The City Rail Link (CRL) has busted through construction and infrastructure industry norms to win New Zealand’s highest sustainability accolade
By winning the NZI Transforming New Zealand Award that is the Sustainable Business Network’s Supreme Award CRL has proven the infrastructure industry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its environmental impact while developing Auckland’s much-needed public transport infrastructure. This will result in ongoing reduction in both congestion and carbon.
Taking a long-term view and calculating a whole-of-life footprint of 100 years for the project, the CRL put sustainability at the core of every decision from the outset.
As New Zealand’s largest civil infrastructure project, it is leading the change in the way infrastructure projects are designed and delivered.
A success factor behind being able to achieve CRL’s goal of zero waste to landfill has been supporting and educating the contractor companies and their employees to avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle and recover as much waste as practicable.
CRL tracks against its projections all energy, water, materials and waste that is generated on site.
Sustainable Business Network CEO Rachel Brown says: “New Zealand’s construction industry contributes 40% of the total waste going to landfill in Auckland and CRL has proven this doesn’t have to be the case.
“To have the largest civil infrastructure project ever built in New Zealand start with a goal of zero waste means CRL has the potential to show the wider sector the real value of integrating best practice throughout design and construction.”
Brown says it’s a great showcase for what can be delivered.
“The CRL will be a tremendous part of Auckland’s public transport infrastructure.
“It will help demonstrate how New Zealand can move to a low carbon, circular and more accessible city.
“City Rail Link exhibits best practice that provides an excellent model for other businesses to follow.”
Fast tracking its way to efficiency, CRL aims to send zero waste to landfill during construction.
Its designers and contractors have undertaken a number of efficiency activities to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and optimise resource use, water efficiency and waste avoidance.
CRL’s approach is to calculate the projected whole-of-life footprint of the project.
Initiatives have been identified through exploring alternative construction methodologies and designs, running resource reduction workshops and undertaking detailed footprinting of alternatives.
Contractors have been active participants in these workshops.
Specific initiatives include replacing diesel generators with grid-connected transformers, training haulage drivers in fuel-efficient techniques, smart controls on escalators to reduce electricity use, water-efficient fittings and LED street-lighting.
CRL is striving to send zero waste to landfill during construction by supporting and challenging contractors to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover as much waste as practicable.
So far, activities from the first two contracts have saved more than 2,000 tonnes of carbon from construction, and more than 14,000 tonnes of carbon from operations.
There has been a 25% reduction in construction water use, and 50% reduction in operational water use at Britomart station.
Some 95% of construction and demolition waste has been diverted from landfill through recycling or re-use.
NZI Sustainable Business Network Award 2018
SUPREME AWARD: NZI TRANSFORMING NEW ZEALAND AWARD
Winner = City Rail Link
Finalist = Wā Collective
Finalist = Ethique
SUSTAINABILITY SUPERSTAR
Sponsored by Enviro-Mark Solutions
Winner = Tracy Brown, DairyNZ
Commendation = Dave Maslen, NZ Merino Company
COMMUNICATING FOR CHANGE
Sponsored by Cadence Communications
Winner = Wā Collective
Commendation = Countdown
Commendation = The Rubbish Trip
HARDWIRED FOR SOCIAL GOOD
Winner = Kilmarnock Enterprises
Commendation = Sudima Hotels
PARTNERING FOR GOOD
Sponsored by Alsco
Winner = Take My Hands
GOING CIRCULAR
Sponsored by Auckland Council
Winner = Ethique
Commendation = NZAgbiz
EFFICIENCY CHAMPION
Sponsored by Ricoh
Winner = City Rail Link
Commendation = Auckland District Health Board
Commendation = Fonterra Pahiatua
SMARTER TRANSPORT
Sponsored by WSP Opus
Winner = Yoogo Share
Commendation = Waste Management NZ
REVOLUTIONISING ENERGY
Sponsored by EECA Business
Winner = emhTrade
Commendation = Red Stag Timber
Commendation = solarcity
TRANSFORMING FOOD
Sponsored by Yealands Family Wines
Winner = Our Land of Milk and Honey
Commendation = Kai Ika
RESTORING NATURE
Sponsored by Department of Conservation
Winner = Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari
Commendation = Tahi
Commendation = Te Whangai Trust
MILLENNIAL ON A MISSION
Sponsored by Ministry of Youth Development
Winner = Olie Body, Wā Collective
Commendation = Maddison McQueen-Davies, Share a Pair
Commendation = Olivia Philpott, Watercare
