The South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) approved stage one of the Waihinga Centre project in Martinborough at a Council meeting on 24 February 2016.
The approval included the use of ‘early contractor involvement’(ECI) and this methodology forms the basis of how the project will be carried out.
Historically tenders for construction are not called until the architect finalises all the design elements required. Tenders bid on the project as designed.
The ECI process revolves around identifying and selecting contractors at an early stage based on a ‘schedule of rates’ pricing.
Tenders for the Waihinga Centre have been loaded onto the procurement website ’Tenderlink’, the closing date for submitters is 5 May.
ECI Benefits:
The ECI process has multiple benefits with the contractors working closely with the designers , rather than receiving a design and being asked to build to that design.
Having early input means a wider range of solutions can be considered, and when the design is finalised the contractor will be comfortable with that design.
Project Structure:
The project owner is SWDC, partnering with the Martinborough community as they are heavily invested in this project and will continue to be so and the Waihinga Charitable Trust as a key fundraising group.
A Construction Management Team will manage the day to day contact for any project issues. This team has the authority to make minor decisions, for example minor non- structural matters and will have regular liaison with the Project Management Team. The Construction Management Team is made up of Mayor Adrienne Staples, Max Stevens, Victoria Read, Paul Crimp and Nick Allan.
The Project Management Team consists of experienced Wairarapa developer Dave Borman and Patrick Hay from Rawlinsons. This team reports to the Construction Management Team and their initial task is to work with architects Warren and Mahoney to finalise the design drawings, select contractors as part of the ECI process and undertake the day to day management of the project.
The Steering Group consists of the Mayor and Councillors, David Kershaw, Ro Griffiths, Catherine de Groot, Lisa Cornellissen and Victoria Read. This group is responsible for fundraising, as well as major decisions on structural, functional and any ‘look and feel’ changes throughout the process. Any major decisions will be signed off by the project owner, SWDC.
Playground Update:
SWDC are working with City Care on a plan to keep as much of the playground as possible operational and safe during the construction period. Playground equipment will be relocated which falls within the footprint of the new building to elsewhere in the playground – the swings will go where the old carousel was, and potentially the flying fox straight can be shifted into its proposed new location.
There will be a site perimeter fence separating the playground from the construction zone, people will still be able to enter from the Cork Street side, although once the building work is in full swing, there will be limited parking.
On-going Communications:
To ensure the district is kept updated throughout the construction process SWDC will be communicating project updates on a regular basis via the Wairarapa Times Age, The Midweek, Ratepayers Newsletters, website, Facebook page and libraries. There will also be a billboard erected at the construction site which will have regular updates on the project’s status.
For more information contact enquiries@swdc.govt.nz or 06 3069611 or www.swdc.govt.nz
