Western Isthmus Water Quality Improvement Programme (WIWQIP)

The Herne Bay Collector initiative is a key part of Auckland’s broader strategy to improve water quality and build resilience into the city’s wastewater network. Designed to reduce wet-weather overflows and support healthier marine environments, the project will deliver important wastewater infrastructure upgrades and ground investigations for communities along the Herne Bay and wider central Auckland coastline.

Under the Western Isthmus Water Quality Improvement Programme (WIWQIP), the project includes the construction of the Herne Bay Tunnel, an upgraded trunk sewer line located within the existing road corridor. Once completed, the new tunnel will connect to the Central Interceptor, Auckland’s main wastewater conveyance and storage system, via an extension from Tawariki Street in Grey Lynn to a new drop shaft in Point Erin Park.

The project responds to long-standing challenges in central Auckland, where older parts of the wastewater network have contributed to periodic overflows into urban waterways and coastal areas. By increasing capacity and improving flow management, the Herne Bay Collector will play a critical role in protecting the health of local beaches and improving the city’s environmental outcomes.

Collaborative Delivery and Smart Infrastructure Management

Tonkin + Taylor is working closely with Watercare, WSP Ltd (designers), and Fletcher Construction Company (delivery partner) to develop and deliver the programme of ground investigation works. These investigations are essential to inform the tunnel alignment, construction methodology, and risk management strategies. Tonkin + Taylor has also provided detailed cost breakdowns to support project planning and implementation.

To support efficient and coordinated delivery, the team implemented Tonkin + Taylor’s digital project management tool, projectOrbit – a centralised, live data management platform used across the project lifecycle. projectOrbit significantly streamlines the project’s management and fieldwork processes by providing a single secure repository for:

• Briefs, specifications, initial project set up, supporting documentation, historical files.
• Site works –
  • JSEAs and Health and Safety information.
  • Web-hosted documentation from Traffic management plans and specifications.
  • Field Data – Borehole logs, geophysical data, groundwater analysis,
• Reports
• Geospatial visualisation platforms
• Monitoring Platform for stakeholder engagement.

With the ability to support the project teams’ 60 concurrent users, projectOrbit allowed seamless transitions between project stages and personnel. Contractors and third parties were able to access real-time data, enabling informed decisions and smoother field investigations. Overall, projectOrbit saved hundreds of hours in handling, improved collaboration, and enhanced responsiveness across the project.

Through a collaborative and technically rigorous approach, the Herne Bay Collector project is helping to future-proof Auckland’s infrastructure and contribute to a cleaner, more resilient urban environment.