50 Victoria Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
3 October 2022
Phillip Hart
[FYI request #20314 email]
REF: OIA-10830
Dear Phil
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email
of 22 August 2022 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Please supply a detailed breakdown of all the costs incurred for the opening ceremony and events
for the Waterview Tunnel in June 2017:
"A number of formal and community celebration events were held in between Sunday 18 and
Tuesday 27 June 2017."
Based on currently available information, the costs for Waterview Connection public open days at the
completion of the project in 2017 are outlined in the below table:
Event category
Costs
Cost of the opening ceremony events
$760,000
Events over the 5-year construction period
$228,000
Tunnel Boring Breakthrough Events
$172,000
Total
$1,160,000
For context, the total cost of the development and construction of this major infrastructure project was
$1.4 bil ion. The opening ceremony events were spread across three days and included a limited
viewing for the contractors who built the tunnel, following by public walk throughs and cycle trips into
the tunnel. It also included the opening ceremony, dawn blessing and a charity event. The charity
event resulted in a donation of approximately $80,000 to Ronald McDonald House.
The costs to plan and deliver these events included temporary traffic management (TTM), transport,
security, catering, videography / photography, portaloo hire, marquee hire and more.
A number of these events were planned and delivered by the Well-Connected Alliance (the Al iance),
which has since been disestablished. A further breakdown of the costs to plan and deliver the Al iance
events is not available.
Celebrating the completion and opening of major new transport projects has occurred in New Zealand
for a long period of time, including for the opening of the Waterview Tunnel. The events recognise
years of disruption for local communities and acknowledge the important contributions of partners
such as local councils and iwi. They provide the local communities, stakeholders, project staff and
their families a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a fully completed project up close before it
becomes an active part of the transport network and off-limits to foot traffic.
Public open days in particular are highly valued by local communities with strong demand for the
opportunity to participate in events which often include allowing thousands of people to walk or cycle
on new roads before they open to traffic. Planning and delivering opening events of this scale and
managing them safely is a major logistical exercise which does come at a cost.
If you would like to discuss this reply with Waka Kotahi, please contact Ministerial Services, by email
to [email address].
Yours sincerely
Karen Jones
General Manager Engagement and Partnership
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