| 53 CONTRACTING Kumanu Environmental Awards reflect high calibre projects The Te Pa Harakeke project won the the Best Special Feature Award for the unique management of stormwater and tidal flows. T T Virginia Wright “We build strong relationships with clients and we’re very responsive to their needs, but we also have a good internal culture.” While their offices are in Nelson, Kumanu Environmental works right across the top of the South Island using their impressive skill base built up over many years to successfully complete all kinds of land and water projects. Their recent success with five separate projects at the New Zealand Landscapes of Distinctions Awards reflects the consistently high calibre of their work. Across the five projects they received two gold medals for Landscape Maintenance Projects over 1500sqm, gold in Landscape Construction projects over $500k, gold in Landscape Construction Projects under $500k, and gold in Environmental/Revegetation; the Supreme Environmental / Revegetation Award for Mahitahi, and the Best Special Feature Award (across all categories) for the unique management of stormwater and tidal flows within Te Pa Harakeke. The Te Pa Harakeke project is a fine example of how collaboration across different sectors, from civil contractors to playground inspectors, led by an experienced hand, can achieve multiple outcomes at once, to the benefit of both the environment and the people who make use of it. What was at heart a complex stormwater-management solution involving a deteriorating man-made lake historically known as The Modellers Pond, allowed the transformation of a tidal estuary and its surroundings into both a stormwater system designed to handle extreme weather events and a stateof-the-art play space built to comply with today’s stringent NZ Playground and Surfacing Standards. Kumanu Environmental drew on their construction and engineering expertise to design the outcome, which completed the civil works begun by Taylors Contracting, and adapted the initial plan, while taking into account weather and ground conditions that were distinctly challenging. They restored the ecology impacted by the former lake, allowed for low and high tides as well as stormwater influx, understood what the new playspace could achieve, and delivered on time and on budget a civil infrastructure project offering way more than the necessary utilitarian outcome as it enhances and celebrates the existing landscape features they were tasked with managing. “We especially appreciated getting the Best Special Feature Award. It was the only one given across the country and it recognised the intricacies of the design and build which resolved something that had become problematic for the community,” says Chief Executive Lindsay Coll. The key to all their awards, as it is to the all of the projects undertaken by Kumanu Environmental and its various arms, is their 210-strong team. “We build strong relationships with clients and we’re very responsive to their needs, but we also have a good internal culture,” says Lindsay. “We value and look after our people who have a diverse range of skill sets across the different arms of the company, so we collaborate within the company to make use of each other’s knowledge and IP which also leads to great outcomes for our clients.” With trust built up over multiple projects and many years, they have a lot of repeat customers looking for solutions, which often involve more than one sector within the company. As well as landscape design and construction, they do a lot of conservation work, including bio-security and biodiversity, with ecologists on board as required. They have large maintenance contracts for green spaces, and they have a water and awa team ready to respond to Nelson’s water network’s needs, but also looking further afield to the natural environment and what can be done with respect to flood mitigation and climate change responsiveness. With all the expertise they have gathered under one roof, and long-standing relationships with any specialists they might need to call on, Kumanu Environmental looks forward to offering clients end-to-end solutions for almost any outside problem or project put in front of them. Supplying a diverse range of ornamental plants to designers and landscapers throughout New Zealand Plants with personality Visit www.vibrantearth.nz for advice about our plants DELIVERING TOP QUALITY CONSTRUCTION SERVICES From civil works and concreting to new builds, renovations, landscaping, and pole sheds – we do it all. joshwilkinsconstruction@gmail.com Contact Us 027 929 7242
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