Kia ora koutou
It's hard to believe it's less than 70 days to Christmas - what a year! Everyone has had to weather challenges no one could have foreseen as we entered 2020. We recognise this and are doing our best to progress with construction in a way that is mindful of our neighbours and minimises the impact of any disruptions.
Our ability to work during level 3 thankfully meant our staff could continue supporting local businesses, while continuing to make progress at our sites in Mercury Lane and Beresford Square.
Much of the progress in Mercury Lane is now hidden beneath the noise enclosure as our tunnellers continue their operations underground, as pictured above.
Soon you will notice the large red silos in Mercury Lane move to Beresford Square to start the D-walls – which are the first permanent pieces of the Square's station entrance.
With the drop to level one we will begin our site tours and reopen our information hub on Beresford Square. If you have any questions or would like to put your name down for a tour for when they begin in the coming weeks please email us or call 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) then press 4.
Ngā mihi nui
Karangahape Station Team
|
|
'Jean Batten' roadheader heads underground
A tradition among tunnellers and miners is to name the main pieces of machinery after strong, influential women. We asked local primary school, Kadimah to help us with this task. The teachers then ran a competition with a focus on engineering and the CRL project on Kadimah's front doorstep.
Year four student, Michael Krispin, was eventually selected as the winner for suggesting the name Jean Batten.
Michael's prize was a site tour with his father. They were led on a tour by the tunnel superintendent, Tomo Otene, and got to see inside the noise enclosure and have an up close look at the machine he named before it disappears underground for a year!
Being the youngest person to step foot inside our site Michael left with a giant smile and hi-vis to remember the day.
Jean Batten - "She was a strong woman that was determined to make a mark in the world of aviation when it was dominated by men. She showed strength to fly the hours that she did."
- Michael Krispin, Year 4
|
|
Supporting skaters - Def Jam!
Local Beresford Square skate shop, Def Store held a competition on 9 October with the help of Link Alliance staff, Bre, Steven, Pesley and Danny. The crew of carpenters were able to whip up a skate bench and ramp for the shop to replace the one previously stolen.
When not used for skating sessions the bench and ramp can be found outside Def Store shop 9/ 59 Pitt Street, where we hope it still resides long after the Karangahape station is built!
|
|
Lighting the way – a Development Response initiative
The drop to level one has kicked off a welcome return to a busy schedule of social gatherings. Hopetoun Alpha, located in Beresford Square, is a popular venue that hosts a number of events, including the 'Auckland Live Elemental Festival' featuring an array of NZ artists such as Leisure, Nathan Haines and Daffodils, to name a few.
With Vector utility works underway directly outside the venue a development response strategy was implemented to mitigate the impact of construction. Our Development Response Manager, Arash Barzin, worked with festival organisers and local creatives to develop a lighting activation based on sound waves.
The lighting acts as a point of interest, brightens the surrounding area and guides festival goers through the site making the venue easier to find. This is part of our wider strategy to ensure that the Karangahape area is ‘open for business’ during construction and that it remains a great place to eat, drink and play. A list of the upcoming music events can be found on Elemental Auckland’s website here.
|
|
Art Week site tours
Paul Walsh, the local graffiti artist responsible for the fun and colourful characters on the Canada Street hoardings, led our Art Week tours showcasing the street art around the Mercury Lane site and Karangahape Road area.
Members of the community were shown art covered hoardings and local street art installations with Paul sharing deeper insight into artworks that many of us admire daily.
These tours tie in with the Link Alliance objectives to support the local creative community, while also keeping the public informed about the City Rail Link project.
|
|
Meet the team - Eva Brosius, Project Engineer
What does your job involve?
I am one of the engineers on the Mercury Lane site. My job involves the planning and monitoring of the works on site, including programme, budget and quality aspects.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up near Cologne in Germany and lived there until I was 15 years old. My parents then decided to move to New Zealand and I have lived in Auckland ever since, completing both high school and university here. I couldn’t think of a better place to live.
Where were you working prior to this?
I have worked for Downer Construction for about two years now. Prior to this job, I worked on the Wynyard Edge Alliance, building infrastructure for the upcoming America’s Cup. I also worked on the Waterview Tunnel. I am very lucky to have worked, and to be working, on projects that are changing Auckland City as we know it in such a positive way.
What do you do when you are not working?
My partner and I just moved into our first home at the end of last year out in Helensville. This means that most of our weekends are spent doing work around the house and garden. When I’m not doing that, I enjoy spending time with my nephews and nieces and I’m certainly not impartial to the odd drink here and there.
We also have a one year old rescue dog and I’m currently going to weekly dog training sessions with her. She has a lot of energy, so definitely keeps me on my toes.
|
|
CRL’s “remarkable project” a world winner
Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) has won a prestigious international competition that recognises the use of computer-based technology to design large-scale infrastructure projects.
CRL won the large projects (over $500 million) category for the AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) Excellence Awards.
The winning entry from the Link Alliance, is based on connecting CRL’s digital and physical works through the innovative use of computer technology known as BIM (Business Information Modelling) to produce 3D images of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure project.
AEC judges describe the Link Alliance entry as a “remarkable project” winning against the background of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.
“It has forged technical design and construction, brought together international workforces, delivered colossal structures with complex stakeholder requirements, and sped up schedules to meet extraordinary deadlines to combat Covid-19,” the AEC judges say.
The Link Alliance’s Project Director, Francois Dudouit, says the Link Alliance successfully integrated 430 designers from 30 countries and 16 disciplines to build a digital model on the entire CRL project.
More information about the AEC Excellences awards is available at www.aecexcellence.com and our winning submission here.
|
|
KBA – Support for local Businesses
Learn how your business can apply for up to $5,000 worth of Expert Advice and Business Support.
ATEED are issuing vouchers worth up to $5000 to businesses badly affected by Covid-19. These vouchers can be used to gain Expert Advice and Business Support in the following areas:
- Human resources
- Employee relations and legal
- Financial and cash flow management
- Health and wellness
- Business continuity planning
- Marketing strategy
- Digital enablement strategy
Details on the Regional Business Partnership Funding can be found here: PDF Link
https://covid19.nzte.govt.nz/page/regional-business-partner-network
Supported by the Karangahape Business Association, ATEED and Heart of the City.
|
|
|
|
