New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards

Irrigation scheme an engineering excellence finalist

15 October 2007

The Southern Valleys Irrigation Scheme was announced as a category finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Engineering Excellence (NZEE) Awards today.

Managed by a community-based water users group and owned and operated by the Marlborough District Council the scheme, located on the southern Wairau Plain near Blenhiem, was designed by engineering consultancy Beca and constructed by Fulton Hogan.

The scheme provides reticulated irrigation water to 370 viticultural, farming and rural residential properties through more than 70km of piping. In an area with restricted opportunities for land use due to the risk of drought and limited water resource, the reticulated irrigation supply creates significant economic, environmental and social benefits.

The scheme’s design and construction highlighted the co-operation between all parties which ensured the project was completed on time and within budget, delivering water just before summer 2004.
The third New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are the premier awards for New Zealand engineering professionals. The awards are presented in two major areas: Individual Awards, that recognise leadership, entrepreneurship, and our young engineers; and Category Awards, that recognise achievement in the various industry areas, together with a Supreme Award for the best of the Category winners.

David Elms, Convenor of the Category Awards judging panel said that the calibre of finalist projects highlighted the contribution that professional engineers make to New Zealand on a social, economic and environmental scale.

“These projects made the finalist cut because they each are outstanding examples of engineering innovation”, says Mr Elms. “This year’s finalists impressed the judges by demonstrating how their projects contributed to the national economy and the reputation of New Zealand engineering and impacted on quality of life in their communities”.

Winners of both individual and category awards will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner at TE PAPA, Wellington on Wednesday, 21 November 2007.

The New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are hosted by a consortium of five partners and 10 contributing organisations. The partners are: Centre for Advanced Engineering (CAE); Association of Local Government Engineering New Zealand Incorporated (INGENIUM); Electricity Engineers Association of New Zealand (EEA); Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ); and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Inc (IPENZ).

Media enquiries contact:

Verona-Meiana Putaranui, NZEE Awards Media Co-ordinator

Email: media@ipenz.org.nz

Phone: +64 4 473 2028 or Cell: +64 21 479885