25 May 2001

The completion of a major stormwater diversion project in downtown Auckland marks a landmark in the city’s strategic plan to improve flood protection and reduce levels of contaminants in stormwater in the Central Business District (CBD).

New stormwater drains, some sections up to 4.5m in width, have been installed on a route that runs approximately 385m along Quay Street, Britomart Place and Customs Street East, connecting to a newly-constructed outlet beneath Captain Cook Wharf.

Chairperson of the Council’s City Works Committee, Councillor Doug Astley, said completion of the stormwater project was a major step in preparation for the future development of the waterfront area, including the Queen Street station and the new transport interchange planned for the Britomart precinct.

The new drains pass through an area which has some of the city’s heaviest traffic flows, so careful staging was required to minimise traffic disruptions.

The $4 million project took seven months to complete. Assisting project manager, Graham Long, said the project had run smoothly, despite the traffic problems and other difficulties caused by the nature of the underground work, sometimes carried out below sea level.

“The partnering approach we used with our contractors helped tremendously and there was very good liaison with the bus operators to minimise disruptions to passengers,” he said.

“I would also like to thank residents, businesses and the travelling public for their co-operation during this period.”

The new stormwater diversion was built after a joint study of the Harbour Edge area undertaken by Auckland City and the Ports of Auckland. It recommended the diversion among various measures to provide improved flood protection for the CBD and to lessen the environmental impact of contaminants contained within stormwater.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>