Ghella tunnelers celebrate reaching the halfway stage of building Watercare’s 16.2km Central Interceptor tunnel in 2023. Photo: Supplied / Simon Runting
The Italian tunnelling company behind the country's largest wastewater project says it will keep workers and machinery here now that the government has outlined a proposed pipeline of instrastructure projects.
Ghella is working on a new wastewater tunnel for Auckland and had been preparing to leave New Zealand due to a lack of ongoing work once that project is complete.
It is among 100 companies invited to the Infrastructure Investment Summit held in Auckland this week.
Ghella's country manager Francesco Saibene said they now plan to keep the tunnel boring machine and associated services here because the government's commitment to attracting investment should lead to more projects coming to market.
"It has been great to be part of the summit and to see firsthand how much work is happening behind the scenes. The government's commitment to attracting investment should lead to more projects coming to market and we're keen to remain and get involved."
Ghella's work on the wastewater tunnel is expected to be complete in coming weeks, with the wider Watercare Central Interceptor project due to be completed next year.
"We are due to finish our 16.2km wastewater tunnel under Auckland in coming weeks," Saibene said.
"Originally, we planned to return or reuse this tunnel boring machine, plus two other small machines on projects elsewhere around the world but following the positivity of the infrastructure summit, we will now keep the machine and associated services in New Zealand."
The wastewater tunnel project was Ghella's first in New Zealand.
Saibene says the 130-year-old Italian tunnelling company is optimistic about securing more projects in the water infrastructure sector.
The Central Interceptor is a 14.7km long sewer tunnel from Grey Lynn to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant. It is expected to reduce sewage overflows into the Waitematā Harbour.
Work on the $1.2 billion Watercare project started in 2019 and was expected to be completed in 2026. The works are being led by Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture.
Ghella tunnelers working deep under Auckland to build Watercare’s Central Interceptor tunnel. Photo: Supplied / Simon Runting
Watercare's chief programme delivery officer Shayne Cunis said he was glad to hear the company would remain in New Zealand.
"We are delighted that, through Watercare, we have been able to bring such expertise to New Zealand-and now we can retain it, along with the hundreds of Kiwis and international workers who have been upskilled through this project. Having a tunnel boring machine ready to go will help us and the industry deliver future projects more efficiently."
The Central Interceptor project has emplolyed more than 600 staff across 17 sites and the main tunnel is intersected by two link sewers, which capture combined water and wastewater flows from west Auckland suburbs.
The tunnel route was designed to avoid lava cones and involved a 1500m undersea stretch across the Manukau Harbour. The tunnel ranges in depth from 15m to 110m. The deepest sections occur under the Hillsborough Ridge.
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