110 kV Line Route Selection, Consenting & Easement Acquisition

Align was appointed by Waipa Networks to plan and manage the route/ site selection, property, consenting, stakeholder engagement and communication work streams to construct a 35 km 110 kV high voltage electricity transmission line between the Te Awamutu and Hangatiki substations. This included the budgeting, programming, law, governance, risk and contractor/ consultant management.

The route was optimised by breaking it down into smaller and comparable parts and fine-tuning it in response to expert advice, and landowner and affected party feedback. The work and stakeholder engagement were scheduled by combining the main work streams and reverse engineering the critical path in line with construction deadlines, regulatory timeframes and stakeholders needs and influences. Our project management was underpinned by the Agile method.

The project was completed on time and within budget. A council hearing was held at which four objectors appeared. The matter did not go to the Environment Court, which is unusual for a project of this nature and scale. A survey was completed after the project and most stakeholders indicated that Align had acted fairly and with integrity.