The Sensory Garden in New Brighton opened to the public on the weekend, after months of planning and two solid weeks of hard labour by SCIRT volunteers. Delivered in partnership with Christchurch charity SmileDial, which McConnell Dowell has supported for several years, the Sensory Garden was a long-time dream of SmileDial founder Kelly Dugan, whose daughter has cerebal palsy and struggles to use typical playgrounds.

“It always seemed that we were adapting to the surroundings so my daughter could enjoy them,” says Kelly, “and I thought surely there must be an easier way.”

Initiated as a SCIRT team wellness initiative, the project aimed to bring the combined delivery teams together to ‘give something back’ to the community. They were thrilled to be able to bring Kelly’s idea to life.

Each component of the garden is designed in to be accessible to all children, including those with special needs. It gives children the chance to explore their senses through interaction with nature, and includes edible plants, plants with textures and scents (including stinky ones), a wheelchair accessible boat, water play, a sandpit and a musical footpath.

Behind the scenes, McConnell Dowell Wellbeing Co-ordinator Nicole Hill and HR Co-ordinator Linda Plower worked hard to co-ordinate the volunteers from the SCIRT partners and donations of materials from suppliers, while Downer Project Manager Mario Wolfrum kept the team on track during the fortnight of construction. Over 20 McConnell Dowell people gave their time to help prepare the ground, box gardens, spread mulch, plant trees and install the garden’s features.

“SCIRT has always been about people and teamwork – people from hundreds of organisations working together to improve the lives of the people of Christchurch," says SCIRT General Manager Ian Campbell. "This project was particularly rewarding because it gave us the opportunity to do something extra for some very special children.”

A TV crew from Seven Sharp captured the opening day ribbon cutting and met Lucia Dugan, the little girl who inspired it all.

The garden taking shape

Almost finished

Colourful art

Lucia making some music

Keynote speakers were Kevin Devlin, CEO of the Level Crossing Removal Authority, and Ian Woodcock of RMIT University. Both gentlemen talked on the topic of cities and infrastructure.

Scott Cummins (McConnell Dowell’s CEO) and Jim Frith (Managing Director of McConnell Dowell Australia) were both in attendance, and Jim gave the vote of thanks to the speakers at the end of the event.

McConnell Dowell also hosted a corporate table with guests from Arup, UGL and Woods Bagot (architects) in attendance.

Pictured right to left: Jim Frith, Kevin Devlin and Jean-Marc Imbert (moderator)

The Board was established as a result of the Pike River Royal Commission and is responsible for setting and examining the competencies required of supervisors and managers looking to achieve Certificates of Competence in the extractives industry.

Marianne says her involvement with the Board stems from a passion for Health & Safety in the industry.

“I have been involved in serious incidents in our industry and I want to get the message out that it’s possible to keep people safe and have strong production and profitability as a business,” she says. “There does not need to be a tension between production and safety if the job is set up and managed properly.”

I wanted to bring my learnings from working in the Australian mining industry to NZ and contribute the H&S culture here.

About Marianne

Marianne has over 20 years’ experience in the NZ and Australia mining industries across a range of commodities and mines, including underground metal mines, open cut coal mines and consulting for sand mining, quarrying and civil earthworks operations.

Being strong in maths and interested in geology, and with a State Coal Mines Scholarship under her belt, she began her career with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining from the University of Auckland. Her early experience in Mining Engineer roles and working alongside expert witnesses in mining litigation led to an interest in law, which she pursued at the Queensland University of Technology. Her First Class Honours Degree in Law has helped her develop a strengthened commercial and compliance understanding which has come in useful in her more recent roles in the mining and now civil construction industries.

Marianne has detailed understanding of, and practical capability in, underground metal mining operations including drill and blast, heading development and stope production, and has held roles involving statutory mine management, risk management, mine design and planning, ventilation, drill and blast design, production, feasibility studies, dewatering, operations start up, cost control, logistics, environmental management and compliance.

Most recently, she has been responsible for leading the McConnell Dowell team working on the Sumner Rd Geotechnical Remediation project in Christchurch.

The works include the Fabrication, Supply, Transportation, Installation  and Commissioning of the following:

• Regulating Gates
• Regulating Gate Lifting Truss
• Power Supply and Control System
• Guide Vanes

This substantial additional works package  has been secured as a result of our excellent customer relationship, technical expertise, efficient project execution along with our excellent safety record and ability to schedule in additional work within an existing site area.

This project maintains a long standing relationship of project delivery with the customer SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) in the Philippines and further enhances our position both with the client and in the market as the leading multi discipline contractor for hydropower  including technically challenging projects involving rehabilitation and expansion of existing assets in remote environments.

By securing these additional works McConnell Dowell is well placed to secure future contracts  in the Philippine hydropower market   which follow the very successful Ambuklao & Binga Dam Rehabilitation Projects which were completed in 2012 for the same customer.

The independent judging panel for the ACAA identified six projects as finalists including McConnell Dowell's "Port Capacity Project - Maritime Works Package", delivered for the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC).

About the project

In addition to the normal complexities of maritime rehabilitation and construction, the Project was delivered within an operational port environment and concurrently with four adjacent major construction contracts associated with the broader Port Capacity Project. McConnell Dowell worked collaboratively with client PoMC and adjacent contractors to successfully manage all interfaces and ensure cooperation with project stakeholders, the local community and Webb Dock Port Operators.

About the award

Now in its 20th year, the ACCA is the construction industry's most significant accolade and is supported by leading constructors, manufacturers, professionals and industry partners. The ACAA showcases the people and the projects within the construction industry that are setting new benchmarks around the world.

The overall project winner will be selected next year at the presentation event on Thursday 4 May 2017, in the Grand Ballroom at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.

The team developed a comprehensive Guide for Managing Risks From High Pressure Water Jetting/Hydro-Excavating, which is aimed at improving safety when undertaking this high-risk activity.

Based on a document produced by Safe Work Australia, the McConnell Dowell Guide has been developed to align with New Zealand law - the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and Health and Safety at Work General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016.

The Guide covers the risk management process, safety recommendations, equipment care and maintenance, personal protective equipment, planning, pre-operational and operational procedures, and hazardous waste. It has been reviewed by WorkSafe New Zealand, and compliance with it by a Person Controlling a Business Undertaking (PCBU) would be deemed to be “taking reasonable steps” under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Use of the document by hydro-operators on SCIRT sites has resulted in a noticeable reduction in hydro-related incidents.

The Guide is available to any person or organisation wishing to safely undertake High-Pressure Water Jetting or Hydro-Excavation and can be downloaded from the Publications page on the McConnell Dowell website.

The SCIRT Bill Perry Award is named after Bill Perry, the late CEO of Fulton Hogan and former member of the Alliance Leadership Team, to honour Bill's fierce commitment to workplace safety in construction. Bill was highly focussed on ensuring that everyone who worked on the infrastructure rebuild, and the public that worked around our work sites, were kept safe.

L-R: Craig Baynon  (HS Advisor), Karen McIntyre (HSE Administrator), Ian Alsweiler (HSE Manager), George Rankin (HS Advisor), Anna Harrison (HS Advisor) and Phil Terry (SCIRT Project Manager)

The Design and Construct contract is for the installation of approximately 3.5km of 1.6m diameter steel pipe between Newmarket and Khyber Pass, one of the busiest commercial areas in Auckland.

Due to the site constraints including challenging geotechnical conditions, multiple stakeholders and major arterial roads, the pipeline will be installed largely using a pipejacking methodology, in which a tunnel boring machine ‘drills’ under the ground and segments of pipe are pushed (jacked) in behind it as it moves forward. Once completed, the pipe jacks will be the longest ever completed in New Zealand.

McConnell Dowell’s solution was to propose an alternative route to that originally expected by Watercare and methods of construction that significantly reduce the construction impacts on local people, businesses and other stakeholders. Using the latest, state-of-the-art technologies, the team will install the pipe using trenchless methods almost entirely below and within the road or motorway corridor. The route of Section 11 travels along Ranfurly Road then beneath Manukau Rd, under the Southern Motorway and beneath Khyber Pass Rd to the Burleigh St water storage tanks. The route also disconnects the work from the City Rail Link project, which will be underway nearby in Eden Terrace, and avoids potential impacts on culturally or environmentally significant areas.

Phase One (Design Development) is due to start in early 2017 with construction due to commence in 2018.

About Hunua 4

The Hunua 4 water main is one of the largest bulk water supply pipelines in Auckland at up to 1.9 metres in diameter. When completed it will travel from Manukau, through Mangere and Onehunga, One Tree Hill, Greenlane, Epsom and Newmarket, joining the network in Khyber Pass.

As demand for water grows in Auckland, it will ensure sufficient capacity in the network to continue an uninterrupted, high-quality water supply. The pipeline will also offer resilience if there was ever a natural disaster and will allow maintenance without major disruption to supply.

See more about the Hunua 4 Watermain Project.

McConnell Dowell was one of three companies – including consultant engineers AECOM and Wallbridge and Gilbert – responsible for the design, construction and proof engineering for the $32 million project which passed all verifications and was awarded practical completion in 2010.

All parties involved have assisted DPTI to secure a safe, temporary fix, which is now in place.

As a company with a 30-year history of delivering quality infrastructure projects in South Australia, McConnell Dowell will continue to work with DPTI, including in its independent investigation, to determine the cause of the issue.

For more information contact:

Name: Leisha Bond, The Press Gallery

M: 0404551392

E: leisha@thepressgallery.com.au

It travels under the new Harewood Roundabout, aims to provide high quality active transport infrastructure and provide safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists and to the growing Christchurch International Airport precinct.

Cast by local producer Cancast using concrete moulds following a 3D CAD model, the 84 multi-faceted, concrete panels are painted in glossy white and evoke the Southern Alps. Four 1.5 – 8m wide inter-panel sections were cast in-situ using vertical rough sawn timber boards with vertical 10mm triangular grooves to contrast with the texture and form of the precast panels. These inter-panel sections are painted in the colours of the sky from west to east: West Coast sunset, stormy West Coast sky, the Nor’west arch and the broad blue Canterbury sky. Both surfaces are tactile, inviting touch; and with the paint finishes, a dynamic play of light reflectance, shadow form and colour contrast is produced.

Within the roundabout, 25 spun, 500mm diameter concrete pipes channel natural light into the underpass. They are oriented towards the sun and pierce through to the roundabout to deliver intense moments of sunlight that travel along the walls and floor as the sun moves through the sky. The pipes are painted in the same high gloss white to reflect natural light down into the underpass.

“The quality of the finished structure is truly supreme – both striking and functional,” says McConnell Dowell Downers Contractors Representative and McConnell Dowell Roading Director Aidan Brannan. “It sets a very high standard in urban transportation features for the future.”

Inter-panel sections cast in-situ contrast with the texture, form and colour of the precast panels.

The multi-faceted concrete panels are painted in glossy white and evoke the Southern Alps.

The judges particularly noted the significance of establishing McConnell Dowell’s in-house Private Training Enterprise - the first in the construction industry – which Anand has been responsible for implementing and running.

“We acknowledge that establishing a PTE for his employer which links to accredited training is a tremendous achievement” they said.

After just 12 months of operation, the PTE received an ‘excellent’ rating in its first NZQA Audit.

The judges were also impressed by Anand’s personal contribution to the community, for which he received a Queens Service Medal in 2013.

Anand has worked as an L&D professional for over 30 years in a variety of roles including secondary and tertiary School Teacher, Information Technology Trainer, Lecturer, Webmaster, Senior Trainer, Community Education Tutor, People Capability Manager, OD/L&D Advisor, Assessor/Moderator, Qualification Developer and L&D Manager. He actively contributes to the Learning and Development industry by delivering conference presentations, and taking an active part in a number of groups and associations.

Anand demonstrates a strong work ethic, maintains a high level of personal integrity, and focuses on relationship building and facilitating achievement though learning. He has also been instrumental in transitioning the culture within McConnell Dowell from a ‘training’ focus to one of ‘learning and development’.

“This is an outstanding achievement and deserving recognition of Anand for what he has achieved in getting our PTE to where it is today,” says New Zealand and Pacific Islands Managing Director Roger McRae. “It is also due recognition of Anand’s service to the training industry - we are proud of his achievement and standing in the industry.”

The Sensory Garden in New Brighton opened to the public on the weekend, after months of planning and two solid weeks of hard labour by SCIRT volunteers. Delivered in partnership with Christchurch charity SmileDial, which McConnell Dowell has supported for several years, the Sensory Garden was a long-time dream of SmileDial founder Kelly Dugan, whose daughter has cerebal palsy and struggles to use typical playgrounds.

“It always seemed that we were adapting to the surroundings so my daughter could enjoy them,” says Kelly, “and I thought surely there must be an easier way.”

Initiated as a SCIRT team wellness initiative, the project aimed to bring the combined delivery teams together to ‘give something back’ to the community. They were thrilled to be able to bring Kelly’s idea to life.

Each component of the garden is designed in to be accessible to all children, including those with special needs. It gives children the chance to explore their senses through interaction with nature, and includes edible plants, plants with textures and scents (including stinky ones), a wheelchair accessible boat, water play, a sandpit and a musical footpath.

Behind the scenes, McConnell Dowell Wellbeing Co-ordinator Nicole Hill and HR Co-ordinator Linda Plower worked hard to co-ordinate the volunteers from the SCIRT partners and donations of materials from suppliers, while Downer Project Manager Mario Wolfrum kept the team on track during the fortnight of construction. Over 20 McConnell Dowell people gave their time to help prepare the ground, box gardens, spread mulch, plant trees and install the garden’s features.

“SCIRT has always been about people and teamwork – people from hundreds of organisations working together to improve the lives of the people of Christchurch," says SCIRT General Manager Ian Campbell. "This project was particularly rewarding because it gave us the opportunity to do something extra for some very special children.”

A TV crew from Seven Sharp captured the opening day ribbon cutting and met Lucia Dugan, the little girl who inspired it all.

The garden taking shape

Almost finished

Colourful art

Lucia making some music

Keynote speakers were Kevin Devlin, CEO of the Level Crossing Removal Authority, and Ian Woodcock of RMIT University. Both gentlemen talked on the topic of cities and infrastructure.

Scott Cummins (McConnell Dowell’s CEO) and Jim Frith (Managing Director of McConnell Dowell Australia) were both in attendance, and Jim gave the vote of thanks to the speakers at the end of the event.

McConnell Dowell also hosted a corporate table with guests from Arup, UGL and Woods Bagot (architects) in attendance.

Pictured right to left: Jim Frith, Kevin Devlin and Jean-Marc Imbert (moderator)

The Board was established as a result of the Pike River Royal Commission and is responsible for setting and examining the competencies required of supervisors and managers looking to achieve Certificates of Competence in the extractives industry.

Marianne says her involvement with the Board stems from a passion for Health & Safety in the industry.

“I have been involved in serious incidents in our industry and I want to get the message out that it’s possible to keep people safe and have strong production and profitability as a business,” she says. “There does not need to be a tension between production and safety if the job is set up and managed properly.”

I wanted to bring my learnings from working in the Australian mining industry to NZ and contribute the H&S culture here.

About Marianne

Marianne has over 20 years’ experience in the NZ and Australia mining industries across a range of commodities and mines, including underground metal mines, open cut coal mines and consulting for sand mining, quarrying and civil earthworks operations.

Being strong in maths and interested in geology, and with a State Coal Mines Scholarship under her belt, she began her career with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining from the University of Auckland. Her early experience in Mining Engineer roles and working alongside expert witnesses in mining litigation led to an interest in law, which she pursued at the Queensland University of Technology. Her First Class Honours Degree in Law has helped her develop a strengthened commercial and compliance understanding which has come in useful in her more recent roles in the mining and now civil construction industries.

Marianne has detailed understanding of, and practical capability in, underground metal mining operations including drill and blast, heading development and stope production, and has held roles involving statutory mine management, risk management, mine design and planning, ventilation, drill and blast design, production, feasibility studies, dewatering, operations start up, cost control, logistics, environmental management and compliance.

Most recently, she has been responsible for leading the McConnell Dowell team working on the Sumner Rd Geotechnical Remediation project in Christchurch.

The works include the Fabrication, Supply, Transportation, Installation  and Commissioning of the following:

• Regulating Gates
• Regulating Gate Lifting Truss
• Power Supply and Control System
• Guide Vanes

This substantial additional works package  has been secured as a result of our excellent customer relationship, technical expertise, efficient project execution along with our excellent safety record and ability to schedule in additional work within an existing site area.

This project maintains a long standing relationship of project delivery with the customer SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) in the Philippines and further enhances our position both with the client and in the market as the leading multi discipline contractor for hydropower  including technically challenging projects involving rehabilitation and expansion of existing assets in remote environments.

By securing these additional works McConnell Dowell is well placed to secure future contracts  in the Philippine hydropower market   which follow the very successful Ambuklao & Binga Dam Rehabilitation Projects which were completed in 2012 for the same customer.

The independent judging panel for the ACAA identified six projects as finalists including McConnell Dowell's "Port Capacity Project - Maritime Works Package", delivered for the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC).

About the project

In addition to the normal complexities of maritime rehabilitation and construction, the Project was delivered within an operational port environment and concurrently with four adjacent major construction contracts associated with the broader Port Capacity Project. McConnell Dowell worked collaboratively with client PoMC and adjacent contractors to successfully manage all interfaces and ensure cooperation with project stakeholders, the local community and Webb Dock Port Operators.

About the award

Now in its 20th year, the ACCA is the construction industry's most significant accolade and is supported by leading constructors, manufacturers, professionals and industry partners. The ACAA showcases the people and the projects within the construction industry that are setting new benchmarks around the world.

The overall project winner will be selected next year at the presentation event on Thursday 4 May 2017, in the Grand Ballroom at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.

The team developed a comprehensive Guide for Managing Risks From High Pressure Water Jetting/Hydro-Excavating, which is aimed at improving safety when undertaking this high-risk activity.

Based on a document produced by Safe Work Australia, the McConnell Dowell Guide has been developed to align with New Zealand law - the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and Health and Safety at Work General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016.

The Guide covers the risk management process, safety recommendations, equipment care and maintenance, personal protective equipment, planning, pre-operational and operational procedures, and hazardous waste. It has been reviewed by WorkSafe New Zealand, and compliance with it by a Person Controlling a Business Undertaking (PCBU) would be deemed to be “taking reasonable steps” under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Use of the document by hydro-operators on SCIRT sites has resulted in a noticeable reduction in hydro-related incidents.

The Guide is available to any person or organisation wishing to safely undertake High-Pressure Water Jetting or Hydro-Excavation and can be downloaded from the Publications page on the McConnell Dowell website.

The SCIRT Bill Perry Award is named after Bill Perry, the late CEO of Fulton Hogan and former member of the Alliance Leadership Team, to honour Bill's fierce commitment to workplace safety in construction. Bill was highly focussed on ensuring that everyone who worked on the infrastructure rebuild, and the public that worked around our work sites, were kept safe.

L-R: Craig Baynon  (HS Advisor), Karen McIntyre (HSE Administrator), Ian Alsweiler (HSE Manager), George Rankin (HS Advisor), Anna Harrison (HS Advisor) and Phil Terry (SCIRT Project Manager)

The Design and Construct contract is for the installation of approximately 3.5km of 1.6m diameter steel pipe between Newmarket and Khyber Pass, one of the busiest commercial areas in Auckland.

Due to the site constraints including challenging geotechnical conditions, multiple stakeholders and major arterial roads, the pipeline will be installed largely using a pipejacking methodology, in which a tunnel boring machine ‘drills’ under the ground and segments of pipe are pushed (jacked) in behind it as it moves forward. Once completed, the pipe jacks will be the longest ever completed in New Zealand.

McConnell Dowell’s solution was to propose an alternative route to that originally expected by Watercare and methods of construction that significantly reduce the construction impacts on local people, businesses and other stakeholders. Using the latest, state-of-the-art technologies, the team will install the pipe using trenchless methods almost entirely below and within the road or motorway corridor. The route of Section 11 travels along Ranfurly Road then beneath Manukau Rd, under the Southern Motorway and beneath Khyber Pass Rd to the Burleigh St water storage tanks. The route also disconnects the work from the City Rail Link project, which will be underway nearby in Eden Terrace, and avoids potential impacts on culturally or environmentally significant areas.

Phase One (Design Development) is due to start in early 2017 with construction due to commence in 2018.

About Hunua 4

The Hunua 4 water main is one of the largest bulk water supply pipelines in Auckland at up to 1.9 metres in diameter. When completed it will travel from Manukau, through Mangere and Onehunga, One Tree Hill, Greenlane, Epsom and Newmarket, joining the network in Khyber Pass.

As demand for water grows in Auckland, it will ensure sufficient capacity in the network to continue an uninterrupted, high-quality water supply. The pipeline will also offer resilience if there was ever a natural disaster and will allow maintenance without major disruption to supply.

See more about the Hunua 4 Watermain Project.

McConnell Dowell was one of three companies – including consultant engineers AECOM and Wallbridge and Gilbert – responsible for the design, construction and proof engineering for the $32 million project which passed all verifications and was awarded practical completion in 2010.

All parties involved have assisted DPTI to secure a safe, temporary fix, which is now in place.

As a company with a 30-year history of delivering quality infrastructure projects in South Australia, McConnell Dowell will continue to work with DPTI, including in its independent investigation, to determine the cause of the issue.

For more information contact:

Name: Leisha Bond, The Press Gallery

M: 0404551392

E: leisha@thepressgallery.com.au

The existing Dryandra Road is located north of the Domestic Terminal at Brisbane Airport and is to be realigned as part of the new runway project. The underpass will allow vehicular access either side of the new linking taxiways which will be constructed as part of the NPR project to connect the new runway in the west to the passenger terminals and existing runway system in the east.

We have included sheet piles in our solution which results in reduced excavation, better construction access and stability.

“McConnell Dowell is excited to deliver another airport project and looks forward to working with BAC to deliver this crucial project for the development of Brisbane Airport.” Grant Gibson, Project Manager, McConnell Dowell.

Work is scheduled to commence on site in February 2017 with an estimated construction period of 20 months.

It travels under the new Harewood Roundabout, aims to provide high quality active transport infrastructure and provide safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists and to the growing Christchurch International Airport precinct.

Cast by local producer Cancast using concrete moulds following a 3D CAD model, the 84 multi-faceted, concrete panels are painted in glossy white and evoke the Southern Alps. Four 1.5 – 8m wide inter-panel sections were cast in-situ using vertical rough sawn timber boards with vertical 10mm triangular grooves to contrast with the texture and form of the precast panels. These inter-panel sections are painted in the colours of the sky from west to east: West Coast sunset, stormy West Coast sky, the Nor’west arch and the broad blue Canterbury sky. Both surfaces are tactile, inviting touch; and with the paint finishes, a dynamic play of light reflectance, shadow form and colour contrast is produced.

Within the roundabout, 25 spun, 500mm diameter concrete pipes channel natural light into the underpass. They are oriented towards the sun and pierce through to the roundabout to deliver intense moments of sunlight that travel along the walls and floor as the sun moves through the sky. The pipes are painted in the same high gloss white to reflect natural light down into the underpass.

“The quality of the finished structure is truly supreme – both striking and functional,” says McConnell Dowell Downers Contractors Representative and McConnell Dowell Roading Director Aidan Brannan. “It sets a very high standard in urban transportation features for the future.”

Inter-panel sections cast in-situ contrast with the texture, form and colour of the precast panels.

The multi-faceted concrete panels are painted in glossy white and evoke the Southern Alps.