Dunedin International Airport Consultants Appointed

February 21, 2004

Airport Consultants Appointed 
Otago Daily News, New Zealand


Dunedin International Airport has named its preferred
consultants for the $21.5 million airport terminal
redevelopment which is due to start in August and be
completed by September 2006.

Airport company chairman Richard Walls yesterday told
the Otago Daily Times that it was an exciting time but
the board and airport management recognised the
challenges surrounding such a project.

"We are aware of the pressure this will put on our
operations. Extra staff will be employed to make sure
the operations continue to run smoothly." 

The redevelopment would take place in stages so the
airport could keep operating around the changes, he
said in an interview.

Wellington-based firm Craig Craig Moller has been
named as the preferred architect, working in
conjunction with Nick Baker Architects, of Dunedin.

Projects completed by Craig Craig Moller include the
Auckland Sky Tower and the Wellington Airport
Terminal.

Mr Walls said the company was aware of the intense
public interest in the design of the refurbished
terminal and the board would release the finished
design as soon as possible.

"We have no idea what the final design will look like.
We have just announced the consultants. We have no
preconceived plan," he said.

Airport chief executive John McCall said the project
had drawn interest from as far afield as the United
States and Australia. 

Eleven architects registered interest for the project,
including several from Dunedin. 

All but one of the the Dunedin firms had formed
partnerships with larger out-of-town groups because of
the highly specialised nature of the project.

The other consultants are:


Melbourne-based Airplan is the airport planner. The
company has been involved in international airport
terminal development in Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai and
Hong Kong. In New Zealand, it has been involved with
airports in Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown.

Sydney-based URS is the preferred airport retailer.

Rawlinsons, an international company with a branch in
Dunedin, is the quantity surveyor.

Wellington-based company Romulus, and Stevenson
Consulting, from Dunedin, are the structural
engineers.

Pedersen Read's Dunedin branch office will lead the
electrical and information technology part of the
project.

Mechanical consultant MWH, which until a few years ago
had its head office in Dunedin, will look after the
mechanical aspects.

Marshall Day has responsibility for acoustics.

Cosgrove Major is the fire consultant, in association
with Dunedin company Fire Protection Engineers.

Tourism Futures International Pty will look after
traffic forecasting and analysis, having previously
worked with the airport company and Project Gateway
during the past five years.

Mr Walls said that while the airport company was
leading the project, it had brought in professional
project management expertise from Dunedin-based Arrow
International.

Mr McCall said the design process was in its early
stages and the redevelopment team was working with
airport operators to assess their needs.

"We will also be conducting users' surveys to get a
clearer picture of their needs. There is a diverse
range of requirements and we need to balance those
needs when developing the design," he said.

The project would be funded through company
borrowings, Mr Walls said.

However, he was comfortable with the amount being
spent in Dunedin compared with the $A240 million
($NZ267 million) being spent in Adelaide and the $130
million being spent in Christchurch.

"By the time all the stages are finished, the present
terminal building will have largely been replaced. 

"The company is looking for a design that will allow
the building to grow with demand over the next 40
years," he said.

As part of the $130 million being spent at
Christchurch International Airport, the domestic
terminal is to be completely revamped and its
international terminal will be expanded.

A multistorey car-parking building, the construction
of new aprons and taxiways and a small addition to the
length of the main northeast/southwest runway are also
planned. 

The upgrade to international facilities is expected to
be under way soon and be completed in October. Work on
replacing the domestic terminal is likely to begin
later in the year and take several years to finish.





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