The Airfields

The Airfields development in Hobsonville Point, Auckland, is a master-planned community overseen by Eke Panuku.

Twenty hectares of Auckland Council land will be converted into a mix of housing types, including affordable homes, and an area of mixed-uses providing employment opportunities. The entire development will roll out over the next decade, and ultimately comprise 4,500 homes and a population of about 11,000.  

As project manager, RCP coordinated and managed the master planning, and provided comprehensive land development management and supporting coordination services. The team managed the delivery of 3km of key roads and supporting infrastructure, such as utilities and stormwater ponds, and more than 80,000m3 of bulk earthworks.  

RCP’s approach to programme management included identifying key tasks with programme risk early in the design process to proactively manage potential issues. This included prioritising engagement with third parties, such as Vector and Chorus, so design coordination could be progressed well in advance of construction.  

As Engineer to the Contract, RCP worked with Eke Panuku to prepare and agree on a procurement strategy that best aligned with the project timeframes and prevailing market conditions. This included a competitive tender for the initial stage of works and direct negotiation with the incumbent contractor for subsequent stages. 

RCP’s construction monitoring approach involved establishing a collaborative team culture from the outset to ensure that everyone was focused on project success. This included working closely with contractors to ensure all teams were empowered to raise any issues during construction, conducting regular health and safety audits, and holding regular site meetings focused on upcoming works to proactively identify and address any issues.   

Long lead items were flagged with contractors at construction kick-off to ensure early ordering, successfully minimising materials supply issues. Risk was proactively managed throughout the project using traditional tools such as risk workshops and maintaining a ‘live’ risk register that was reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis.  

Stakeholder engagement was critical to the Airfields development, which was delivered over four stages and surrounded by other developments. It created a complex live environment, which required strong coordination with adjacent developers, housebuilders, utility providers and council bodies. RCP was responsible for facilitating progress reporting, meetings and associated correspondence between development partners across successive stages to ensure successful engagement and decision-making throughout. 

RCP’s proactive approach in all areas ensured the project was delivered within budget, with contingency utilised only where necessary.