The iRex Project
iRex is the most unique – and one of the largest construction projects to be undertaken in New Zealand for probably the next 50 years.
iRex (the Inter-island Resilience Connection Project) is a massive project of works which will include two new custom-designed ferries, along with two new terminals – one at Kaiwharawhara in Wellington and the other at Waitohi Picton.
The two new ferries, currently being built in South Korea, are 50,000 tonnes and to put that into perspective, the present ferries are around 16,000 tonnes. The impact of the new ferries influences and changes the size of the jetties and the size of the terminal buildings, along with the scale of the enabling works.
This extensive project of works including the cost of the new ferries (valued at $551m) is estimated at a total cost of $1.45 billion. It will involve relocating services and enhancing the size of culverts, including construction of new sidings and mustering yards for freight, as well as construction of road bridges, civils infrastructure and roads and pavings.
Goals
It has been more than 20 years since New Zealand introduced a brand new purpose-built ferry to its fleet. This project involves two new ferries (to replace the existing three) which will carry twice as many passengers, substantially more vehicles and freight, and will reduce KiwiRail owned Interislander’s environmental impact.
The new ferries will achieve a 30 per cent reduction in Interislander’s carbon emissions by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050. They will reach this target by operating on a combination of diesel, battery and shore power.
On completion, iRex will increase capacity and efficiency of services between the North and South Islands to provide faster, safer and more enjoyable Te Moana o Raukawakawa (Cook Strait) journeys for everyone.
Project Considerations
There are many project considerations, including:
The size and scope of the enabling works. The smallest change will have a huge budgetary impact, due to the scale of operations, so any changes must be handled thoughtfully and diligently.
Tight timeframes (for example, the interim marshaling yard being open before the Easter holidays) need to be carefully managed. If just this one deadline was missed, the entire project would have been delayed for weeks.
The temporary terminal buildings run by the Interislander, have many stakeholders. The logistics of planning and programming work make it exceedingly challenging, because each of those stakeholders has alternative needs which must be met.
In the middle of this project are … penguins – little blue penguins – which have to be monitored. They can’t be disturbed or interfered with. These penguins are looked after and counted every single week.
Solutions
Our involvement in this project is to undertake both Quantity Surveying and Engineers Representative roles. With our Commercial Director, Phil Hebden having spent 12 years in the rail industry as a QS – and not just on the contractor side, but on the client side as well – Phil’s background experience and sector specific knowledge is the perfect fit for iRex.
The Engineers Representative roles cover both Picton and Wellington sites. The role assists the engineer to contract and holds the responsibility of valuing variations and making decisions on extensions of time and contractual issues, as well as administration of the contract through notices to contractor. Additionally, Phil has undertaken reviews of fluctuation clauses for the main works that will be done by the alliance.
Under the current NZS3910 revision, the engineer’s rep role has been replaced with a Contract Administrator. The role is essentially the same, however the new contract better defines the role of the contract administrator to fully coordinate and administer the contract, including managing and issuing variations, agreeing and approving costs and also time delay analysis.
The commercial element is chiefly looking after all the works at the Picton end. Currently this includes early works, increasing the volume of the Waitohi Culvert, building the temporary terminal, and ensuring safe access and egress to the ferries while the rest of the works are undertaken. With a project of this scale, there are also significant site-wide utilities changes and major upgrades to the infrastructure, as well as demolition of the current terminal and preparations for the major marine works.
In addition, we oversee and ensure the timely release of documentation, along with maintaining relationships between contractors and the iRex delivery team. This involves ensuring the proper contractual terms are established and followed, as well as administering payment cycles and controlling expenses within budget.
We’re pleased to be working with such a great team at KiwiRail. They are really dedicated to the project, they want to get this job done and they are such great people.
Our team at Morden is extremely proud to be part of this history-making journey.