62 | Land and Sea Civil T T Russell Fredric Coastal works specialist in the swim Land and Sea Civil won a closed tender for the technically challenging Big Bay Reserve seawall renewal in Awhitu Peninsula. “There were a lot of large pohutukawa trees on the reserve; a failed retaining wall had given way and gone, and the trees were exposed to their roots and the risk of falling in and dying so the project was around saving those trees.” CIVIL CONTRACTORS Waiuku-based Land and Sea Civil has grown and diversified through a strategy of specialising in rock revetment and coastal works, specialist piling, pavements, high volage civil, commercial construction and civil drainage works. Director/Contracts Manager, Craig Vare, says that revetment — retaining walls placed along a coastal zone or riverbanks to stabilise or protect the bank from erosion — along with other coastal works, demands specialist expertise, environmental care and a collaborative approach with specialists such as geotechnical engineers. Land and Sea Civil’s capabilities further includes engineered rock seawalls, stonemason-grouted rock walls for durable and aesthetic finishes, pole-driven and anchored retaining walls, tidal zone erosion protection and coastal asset delivery, including boardwalks, viewing platforms, and public access structures for coastal and other situations. The business is owned by Craig and his wife, Chantelle, whose father Brian founded it 40 years ago. Craig came from a construction background and has worked in the business for 15-plus years, with him and Chantelle owning it outright for eight years and currently employing 20 staff. Ten years ago Craig saw the opportunity to grow the business through diversification. “I could see the potential of a lot of work coming in with the coastal erosion and all the problems related to it. I thought it was a good opportunity and it turned out to be one.” “We took on one of the first coastal jobs that Auckland Council put out. It was quite a big risk for us, it was an extremely successful project and that’s where we kicked off [the coastal work] from.” Undertaken about 10 years ago, the project — Karaka Harbourside seawall — comprised construction of a rock revetment, cliff regrading, mass planting and drainage. Land and Sea Civil developed and implemented ideas that saved on the project cost and, working closely with Auckland Council, was able to provide all services within the expected timeframe, even providing additional planting. “The whole project was on time and on budget; it exceeded [the] council’s expectations. It was a bit of a learning project as well, we really built a good name for ourselves. We’ve been direct-awarded a lot of work and selected as a preferred contractor for a lot of the coastal work now. “It really got our name known. not just with the council, but the engineers and other organisations. It was good advertising for us,” says Craig. More recently, Land and Sea Civil won a closed tender for the technically challenging Big Bay Reserve seawall renewal in Awhitu Peninsula, started August 2024 and completed February this year. “That project, I think, was six years in the making of [the] design. There were a lot of large pohutukawa trees on the reserve; a failed retaining wall had given way and gone, and the trees were exposed to their roots and RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL NEW BUILDS • RENOVATIONS DECKS + FENCE WORKS CUSTOM BUILT SAUNAS the risk of falling in and dying so the project was around saving those trees.” Land and Sea Civil’s scope of work included removing the remains of the existing retaining wall, building a new grouted stone masonry wall, building a new boat ramp, timber retaining wall, rock revetment and creating a new reserve area with new plantings. “The wall [base] alone was 3.5 metres below sea level which creates challenges in itself.” To facilitate the works, Land and Sea Civil’s team designed and built a coffer dam outside the perimeter of the project site to keep it dewatered.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=