Latest news with #AucklandCouncil
Scoop
2 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Watercare Begins Tunnelling In Queen Street For $115m Wastewater Upgrade
Watercare's micro-tunnel boring machine (m-TBM) today begins its 600-metre journey under a stretch of Queen Street to lay a new wastewater pipe as part of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Watercare acting chief programme delivery officer David White says the new 1.2-metre diameter pipe will connect to the Ōrākei Main Sewer and capture wastewater flows from the city centre. 'The start of tunnelling today is an important milestone in our $115m wastewater upgrade for the city centre. This project will reduce wet weather overflows into the Waitematā Harbour, improve the resilience of our network and allow for growth. 'We began construction in October last year and it's good to see tunnelling getting underway. We chose this method of construction as opposed to open trenching to minimise disruption to pedestrians and businesses.' The m-TBM was launched from a shaft at the junction of Queen Street and Mayoral Drive. Tunnelling will be done in two drives. It will bore through the ground at depths of 15 metres to a shaft at the corner of Wellesley Street East. 'Then, once we've inspected the cutterhead, the m-TBM will continue on, reaching the final shaft at the junction of Victoria Street East towards the end of the year,' White says. The m-TBM will lay the glass-reinforced plastic pipe in six-metre-long sections. A pipe-jacking method of tunnelling is being used in which hydraulic jacks braced against a shaft wall push pipes through the ground. 'We're doing everything we can to minimise disruption for residents and local businesses. All the activity will take place behind solid fencing, designed to minimise noise and dust, as well as keep pedestrians, motorists and construction crews safe,' White says. 'We've retained pedestrian access and installed signage to let people know businesses are still open.' Tunnelling is part of the first stage of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Stage two of works is in design and will involve laying new wastewater pipes from Vincent Street to Greys Avenue carpark. The work is due to be completed in 2027. The project is part of Watercare's $13.8b infrastructure investment programme being delivered over the next decade to enable new housing, improve the reliability of services and protect the environment. It forms part of the Auckland Council group's midtown regeneration programme which is transforming the streets, spaces and underground infrastructure in midtown ready for when the City Rail Link opens and brings many more people into the city centre.
Scoop
2 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Watercare Begins Tunnelling In Queen Street For $115m Wastewater Upgrade
Watercare acting chief programme delivery officer David White says the new 1.2-metre diameter pipe will connect to the rkei Main Sewer and capture wastewater flows from the city centre. Watercare's micro-tunnel boring machine (m-TBM) today begins its 600-metre journey under a stretch of Queen Street to lay a new wastewater pipe as part of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Watercare acting chief programme delivery officer David White says the new 1.2-metre diameter pipe will connect to the Ōrākei Main Sewer and capture wastewater flows from the city centre. 'The start of tunnelling today is an important milestone in our $115m wastewater upgrade for the city centre. This project will reduce wet weather overflows into the Waitematā Harbour, improve the resilience of our network and allow for growth. 'We began construction in October last year and it's good to see tunnelling getting underway. We chose this method of construction as opposed to open trenching to minimise disruption to pedestrians and businesses.' The m-TBM was launched from a shaft at the junction of Queen Street and Mayoral Drive. Tunnelling will be done in two drives. It will bore through the ground at depths of 15 metres to a shaft at the corner of Wellesley Street East. 'Then, once we've inspected the cutterhead, the m-TBM will continue on, reaching the final shaft at the junction of Victoria Street East towards the end of the year,' White says. The m-TBM will lay the glass-reinforced plastic pipe in six-metre-long sections. A pipe-jacking method of tunnelling is being used in which hydraulic jacks braced against a shaft wall push pipes through the ground. 'We're doing everything we can to minimise disruption for residents and local businesses. All the activity will take place behind solid fencing, designed to minimise noise and dust, as well as keep pedestrians, motorists and construction crews safe,' White says. 'We've retained pedestrian access and installed signage to let people know businesses are still open.' Tunnelling is part of the first stage of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Stage two of works is in design and will involve laying new wastewater pipes from Vincent Street to Greys Avenue carpark. The work is due to be completed in 2027. The project is part of Watercare's $13.8b infrastructure investment programme being delivered over the next decade to enable new housing, improve the reliability of services and protect the environment. It forms part of the Auckland Council group's midtown regeneration programme which is transforming the streets, spaces and underground infrastructure in midtown ready for when the City Rail Link opens and brings many more people into the city centre.
Scoop
2 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Watercare Begins Tunnelling In Queen Street For $115m Wastewater Upgrade
Press Release – Watercare Watercare acting chief programme delivery officer David White says the new 1.2-metre diameter pipe will connect to the rkei Main Sewer and capture wastewater flows from the city centre. Watercare's micro-tunnel boring machine (m-TBM) today begins its 600-metre journey under a stretch of Queen Street to lay a new wastewater pipe as part of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Watercare acting chief programme delivery officer David White says the new 1.2-metre diameter pipe will connect to the Ōrākei Main Sewer and capture wastewater flows from the city centre. 'The start of tunnelling today is an important milestone in our $115m wastewater upgrade for the city centre. This project will reduce wet weather overflows into the Waitematā Harbour, improve the resilience of our network and allow for growth. 'We began construction in October last year and it's good to see tunnelling getting underway. We chose this method of construction as opposed to open trenching to minimise disruption to pedestrians and businesses.' The m-TBM was launched from a shaft at the junction of Queen Street and Mayoral Drive. Tunnelling will be done in two drives. It will bore through the ground at depths of 15 metres to a shaft at the corner of Wellesley Street East. 'Then, once we've inspected the cutterhead, the m-TBM will continue on, reaching the final shaft at the junction of Victoria Street East towards the end of the year,' White says. The m-TBM will lay the glass-reinforced plastic pipe in six-metre-long sections. A pipe-jacking method of tunnelling is being used in which hydraulic jacks braced against a shaft wall push pipes through the ground. 'We're doing everything we can to minimise disruption for residents and local businesses. All the activity will take place behind solid fencing, designed to minimise noise and dust, as well as keep pedestrians, motorists and construction crews safe,' White says. 'We've retained pedestrian access and installed signage to let people know businesses are still open.' Tunnelling is part of the first stage of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Stage two of works is in design and will involve laying new wastewater pipes from Vincent Street to Greys Avenue carpark. The work is due to be completed in 2027. The project is part of Watercare's $13.8b infrastructure investment programme being delivered over the next decade to enable new housing, improve the reliability of services and protect the environment. It forms part of the Auckland Council group's midtown regeneration programme which is transforming the streets, spaces and underground infrastructure in midtown ready for when the City Rail Link opens and brings many more people into the city centre.
Scoop
3 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Watercare Begins Tunnelling In Queen Street For $115m Wastewater Upgrade
Watercare's micro-tunnel boring machine (m-TBM) today begins its 600-metre journey under a stretch of Queen Street to lay a new wastewater pipe as part of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Watercare acting chief programme delivery officer David White says the new 1.2-metre diameter pipe will connect to the Ōrākei Main Sewer and capture wastewater flows from the city centre. 'The start of tunnelling today is an important milestone in our $115m wastewater upgrade for the city centre. This project will reduce wet weather overflows into the Waitematā Harbour, improve the resilience of our network and allow for growth. 'We began construction in October last year and it's good to see tunnelling getting underway. We chose this method of construction as opposed to open trenching to minimise disruption to pedestrians and businesses.' The m-TBM was launched from a shaft at the junction of Queen Street and Mayoral Drive. Tunnelling will be done in two drives. It will bore through the ground at depths of 15 metres to a shaft at the corner of Wellesley Street East. 'Then, once we've inspected the cutterhead, the m-TBM will continue on, reaching the final shaft at the junction of Victoria Street East towards the end of the year,' White says. The m-TBM will lay the glass-reinforced plastic pipe in six-metre-long sections. A pipe-jacking method of tunnelling is being used in which hydraulic jacks braced against a shaft wall push pipes through the ground. 'We're doing everything we can to minimise disruption for residents and local businesses. All the activity will take place behind solid fencing, designed to minimise noise and dust, as well as keep pedestrians, motorists and construction crews safe,' White says. 'We've retained pedestrian access and installed signage to let people know businesses are still open.' Tunnelling is part of the first stage of the Midtown Wastewater Diversion project. Stage two of works is in design and will involve laying new wastewater pipes from Vincent Street to Greys Avenue carpark. The work is due to be completed in 2027. The project is part of Watercare's $13.8b infrastructure investment programme being delivered over the next decade to enable new housing, improve the reliability of services and protect the environment. It forms part of the Auckland Council group's midtown regeneration programme which is transforming the streets, spaces and underground infrastructure in midtown ready for when the City Rail Link opens and brings many more people into the city centre.
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Auckland councillor tries again to ban helicopters in residential areas
Auckland richlisters Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams' newly built house on Rawene Avenue. Photo: RNZ/Maia Ingoe Residential helipads will once again be the topic of conversation at Auckland Council. Waitematā and Gulf Ward councillor Mike Lee has confirmed he'll be putting forward a Notice of Motion to ban helicopters in residential areas at Wednesday's Policy and Planning Committee. It follows news this week that Auckland billionaire couple Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams' approval to build a helipad at their Westmere home, will be challenged at the Environment Court. This is the second time Lee has tried to prohibit helipads in residential areas, his motion last year losing by two votes. "Well, it'll be a close-run thing, and so who knows what the outcome really will be." "In some ways, the odds are rather stacked against getting any change, because not only will we have to persuade the elected members, the members of the governing body, the councillors, to agree with us. "Unfortunately, we'll be having to deal with the senior planning staff who are opposed to any change to the system, particularly adverse to the idea of making helipads in residential areas a prohibited activity. "So we're going to have our work cut out for us, but we have the community, the overwhelming majority of the community, supporting this," Lee said. But he said "staff advice" would be the biggest obstacle in getting his motion across the line. "The biggest challenge will be the council officers, the council planners, who seem to have a philosophic opposition to prohibited activity. "Prohibited activity for certain activities are in the Auckland Unitary Plan. Helipads, for instance, in Sydney are a prohibited activity in all residential zones and business zones. Prohibited activity is in the Resource Management Act, it's been there since 1991. "Despite all the reforms, upteam reforms of RMA, that virtually every government since 1991 has undertaken, prohibited activity, Section 87D, remains in the Act for very good reason." He said all three local boards in his ward (Waitematā, Waiheke Island and the Aotea, Great Barrier Island local board areas) backed the move. Lee will also have the support of Whau councillor Kerrin Leoni who said she believed public sentiment from Aucklanders was predominately in their corner. For example, according to Auckland Council, of 1397 written submissions made on the helipad application by Auckland richlisters Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams, most - 1227, or 87 percent - opposed the helipad on Rawene Avenue in Westmere. One-hundred-and-eight were supportive, and 12 were neutral. "I think we need to make a strong stance on that and I'm definitely supporting Mike Lee's notice of motion," Leoni said. "Rich people that are coming into our city and treating it like it's a playground. I mean, it's just unacceptable. "We just can't let our city be seen as a playground for the rich listers to come in and do as they please, there should be some rules around that. "Apparently there are public helipads within 15 minutes or I think half an hour at least from everyone's address across the city. So why can't we use those instead of everyone having to have private ones? "I know there's definitely a lot of support and I'm sure there'll be a lot of people there to support the notice of motion and in the galleries as well." Among them will be members from Quiet Sky Waitematā who this week filed an appeal to the Environment Court in an attempt to block Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams from flying a private helicopter from their multi-million-dollar Westmere property. That's despite independent hearing commissioners appointed by Auckland Council approving the couple's controversial resource consent application for a private helipad in June. "We will have representatives from Quiet Sky who will be presenting a petition of over 4100 signatures to the councillors, letting them know about how Auckland feels about banning private use helicopters in residential areas," said spokesperson Elena Keith. "Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Melbourne, none of them allow private helicopters in the city. "This is a very backward move. It's not the city that we want. I don't think it's a city that Auckland ratepayers want," Keith said. RNZ contacted Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray's lawyer for comment ahead of the motion of notice and the appeal in the Environment Court. While there was no response, the couple have said in the media that they were deeply disappointed with the legal challenge and the cost to public resources it will use. Lee said part of the reason behind his motion was to provide more certainty for people like them. "Under the law, the way it is now, they have every right to apply for a helipad and obviously they've spent a lot of money through this process. "Clearly they're extremely disappointed that the local residents are going to appeal. They're disappointed, but they shouldn't be surprised."
