Change in delivery for Te Awa Kairangi will drive efficiencies

Delivery will be overseen by a specialist inhouse team which was set up in December 2023 to streamline infrastructure delivery across Lower Hutt.

Hutt City Council yesterday accepted a recommendation to enable procurement pathways for some components of Te Awa Kairangi. Council will deliver streetscapes, the Riverbank car park and local road improvements that form part of Te Awa Kairangi programme and will also work with Greater Wellington to progress the Riverbank Park.

“Hutt City Council has set up a dedicated inhouse delivery team to oversee major projects in our city and ensure they are being progressed with as little impact as possible on ratepayers. By taking a more hands-on approach to these aspects of Te Awa Kairangi we can work to provide a more cost-effective outcome,” says Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry.

Governance and co-ordination of the overall project will continue to sit with Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi partnership between Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Greater Wellington, Hutt City Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

The decision to bring aspects of the programme inhouse was the result of programme partners working to optimise the delivery strategy and considering alternative methods of delivery, in addition to the current Alliance model.

The Alliance will continue to deliver the more complex integrated aspects of the programme, such as the city link pedestrian bridge and the Melling Transport Improvements project which require the relocation of the train station.

“Te Awa Kairangi is an important project for Lower Hutt that will bring long-lasting benefits to our region. A programme of this size has a lot of moving parts and it makes sense for some aspects to be overseen inhouse to ensure greater affordability and oversight of this transformative project,” says Mayor Barry.

“We will continue to work with our partners to provide a cohesive approach to the project and improve the resilience and liveability of our city.”

Te Awa Kairangi is a transformational project that includes crucial flood protection and river restoration work, improvements to public transport, walking and cycling routes, local roads and the SH2 Melling Interchange, as well as urban revitalisation of the Lower Hutt city centre.