The Stormwater Conference Site Visits take place after the morning sessions on Thursday, 14 May from 10:45am to approximately 2:45pm. The Site Visits take attendees beyond the conference room to see stormwater solutions in action.
You can register for the site visits when you complete your Conference registration.
Please email waternz@avenues.co.nz if you have already registered for the Conference and wish to add a site visit on.
The Site Visits run concurrently so you may only join one. The cost is $51.75 inc. GST.
SITE VISIT ONE
Puhinui Regeneration – A Blue-Green Corridor Site Visit
This site visit offers delegates the opportunity to observe two complementary projects delivering on the Te Whakaoranga o te Puhinui regeneration strategy in South Auckland. At Te Aka Raataa in Wiri, Stage 1 construction has recently completed on the naturalisation of a concrete-lined Puhinui Stream channel, incorporating stream realignment, wetland creation, stormwater daylighting, and instream ecological habitat establishment alongside a new shared path network. The visit will then move to Manu-kau Noa Iho / Hayman Park, where legacy 1975-era stormwater detention ponds are being decommissioned and replaced with a naturalised wetland system designed to improve water quality, biodiversity, and amenity as part of the broader blue-green corridor linking the Auckland Botanic Gardens to Manukau. Both projects demonstrate integrated water-sensitive urban design outcomes achieved through close mana whenua collaboration and cross-agency delivery.
SITE VISIT TWO
Whau Catchment — Making Space for Water in a Constrained Urban Environment
This site visit takes delegates on a guided journey through the Whau Catchment — a predominantly urbanised catchment shaped by mid-20th century grey infrastructure that has been tested severely by recent significant flooding events. The visit will frame the catchment as a case study in the tensions between modern flood risk management ambitions and the constraints of an established built environment, where the principle of making space for water is difficult to realise at meaningful scale. Presenters will walk through the catchment’s hydrology, the legacy infrastructure challenges, community expectations in the wake of repeated flood events, and the options currently under consideration for risk mitigation. This is an opportunity to engage candidly with practitioners navigating a complex, real-world problem where there are no easy solutions.
SITE VISIT THREE
Māngere Blue Green Network projects — Making Space for Water in a Constrained Urban Environment
Join us for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the first two major Blue-Green Network projects to move into construction following the devastating 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods. You will visit these live, dynamic construction sites exactly two years after their business cases were approved for design and consenting. This site visit offers an on-the-ground opportunity to explore complex options assessment, bold construction methodologies, and climate adaptation in action alongside the project design and contractor teams.
Part 1: Harania Creek – Unlocking the Eastern Interceptor
The first stop takes delegates to a highly constrained site where infrastructure and flood resilience intersect. The Harania project tackles the challenge of increasing flood flow capacity beneath the nearly 70-year-old Eastern Interceptor, which had inadvertently acted as a dam. You will see firsthand the engineering solutions designed to protect 90 local homes from future flood risk. Note: This site is also the subject of the conference paper, “From Emergency to Legacy: Delivering the Māngere Harania Blue-Green Network at Pace,” and this visit will provide unparalleled physical context to the presentation.
Part 2: Te Ararata Stream & Walmsley Road Bridge Upgrade
The second half of the tour moves to the adjacent Te Ararata catchment, focusing on the Walmsley Road bridge upgrade. This originally culverted arterial road posed a severe blockage risk, threatening approximately 1,000 homes upstream. To accelerate the construction programme and deliver safer community outcomes faster, the project took the bold and unique approach of entirely closing a major arterial road.
Delegates will have the opportunity to walk upstream to view the location of the wider suite of future projects forming the ultimate blue-green network.
Who should attend? This visit is a must for stormwater practitioners, engineers, and planners interested in rapid project delivery, navigating highly constrained urban environments, challenging business cases, community-centric construction strategies, and the practical implementation of nature-based ecological solutions.
PPE requirements: As these are live construction sites, you will be required to provide all your own PPE as per the list below. If you are unable to provide your PPE, you will be required to stay on the bus:
- Hi Vis
- Long Longs (long trousers and long sleeves, which may be your long sleeved hi vis)
- Hard Hat
- Safety glasses
- Safety boots
SITE VISIT FOUR
Nature-Based Solutions in Practice — Auckland Botanic Gardens Treatment Train Walk
This site visit to the Auckland Botanic Gardens offers participants the opportunity to see Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in action within a real landscape setting. Guided by the Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) course trainers and ecologists from the Botanic Gardens, attendees will explore working examples of rain gardens, swales, and green roofs, learning how these devices are designed to not just manage stormwater and improve water quality, but also enhance urban ecology. The visit will focus on practical insights from the field, including plant selection (which species perform well and which do not), soil and drainage considerations and maintenance requirements. Participants will also gain an understanding of how these systems function over time, including common design and operational challenges, and the role of vegetation in supporting hydrological performance. The site visit provides a valuable opportunity to connect theory from NZ Water’s BGI Design course with real-world implementation, ask questions directly to trainers, and observe how blue-green infrastructure contributes to resilient and multifunctional urban landscapes.
PPE: None Required – wear comfortable shoes.
You can register for the site visits when you complete your Conference registration.
Please email waternz@avenues.co.nz if you have already registered for the Conference and wish to add a site visit on.