10 | McConnell Dowell T T Virginia Wright Wharf project showcases expertise The project was a finalist in this year’s over $10 million category at the Engineering New Zealand Awards. “Providing a better life in the communities we work in is an important part of what we do. We invested back into Tonga with 20 per cent of the project spend supporting the local community and businesses.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT For over 65 years clients have been going to McConnell Dowell with complex projects requiring innovative solutions. Their engineering-led expertise spans building, civil, electrical, fabrication, marine, mechanical, pipelines, rail, tunnel and underground construction resulting in the completion of thousands of successful infrastructure projects around the world. Most recently McConnell Dowell Project Manager Frank Schubert led a team that refurbished and extended the Queen Sālote International Wharf in Nuku’alofa. The scope was to repair, modernize and increase port capacity after cyclone damage. One berth needed to remain serviceable, to allow the import and export of goods, as shipping and the port is a key economic lifeline for Tonga, so the work was done in stages. The upgraded Queen Sālote Wharf can accommodate larger ships, withstand climate change and is ready to play a key role in the island’s future growth. Frank Schubert is proud of McConnell Dowell’s legacy in Tonga. “Providing a better life in the communities we work in is an important part of what we do. We invested back into Tonga with 20 per cent of the project spend supporting the local community and businesses,” he says. Creating a strong health and safety culture was important to McConnell Dowell and their success was recognised with a Health & Safety commendation at the New Zealand Safeguard Awards. The project was also a finalist in this year’s over $10 million category at the Engineering New Zealand Awards: the Arthur Mead Award with criteria which focus on sustainability, community, social impact, and safety. National Environmental Manager, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, Brendon Barnett was the Health, Safety, Environment, Quality Manager on the project for close to three years. One of his key responsibilities was ensuring there were no detrimental impacts on the environment. “When we’re working in sensitive marine environments up in the Pacific Islands where the water quality’s really good, and the reefs are healthy, we want to leave it the way we found it.” Keeping their impact to a minimum involved measures such as using silt curtains to prevent displaced sediment spreading and settling over the reefs, minimising waste, and recycling. Alrite Steel are passionate about supplying high quality, cost effective and compliant steel products throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. With a combined experience in 80 years of industry knowledge, Alrite Steel is your New Zealand Steel Distributor. www.alrite.co.nz 09 270 2008 info@alrite.co.nz Brendon’s role also extended to training the construction crew to follow the project’s best practice environmental obligations. Their team included Tongan leaders and supervisors in areas like Human Resources and Health & Safety who were fluent in Tongan. “Many of our supervisors in New Zealand jumped at the opportunity to work in Tonga and be involved in such an important national infrastructure project. It really helped to have people who spoke the language and understood the community,” says Brendon. “About 80% of our workforce (of around 180) were local and hadn’t worked in construction at this scale so it helped to have Tongan speakers in the environmental training,” says Brendon. The team saved 13,395 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide gas equivalent) during the project. “We diverted 85% of waste generated from landfill by reusing 2160 tonnes of concrete from the old wharf deck in rock walls saving 6,480 TCO2e and helping protect the coast from erosion.” “We had a fantastic team,” says Project Manager Frank Schubert. “Construction was completed on time, and I’m very proud of the health and safety on the job with over one million hours worked without a single lost time injury.” “What has been most rewarding is seeing young engineers grow, take on new challenges and succeed.” For McConnell Dowell sustainable construction, respecting and protecting these beautiful Pacific environments, and contributing positively to the local community is part of responsible project delivery.
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