A rescue drill was held at the Ports of Auckland stormwater outfall upgrade project last month. Our National Infrastructure Advisor Jon Harris was invited to observe to learn more about the project and the safety and rescue procedures in place.

Jon said the Auckland Council $40m project, delivered by McConnell Dowell, will significantly upgrade the downtown port area stormwater system, increasing its capacity to deal with flooding. The work will also extend the life of existing infrastructure and provide vital infrastructure for future growth.

‘A three metre in diameter micro-Tunnel Boring Machine (m-TBM) is being used to bore under Quay Street to install the 270m stormwater pipe. The pipe will run from the south-eastern end of Quay Street (east of Spark Arena and west of a parade of shops and services at 8–14 Quay Street), and across the Ports of Auckland site. It will then connect to an outfall to the sea. 

‘At each end of the pipe, there is an approximately 20-metre deep shaft, one by the Freyberg Wharf and the other across from the Spark Arena by the Mobile Car Wash (see image). During construction, 3m long concrete pipe sections are lowered into the shaft and pushed by a ram into the bored tunnel. Each 3m section weighs almost 15 tonnes.

‘Approximately every three months, drills are held to prepare workers on what to do in an emergency. Since this is a confined space, they are required to have measures in place to rapidly remove their workers from the environment in an emergency. Workers currently have three means of escape while in the shaft itself – scaffolding stairs, a crane, and a davit arm. For this specific drill, they used the davit arm to simulate the removal of an injured worker at the bottom of the shaft. In a real-life emergency, Fire and Emergency may be needed to assist with a technical rescue. 

Jon said the drill went smoothly and was conducted professionally. Glenville Stiles from New Zealand Mines Rescue was on site to help coordinate the drill. 

‘Fire and Emergency greatly appreciates our relationship with McConnell Dowell and looks forward to working with them more in the future. This project is expected to be completed in early 2024.’ 

For more information, visit Ports of Auckland Outfall Upgrade Project - McConnell Dowell(external link) or the Auckland Council website(external link).

Last modified: