NEW ZEALAND – GHELLA WINS CONTRACT TO BUILD THE CENTRAL INTERCEPTOR TUNNEL OF AUCKLAND
The Municipal Council of Auckland has decided to assign the design and construction of a large central interceptor wastewater tunnel to the joint venture formed by Ghella construction company and Australia’s Abergeldie- Harker.
The project, which is worth 1.2 billion New Zealand Dollars (approximately 723 million Euros), is the largest infrastructure commissioned by the New Zealand city in the last few years and the largest infrastructure of this type ever built in the Country.
The central interceptor tunnel will consist of 4.5 m diameter cement tubes buried deep underground to convey wastewater from different catchment areas along 13 kilometres towards the Mangere water treatment plant.
The project aims to avoid the problem of pollution deriving from the flow of untreated stormwater into Auckland Bay. With the spread of the city, only 20% of its stormwater is currently being conveyed to the treatment plant.
The contract-winning joint venture is formed by Ghella Ltd., a New Zealand company established only a few months ago, and Australia’s Abergledie, which has acquired the small New Zealand company Harker. The Joint Venture’s sub-contractor will be Downer, one of New Zealand’s largest construction companies. The final signing of the contract will be confirmed in the first few months of 2019 and the work is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
