Description
The Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project is a Crown funded new 6.8km 4-lane expressway between Tauranga and Te Puna, providing an alternative route to the existing State Highway 2 (SH2). This major infrastructure project, currently in construction, is the Bay of Plenty’s biggest roading project to date that enables people and freight to move around efficiently, quickly, and safely.
Rating Highlights
| Category | Credits | Achievements |
| Community Health, Well-being and Safety | Hea-1 | The Takitimu North Link project identified three community health and wellbeing priority issues in consultation with community groups, councils and Te Paerangi (representatives from the 7 local hapū in the project designation).
Empowering kaitiakitanga (stewardship) was one priority raised by all community groups and the project has embodied this through the whānau micro-nursery scheme. The project has assisted with the set-up and operation of 9 micro-nurseries - run by whānau who whakapapa to the 7 hapū - to supply plants for the projects landscaping requirements. Assistance includes: - Physical set up. Shade houses, irrigation, materials and a weed matted area for plant storage at the whānau members residence. - Operation. The project has a dedicated plant expert who assists the whānau with the whole plant growing process. Eco-sourcing the seed, sowing, pricking out, potting and care for the plants. This initiative will supply 250,000 plants out of the projects total plant supply of 925,000. Other community priority issues addressed in this credit include: - Supporting local businesses, with policy targets of 2.5% of construction value delivered by local small to medium enterprises. - Active modes of transport, with constructing a 5.5km shared-use path, providing Te Puna active mode transport users a safe route connected to the Tauranga City Cycle Network. |
| Energy and Carbon | Ene-1 | The Takitimu North Link Project has achieved a 10.52% reduction in energy and carbon through initiatives such as changing pavement design, utilising more efficient plant, avoiding topsoil strip in swamps, and changing the stone column method of ground stabilisation to a geogrid stabilisation method. |
| Water | Wat-1 | The Takitimu North Link Project has achieved a 13.8% reduction through the pavement design change from HiLab to SAC pavement. |
| Water | Wat-2 | The Takitimu North Link Project has achieved an 85% substitution of potable water by constructing extra groundwater takes which is held in storage ponds for easy access for the project’s dust suppression activities rather than using town supply. |
| Ecology | Eco-1 V2.1
/ Inn-1 |
The design of the project achieved a ‘no net loss objective’ for ecology, having compensated for any ecological losses that occurred because of the project - this included consideration of both cumulative and future climate change effects. With comprehensive management processes the team developed a strong working relationship with the construction team to preserve and protect ecology and deliver ecological management and monitoring in collaboration with local hapū. |
| Innovation | Inn-2 | The Takitimu North Link Project has collaborated with NIWA to improve the weather forecasting software available for site crews. The project has utilised NIWA’s location specific ensemble forecasting, which has previously only been used for high level weather modelling situations such as high-risk hiking trails or the America‘s Cup. This has assisted the site team to prepare for storm events, reduce re-work due to weather related damage, reduce rain forecast down time, and plan high-risk stream works for fine weather windows. |
Verified Innovations
| Name | Verification Date | Innovation Type | Description |
| Inn-2 | 1/20/25 | Innovation technology or process | The Takitimu North Link Project has collaborated with NIWA to improve the weather forecasting software available for site crews. The project has utilised NIWA’s location specific ensemble forecasting, which has previously only been used for high level weather modelling situations such as high-risk hiking trails or the America‘s Cup. This has assisted the site team to prepare for storm events, reduce re-work due to weather related damage, reduce rain forecast down time, and plan high-risk stream works for fine weather windows. |
Acknowledgement for people/suppliers
Te Paerangi