Double Bonus For City Rail Link's 'Amazing Achievement'

Scoop

26-06-2025

Shifting the bar higher for New Zealand's infrastructure industry has delivered a double bonus for Auckland's game-changing City Rail Link (CRL).
The project has received two top-tier leading ratings from the Australian-based Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC):
An As-Built leading rating specifically for the design and construction of its main C3 tunnels and stations contract delivered by Link Alliance covering the work to build the Te Waihorotiu, Karanga-a-Hape and Maungawhau Stations, including its use of a tunnel boring machine between Maungawhau and Te Waihorotiu.
An As-Built leading rating for the overall CRL project covering the design and construction of C1, C2 and C3 contracts - CRL's entire 3.45 kilometres route of tunnels and stations.
The CRL is now the first project to be awarded ISC's Leading IS (Mahi Rauora Aratohu version 1) As Built programme rating overall. The entire CRL project—from Waitematā to Maungawhau - is now officially recognised as meeting the highest sustainability standards ever awarded on either side of the Tasman.
ISC Chief Executive, Toby Kent, praised the CRL team's 'amazing achievement' and its commitment to the practice of sustainability.
'The ISC is proud to see New Zealand's biggest transport infrastructure project adopt sustainability into the DNA of its operations. This has been an amazing achievement and demonstrates the overwhelmingly positive social, economic and environmental good that is possible to achieve through an IS Rating," Mr Kent says.
CRL Ltd Chief Executive, Patrick Brockie, says the Council's independent assessment is a powerful endorsement of the values and hard mahi adopted and demonstrated by the project, contractors and subcontractors from day one.
'Success for CRL Ltd and our Link Alliance delivery partner is testament to the passion, commitment, and tenacity of the many talented people who have delivered a project that is not just good for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, but good for the sector, shifting the needle on how we integrate sustainability, environment, social outcomes and culture into large scale infrastructure projects,' says Mr Brockie.
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council praised the commitment by CRL Ltd, Link Alliance and mana whenua to imbed Māori cultural values in the project's design, and deliver positive social outcomes for Māori, Pasifika and rangatahi (youth) by creating employment and training opportunities and supporting Māori and Pasifika businesses with supply chain opportunities.
'Te Ao Māori has environmental sustainability at its very core,' says Edith Tuhimata from the project's Mana Whenua Forum, 'and we have an inherent responsibility to future generations for the way we conduct our businesses and the impacts that has on the environment and the people, if we take care of the Taiao (environment), the Taiao will take care of us. Mana Whenua bring a holistic approach to the CRL project to ensure whakapapa links are acknowledged and the best practical environmental, sustainable, social and cultural outcomes are achieved.'
Alongside positive social outcomes, the ISC was impressed by CRL's protection of the environment: substantially reducing the project's carbon footprint; savings around the use of construction and operational energy; more efficient use of water and materials; a dramatic reduction in waste earmarked for landfill; use of high-tech computer technology to help produce more efficient design and construction methodology.
Link Alliance Project Director Jean-Philippe Guillemenot says: 'We're proud of the environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes achieved. The innovations developed by the team has left a legacy, many sustainability firsts for New Zealand, and new benchmarks for future infrastructure projects.'
Mr Brockie added that once operational in 2026, CRL will give Aucklanders more sustainable transport choices.
'We are determined to leave Auckland a better place than when we started construction and our success with the two Infrastructure Sustainability Council leading ratings certainly demonstrates that we are on the right track,' Mr Brockie says.
The contracts included in the ISC leading ratings are:
C1 - Waitematā Station (Britomart)/Lower Queen Street and Commercial Bay: designers Aurecon, Mott MacDonald and Jasmax; delivered by Downer and Soletanche Bachy Joint Venture
C2 – northern end of Albert Street between Customs Street/Commercial Bay and Wyndham Streets: designers Aurecon, Mott MacDonald, Grimshaw, Jasmax, Arup; delivered by Connectus (McConnell Dowell and Downer Joint Venture)
C3 - Main Tunnel, Stations, Western Line Connection and Rail Systems, delivered by Link Alliance (Vinci Construction Grands Projets, Downer, Soletanche Bachy, WSP, AECOM, Tonkin+Taylor and CRL Ltd)
Iwi represented on CRL's Mana Whenua Forum: Te Ākitai Waiohua, Te Kawerau a Maki, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua