Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct and East Frame*

Public consultation and engagement were essential to securing public support for, and emotional investment in, the project.

Date: 2014 – 2015

 

Client: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA)

 

Project Location: Christchurch and Kaikoura

 

Services Provided: Project Management, Programme Management, Design Management, Value and Risk Management, Contract Administration

The Avon River Precinct is a public realm project which will redevelop the earthquake damaged road network and riverside reserve areas which bound the Avon River through the Christchurch CBD. It converts the riverbanks to a high quality shared space promenade for pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicles, trams and buses. The project incorporates sympathetic integration of the greenspaces and riverbank walks that have been a much-loved part of Christchurch for many years, the return of punting to the river, the return of marine life and native plant life and a re-connection to both the Māori and Pakeha heritage of the river. An integral part of the project is to regenerate and clean the river which suffered high pollution after the earthquakes of 2010 – 11.

The East Frame Project provides the eastern green frame to the city redevelopment blueprint and links the commercial and residential areas of the city. The East Frame incorporates pedestrian and cycleways, greenspace and community gardens which will contain fruit trees and vegetable gardens for community use and benefit.

Paul Haggath led the re-sequencing of the project, de-linking and optimising interfaces and dependencies, and along with Paul Perniskie re-structured and re-engineered the project’s procurement plan from multiple traditional contracts to a suite of contracts appropriate for the different areas and project types. This included client-owned supply agreements to ensure long term consistency and price caps, advance works contracts, utility diversionary works, Develop and Construct contracts, and traditional measure and value.

Lessons to be shared

Recognising and addressing the appetite and constraints of the local market was key to developing an appropriate procurement process. This ultimately resulted in the project being returned to its original budget.

Public consultation and engagement were essential to securing public support for, and emotional investment in, the project.

*This case study reflects a project undertaken by Paul Haggath pre-TEAM