Wellington, Lyttelton Port and KiwiRail, relating to streamlining current port terminals, linkspan delivery and coast protection.

The New Zealand team will also service the Pacific Islands and will be supported by Royal HaskoningDHV’s Australian arm to deliver maritime, environmental and renewables projects.

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