New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards

Project Manukau

Manukau Wastewater Services Ltd: Fletcher Construction Ltd, CH2M Beca Ltd, Bovis Lend Lease Pty Ltd, New Zealand Water Services Ltd

"By demonstrating engineering excellence, best world practice and supreme fitness for purpose, Project Manukau had that something special that the judges were looking for.
– Dr Bas Walker, Chief Judge

This $450 million, five-year project significantly upgraded the existing Manukau sewerage treatment plant to provide for the needs of three major cities of Auckland, Manukau, and Waitakere.

The project combines the hard engineering aspects of a state-of-the-art treatment plant coupled with the less tangible benefits of a large area of foreshore that was lost to the community for 40 years now restored for both active and passive recreational use. The high-tech tertiary treatment plant also has a high level of energy efficiency. This includes enhanced on-site generation of biogas that provides half of the plant’s energy needs.

The removal of the old oxidation pond was the largest beach creation project in New Zealand, with the reclaimation of some 500 hectares of inter-tidal foreshore. The integration of a coastal walkway, lookouts, and native revegetation has created a significant passive recreational and culturally acceptable asset for the area. The return of migratory bird species has resulted in the area now widely renowned as an excellent bird-watching sanctuary. Provided substantially by a New Zealand consortium on time and within budget, this project is an excellent example of New Zealand engineering at its best.

The project serves a combined population of 900,000, around one quarter of New Zealand’s population. It has not only resulted in a significantly up-graded treatment plant of small land profile with a high quality discharge, but also restored a significant portion of the foreshore of Manukau Harbour.

Project Manukau has not only made a profound impact on the Auckland region – both in terms of infrastructural services and the improvement and care of the environment – but has set new standards which will influence similar developments for years to come.

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