15 July 2025:

We are delighted that our New Zealand Construction’s Environmental and Sustainability team has helped achieve ISC (Infrastructure Sustainability Council) design ratings on three major Alliance roading projects – O Mahurangi-Penlink, Te Ahu a Turanga and Takitimu North Link (TNL).

They are pictured here, along with the sustainability team from HEB Construction, with the ISC Design Rating certificates at ISC’s NZ Connect conference. Congratulations, too, to the design teams on these projects – Aurecon, Beca and WSP – for this achievement.

The criteria for the ISC design ratings is the highest high bar in infrastructure sustainability design, covering management and governance, resource efficiency (energy, waste, water and materials used), management of discharge to air, land and water and community health and wellbeing.

“The ISC sustainability framework presents a challenge for all of us,” says National Environmental and Sustainability Manager – Construction, Omar Seychell.

“But it’s the best sort of challenge because it means the client (in this case NZTA) is pursuing sustainability outcomes that are independently verified and well beyond ‘business as usual’.”

The data gained from the ISC design rating process can uncover what Omar calls “hidden gems” that might help improve the sustainability outcomes of projects across-the-board.

An example is a more accurate weather forecasting tool used on TNL – now also used on O Mahurangi-Penlink – using NIWA technology designed for highly specific weather modelling such as for America’s Cup racecourses. This means programming decisions on site can be made with more confidence, resulting in reduced costs and fewer time delays.

Above: Takitimu North Link (marked in purple) on a topographical weather map. Main picture: with the certificates are Omar Seychell (Fulton Hogan), Alina Schroder (HEB), Hannah Giess (HEB), Stephanie Kirk (HEB), Bridget Robinson (HEB). Front row: Kate Chivers (HEB), Petra Veail (Fulton Hogan) and Kaleb Winiata (Fulton Hogan).