Accessible H&S

Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability Report 2023

In March 2023, the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa formally adopted the proposed City Rail Link (CRL) station names - Maungawhau Station (previously Mt Eden Station), Karangaa-Hape Station, Te Waihorotiu Station and Waitematā Station (previously Britomart Station).

Please note that as this document was published following the official decision, the stations are referred to throughout the report as follows:

Maungawhau Station

Karanga-a-Hape Station

Te Waihorotiu Station

Waitematā Station (Britomart)

Use of te reo Māori in this document:

Our commitment to te reo Māori means that you will see the use of words and phrases in te reo Māori throughout this document as normal practice. A fully te reo version is also available at https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/crl-sustainability

Some definitions:

Aotearoa - New Zealand

Aroha - Love

Atua - Deity

Hapū - Subtribe

Hiki - Seam

Hīkoi - Walk

Iwi - Tribe

Kaitiaki/Kaitiakitanga - Guardian/ Guardianship

Karakia - Prayer

Kaupapa - Purpose

Kotahitanga - Unity

Mahi - Work

Mana whenua - People of the land

Manaakitanga - Hospitality

Mataaoho - Māori volcanic atua

Matariki - Māori New Year

Mātauranga Māori - Māori knowledge

Mauri - Life principle/life force

Ngahere - Forest

Oranga - Health/wellbeing

Pou - Principles/pillars

Parawhenuamea - Māori atua of freshwater

Pepeha - Introduction/Connections

Putiputi - Flower

Rangatiratanga - Chieftainship/right to exercise authority

Rangatahi - Youth

Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland

Te ao Māori - The Māori world

Te hau - Vitality/vital essence

Komititanga - To mix/to merge/junction

Te Mana o te Wai - The te ao Māori approach to freshwater management

Te reo Māori - The Māori language

Taiao - Natural world / Environment

Te Tiriti - The Treaty (refers to the Treaty of Waitangi)

Wai - Water

Te Wiki o te Reo - Refers to Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language

Week

Wāhine/Wahine - Women/Woman

Wai o te ao - Water of the land/world/country

Waiōrea - Western Springs

Wairua - Spirit/soul

Wānanga - To meet and discuss/Learning

Whai rawa - Economy

Whakapapa - Geneology

Whakataukī - Proverb

Whānau - Family

Whāriki - Floor mat

Foreword

In many different ways, 2023 marked a significant shift for City Rail

Link that will have a profound impact on the project’s continued commitment to lift the bar to deliver positive health, safety, sustainability and environmental protection outcomes.

The biggest change affecting all CRL sites was the project’s switch from heavy civil engineering works, which had dominated the project from almost day one, to one where the installation of all the systems – including signalling, lighting, communications and fire protectionneeded to run a railway safely and successfully is underway.

Evidence of the rapid transition from a busy construction site to a transformational and world class railway occurred on the eve of last Christmas. Te Waihorotiu became the first of the project’s new stations to be “energised” with a permanent supply of power – a significant development that underlines our continued focus to health and safety.

22 thousand volts of electricity surging into the station will fuel every single aspect of the station during the remainder of construction and testing and will power all of the needs of the station once it is operating. Energisation brought with it an agile health and safety response. A comprehensive review and update of changes to our onsite regulations and processes will reduce risk and protect people in a “live” working environment.

CRL is a huge and complex project, the largest transport infrastructure project seen in New Zealand and one that will change dramatically the way Aucklanders travel around their city. The scale

of our work comes with a very real responsibility to be an industry exemplar in environmental protection, sustainability, health (including mental health) and safety. The valued partnership with mana whenua is a crucial foundation to our approach in these areasbuilt upon: ʻMahia te mahi, hei painga hei oranga mo tātou katoa,’ ‘To do the work, for the good of everyone’.

CRL Ltd and Link Alliance look back with satisfaction on a year that reinforced our objective to deliver the kind of great dividends everyone wants.

The Health Monitoring Programme was a success. The scheme was part of a wider initiative to set higher standards for workplace health and safety by reducing barriers to healthcare. It was open to all CRL workers to have access, free of charge, to a registered nurse. During a three-month period across all sites, 323 workers had health monitoring assessments and there were 28 follow-up assessments. The scope of the programme was widened to include significant nationwide medical challenges like heart health and to improve access to health services for our workforce.

CRL readily called on the expertise of workers to deliver health and safety messages. Representatives from the project’s health and safety committee starred in a new induction video, and other

experienced workers made invaluable contributions to health, safety and wellbeing performance across all our sites.

CRL’s Progressive Employment Programme (PEP) continued to prosper. Another 11 Māori and Pasifika rangatahi participated in the 16-week training course that targets those who face barriers to entering the workforce. CRL Ltd would like to acknowledge the passion and commitment of our pastoral care and other Link Alliance partners. Thanks to their support we now have a total of 24 rangatahi in employment. Since the PEP scheme began in 2019, 60 per cent of those on programme have found work – a lasting benefit for the wider construction industry.

As the project transforms, there has been a strong response from Māori, Pacific and youth Link Alliance workers to participate in project-supported programmes to ensure they develop their work skills or have career development plans in place before CRL work finishes. The uptake is 100 per cent across Māori, Pasifika and youth workers. Just over half have career development plans.

Project support for Māori and Pasifika businesses grew across the year. Link Alliance contracts awarded to Māori and Pasifika- owned sub-contractors and suppliers, worth $116 million ($79 million 2022). The significant investment is building both capacity and capability in

the Māori and Pasifika construction sector, benefiting the broader industry by increasing diversity in the supply chain.

Innovation continued to be a constant theme underpinning our sustainability and environmental objectives. Support for Māori and Pasifika businesses has extended into the urban realm procurement process; sustainability advisors continued to encourage and support better recycling of waste from site offices and lunchrooms; proactive management of dust maximized the use of non-potable water captured and treated on site with the added benefit of reducing demands on the city’s supplies.

Importantly, CRL remains on track to divert 96 per cent of waste away from landfill.

Throughout the year the project and its workers received well deserved recognition for their incredible dedication to leave a positive legacy that will make Auckland and wider New Zealand better places when our work is done.

The Australian-based Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) awarded our main C3 Contract a ’Leading’ Infrastructure Sustainability Design Rating. ‘Leading’ is the Council’s highest level of achievement. It acknowledges C3’s commitment to incorporate sustainability into decision-making, design for climate change, reduce carbon and energy footprints, use materials that help protect the

environment, its on-going social support for employment and supply chain opportunities for Māori and Pasifika and innovation.

CRL Ltd’s Social Outcomes Legacy Manager Berenize Peita (Kaiwhakahaere Hua a Hapori) was also recognised by ISC winning its prestigious ‘Enduring Impact’ Award for Individual Contribution to a Sustainable Future. Berenize leads initiatives that promote a more diverse workforce and support Māori and Pasifika businesses, and the Council acknowledged her “profound efforts” to reshape future infrastructure projects in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

CRL won a hat-trick of awards from New Zealand’s Procurement Excellence Forum. They included the Forum’s Supreme Award together with its Social Impact and Environmental Impact Awards. Procurement is a hugely powerful and important part of our unshakeable commitment to push higher the bar for positive social impact and sustainability practices for others to follow. There is still a lot more work to be done. Train, tunnel and station testing is due to start in mid-2024. This will be a huge programme of evaluation work lasting many months involving the project, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail. There will be heightened focus on our health, safety, sustainability and environmental procedures, and on those of our stakeholders as well, during this time. CRL Ltd and Link Alliance will continue to dedicate resources to contribute to the best

outcomes for all workers, and for those who will operate a completed CRL and the hundreds of thousands of people who will use it.

Dr Sean Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer

CRL Mana Whenua Forum developed five pou which define the outcomes iwi wish to see from the project. Each pou is equally important and forms the foundation to ensure that the CRL and Mana Whenua Forum partnership is contributing to the wellbeing of future generations.

The City Rail Link project is also guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and supports targets within goals: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Project Overview and Benefits

The CRL is the biggest public transport infrastructure project ever undertaken in New Zealand.

Twin 3.45km tunnels up to 42 metres underground will connect Waitematā Station (Britomart) to Maungawhau Station, at a cost of $5.493 billion.

Over its lifetime, the CRL will not only deliver an improved public transport network, it will also deliver multi-generational economic, social, environmental and business benefits. The massive project has been designed to leave a positive legacy for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and New Zealand more widely.

Once complete, the CRL will turn Waitematā Station (Britomart) into a through station, unlocking the transport network and improving frequency of trains and journey times for passengers.

Near each station and along the rail corridor, improved urban realms and convenient transport options will encourage development, supporting a more sustainable and productive city.

Through partnering with mana whenua, the stations have been distinctively designed to reference the city’s unique cultural heritage.

Alongside the future benefits of a constructed CRL, during the construction and testing phases, the project consistently strives to raise the bar.

The CRL is a huge opportunity to set new industry wide benchmarks in community engagement, environmental sustainability, social procurement, and workplace safety.

Contracts

C3, C5 and C7 Alliance Tunnels & Stations Package

Excavating tunnels on Albert Street, building two underground stations Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape and redeveloping Maungawhau Station. Western Line works, rail systems integration, testing and commissioning from Waitematā Station (Britomart) to Maungawhau Station.

C9 Waitematā Station (Britomart)

East

Additional connections, platform widening and track modification at the eastern end of Waitematā Station (Britomart) required once CRL is operational.

* C9 target completion date was end 2024 (per SOI)

Highlights from the Year

January

CRL sites were affected by the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods. Crews worked tirelessly to pump out water, clear debris and brace for further severe weather.

February

Extensive flood response planning put the CRL project in good stead to withstand Cyclone Gabrielle with no lasting impact.

March

New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa formally adopts the four gifted station names: Waitematā Station (Britomart), Maungawhau Station, Te Waihorotiu Station and Karanga-a-Hape Station.

April

Commuters journeying between Newmarket Station and West Auckland started travelling on a new track rebuilt to make room for the CRL.

May

The project was awarded the highest possible Infrastructure Sustainability Design rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council with a score of 93 - corresponding to a “Leading” rating.

June

Mined tunnelling at Maungawhau Station was completed - it marked the end of all tunnelling for the project.

July

Mana Whenua Forum representative and CRL staff went on an evening hīkoi up the Maungawhau volcano to celebrate Matariki.

The Western Line between Kingsland and Newmarket returned to dual tracks.

August

Link Alliance celebrated four years of hard mahi, dedication and passion for the project with its 4th birthday.

September

City Rail Link’s Berenize Peita won the ‘Enduring Impact’ Award from ISC in recognition for her work.

To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, videos highlighting the correct pronunciation of CRL station names were released.

October

Branch Out Street Festival was held on Nikau Street in partnership with the Uptown Business Association, with 20 participating local businesses.

November

At the New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards, the CRL project won the Environmental Impact of the Year, the Social Impact of the Year and the Supreme Award.

December

Link Alliance completed above ground works at Waitematā Station (Britomart) and vacated the temporary station building.

A team from across the CRL project travelled to Pourewa Nursery for a day of volunteering. Awards

2021 C2 Infrastructure Sustainability Certification Excellent As Built Rating

2017 C1 Infrastructure Sustainability Certification Leading Design Rating

2016 C2 Infrastructure Sustainability Certification Leading Design Rating

2023 New Zealand Workplace Health & Safety Awards – Safeguard

Awards 2023 – Health and Safety Representative of the Year

2023 Infrastructure Sustainability Council Awards – ‘Enduring Impact’ Award – Berenize Peita Kaiwhakahaere Hua a Hapori CRL

2023 New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards – Environmental Impact of the Year

2023 New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards – Social Impact of the Year

2023 New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards – Supreme Award

Infrastructure Sustainability Council Awards – Excellence in Social Outcomes – Highly Commended

2022 Building Nations 2050 Impact Awards – Decarbonisation Outcomes Award (Projects over $20m)

2022 NZ Safety Blackwoods Workplace Health & Safety Awards –Engagement – Best initiative to encourage worker engagement in health & safety – Mata Whānui te Tirohanga – The Film

2021 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Award – Joint winner with TROW Group – 'Innovation – Anga whakamua' award

2021 VINCI Environment Awards – Oceania Circular Economy Evolution of Practice

2021 VINCI New Zealand – Health & Safety Award – Leading Change

2021 Public Relation Institute of New Zealand – Bronze –Community Relations and Engagement

2021 CCNZ Excellence Awards – C2 Hynds Construction Award

2021 Engineering New Zealand – Co-winner Arthur Mead Award –Large Projects

2019 Solentanche Bachy Green Idea Award – Sustainable Waste Management

2018 Sustainable Business Network’s Supreme Award – NZI Transforming New Zealand Award

2018 Sustainable Business Network – Efficiency Champion

2018 Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards – Large Energy User Initiative of the Year

2017 New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards – Sustainability Project of the Year

Health & Safety

CRL Ltd aspires to health and safety (H&S) excellence in everything we do. This is an ambitious and challenging goal, and one which requires continued effort and focus from everyone involved.

CRL Ltd and Link Alliance's Health, Safety & Wellbeing Strategy 202224 sets out our vision:

Mahia te mahi, hei painga hei oranga mo tātou katoa

To do the work for the good of everyone

Four strategic priorities have been identified to achieve this vision:

Partner to ensure and drive continuous H&S improvement

Build and maintain workforce resilience

Develop and enhance safety leadership capacity and supervisory competence throughout the workforce

Enhance the maturity and effectiveness of the H&S management system.

Our approach to H&S management encompassed programmes of work under each of these strategic priorities. We work closely with construction delivery partners and industry stakeholders to ensure a strong H&S culture.

Link Alliance is the main construction partner for CRL Ltd and its first objective is to ‘achieve industry-leading standards for health, safety and wellbeing’.

Link Alliance continues to invest in training its teams, including over 141 staff completing the Frontline Safety Leadership Programme, the largest ever roll out of the ‘Alive on Site’ behavioural safety initiative, and a health monitoring programme.

The focus has been on ensuring all teams have the correct competencies to manage their works safely above and below ground. This is vitally important to manage critical risks on site: work at heights, confined space, incident reporting and working in a tunnel environment.

CRL Ltd continued to monitor and support the delivery of safety excellence across the project through site visits, engagement with workers and frontline supervisors and highlighting and recognising both good and poor practice where it is seen. CRL Ltd is grateful to its

construction partners for their commitment to achieving shared health and safety goals.

Enhancing health and safety management systems

Risk Management Maturity Model

A H&S management system provides the framework to enable consistent and predictable H&S performance.

It includes defined methods to keep people safe and a means for managing significant risks.

CRL Ltd uses the Risk Management Maturity Model (RM3) to assess its H&S management systems. RM3 has built-in mechanisms to continue pushing the envelope, using 26 individual H&S indicators to identify opportunities to learn and improve how H&S outcomes are delivered. This provides a common platform to identify safety improvements, and to drive excellent H&S outcomes with our suppliers. Assessment is made against five maturity levels for each H&S indicator. They range from 'ad hoc' through to 'excellent'. The results can be used to objectively identify management strengths and weaknesses and to support focused improvements.

Under RM3 the project will continue to review and improve its H&S systems while delivering well- defined, consistent and replicable outcomes that can be externally verified. We want our people to know what the expected outcomes are, what they are responsible for, and to work together to continue achieving H&S excellence with no gaps, overlap, or duplication.

CRL Ltd and its construction partner Link Alliance completed the project's third annual independent RM3 assessment in 2023. The assessment included interviews, reviews of safety plans and procedures, and on-site observations.

The project achieved a level 3/5 (Standardised) in all areas, with level 4/5 (Predictable) achieved in 17 areas. This means that 'good practice has been synthesised into standard processes'. The RM3 assessment identified areas of strength, for example governance, organisational structure and control of contractors and where further improvements can be made for the maturity of safety management systems. These include emergency planning, competence management and incident investigation.

CRL Ltd and its construction partners developed a targeted 12-month improvement programme based on the assessment's findings.

Establish improved health and safety performance measurements

Health and Safety Performance Index

CRL Ltd monitors 20 individual H&S performance indicators which cover all activities that are critical for the project to effectively manage potential H&S risks.

Proactive or 'leading' indicators, such as monitoring and assurance checks, are also recorded along with reactive or 'lagging' measures including total recordable injury frequency rate. Monitoring creates a detailed and accurate picture of the project's H&S performance.

To manage the large amounts of H&S data and identify key trends, CRL Ltd developed and recently updated a H&S Performance Index (HSPI). The HSPI categorises each indicator against the H&S management system and assigns weighting based on how critical that activity is for the management of risk.

A score is then produced that illustrates how well the project has performed against predetermined targets.

The HSPI has produced an accurate

picture of H&S performance which can be easily communicated to stakeholders as well as to workers and site team leaders.

The Link Alliance exceeded the monthly performance target index of 80 every month during the year with an average score of 89.01 for 2023.

Case Study Health Checks

Link Alliance's 2023 Health Monitoring Programme represents a significant stride forward in promoting workplace health and safety within the construction industry.

It began with in-depth analysis of historic health monitoring reports, occupational hygiene reports, injury data, and a review of the Link Alliance worker health risk assessment. The Link Alliance developed a comprehensive, risk-based health monitoring programme that was available for all project team members.

The initiative sets a higher benchmark in workplace health and safety practices by reducing barriers to healthcare. An experienced, registered nurse was available on the worksite during work time, free of charge, to everyone working on the CRL who wished to take part.

Throughout the Health Monitoring Programme, team members were encouraged by the nursing team to utilise their presence on site for

follow-up on their initial cardiovascular test results, including repeat measurements of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetic checks. This proactive engagement underscores our commitment to accessible healthcare service options, delivered to our people, on our sites.

In 2023 the health monitoring programme achieved a significant milestone, conducting 323 health monitoring assessments and 28 follow-up assessments across all sites over a three-month period.

The largest health monitoring delivery within the project yet.

The programme's robust, risk-based approach was designed to provide confidential and accessible health monitoring to all team members, going beyond fulfilling the health and safety legislative requirements. The programme widened the scope of medical tests to include significant health challenges in New Zealand, encompassing issues related to heart health and access to health services for our workforce. It embodies CRL and Link Alliance's commitment to reaching industry leading standards for health, safety and wellbeing, a key objective of the project.

Case Study Health & Safety Committee

The Link Alliance Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) committee is made up of elected HSW Representatives who work on site in a range of disciplines from across the project, with each work site represented. They make invaluable contributions to health, safety and wellbeing performance by ensuring workers are represented and heard.

Link Alliance has a large, diverse, and constantly changing workforce, made up of over 80 different subcontractors. Achieving good worker engagement on all HSW matters is critically important.

Once a month, the committee meets to discuss all things HSW on the project. The Reps (as they are known) offer a unique perspective of HSW performance on the project and act as a voice for the workers.

They are recognised for a wide range of achievements in improving the HSW management system and initiatives, including:

Co-designing the Link Alliance safety principles

Developing the annual HSW survey questions

Advocating to break down language barriers for some of our foreign workers by ensuring surveys, yellow cards, posters and other communications are communicated in languages other than English Shaping campaign messaging such as the HSW countdown to Christmas messaging and Health & Safety Week.

The Reps have also starred in a new Link Alliance induction video.

Amongst the many success stories from the committee is Peter Pomale who won 2023 H&S rep of the year at the National Safeguard Awards.

Attending the HSW committee meetings is a highlight for many participants and is of great benefit to the attendees and the CRL project.

Case Study

Lessons Learned – Flood Response

On 27th January 2023, Tāmaki Makaurau faced an unprecedented challenge as heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding across the region, impacting lives, homes, infrastructure, and businesses. The CRL also experienced flooding during this event, requiring a swift emergency response and management over the following days.

While national weather forecasts failed to predict the severity of the rainfall, our teams sprang into action, adapting quickly to the challenges of an evolving situation. Despite the unexpected nature of the event, the CRL's pre-existing flood management plans were welltested and rapidly implemented.

Safety of staff was the first priority, and evacuation procedures were implemented, with surveillance teams monitoring security cameras throughout the tunnels to provide real-time information for decisionmaking. Our flood response teams at Maungawhau established a centralised team that worked in coordination with responders at each station site.

Despite challenges such as power outages affecting pumps and live electricity in the tunnels posing safety risks, emergency teams worked carefully and meticulously to secure plant and equipment while conducting cleanup operations. They worked quickly to mitigate the impact of the floods, utilising a combination of strategies such as creating storage areas for excess water, installing physical dams, and deploying water pumps. Following these efforts, they then spent the next few days working around the clock on the mammoth task of pumping water out from affected areas.

One of the outcomes of this experience has been the lessons learned for future flood response efforts. While there was insufficient time to install the dam wall as per the flood response plan, we have identified opportunities for improvement. Adjustments to the wall's placement will now allow the dammed area to empty using gravity, reducing reliance on powered pumps. Additionally, the revised location allows for quicker installation in future flood events,

ensuring better preparedness even in scenarios with limited warning times.

Equipped with learnings from the events of January 27th, our flood response teams are well-prepared for future events, with improved response plans ensuring our readiness to respond effectively. Upon completion, the CRL tunnels have been designed to mitigate the risks posed by climate change, including the anticipated increase in rainfall, and engineered to withstand an extraordinary 1 in 2,500-year event.

Case Study

Safety Futures

A total of 141 construction leaders and supervisors involved in the CRL project have successfully completed the Safety Futures 'Safety Leadership for Supervisors and Managers' programme. This achievement represents a substantial portion of the project's frontline leaders who play a critical role in guiding construction teams within a dynamic, hazardous, and ever-changing work environment. The programme provides the upcoming generation of construction leaders with tools essential to working safely and efficiently, in alignment with our core project objectives: to create a lasting positive impact in Aotearoa and to set industry-leading benchmarks for health, safety and wellbeing.

Delivered over a 12-week period, the Safety Futures programme draws participants from various countries and industry sectors, fostering an exchange of experiences and strategies to improve overall team performance. Participants are tasked to undertake a mission at their normal place of work after each weekly seminar, cementing the learning into practical behaviours.

The impact of this programme on the project's safety performance has been extraordinary. Leading performance indicators, including critical risk observations, safety stops, and inspections, have consistently improved. There is a notable reduction in lagging indicators like the number of significant incidents and injury frequency rates. In addition, results from the annual Health, Safety & Wellbeing survey indicate a significant increase in the number of leaders who ‘walk the talk’ advocating a genuine commitment to excellent safety practices.

Environment

There are thousands of fixed monitors in place around CRL construction sites to measure air and water quality, noise, vibration, ground settlement and groundwater levels in real time 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The monitoring network is complemented with targeted site or activity-based inspections that occur daily, weekly and monthly. If the

project exceeds limits, changes to practices and procedures are made as quickly as practicable.

CRL Ltd and its construction partners work to comply with more than 500 separate conditions relating to eight designations and numerous resource consents from Auckland Council.

It must also comply with archaeological authorities obtained from Heritage New Zealand. These conditions provide the parameters and limits of effects that CRL construction and operation can have on the project's surrounding environment and communities.

C3 Environmental Monitoring and Performance

Management plans continue to govern the actions the project takes to meet requirements and achieve environmental compliance. As the project reaches its final stages the environmental team is mastering these measures, having learned so much from their experience working on the project.

Management plans provide detail on the practices and procedures to be followed and provide a comprehensive framework to manage adverse effects on the environment including:

 Noise and vibration

 Traffic access and parking

 Social impacts and business disruption

 Discharges to air, land and water.

Monitors on site measure noise, vibration, air quality including rain and wind data and water quality of the discharges from the water treatment plants continuously.

To date there has been negligible movement recorded of parameters in ground and building monitoring, and with bulk earthworks and tunnelling activities now complete, it is expected that this trend will continue until the end of the project and monitoring required.

Noise and vibration

Noise and vibration are monitored in real time 24 hours a day, seven days a week by noise monitors and vibration monitors across the project. Project works have the potential to exceed construction noise and vibration limits at the closest receivers and these monitors alert the team via text message when the noise and vibration levels approach or exceed the limits.

Measures are implemented to avoid or minimise exceedances and these are reviewed whenever alerts are received.

Some of the measures regularly used include:

Staff training

Selecting plant and equipment with low noise and vibration emission levels

Turning off plant and equipment when not in use

Selecting equipment appropriately sized for the task

Using noise barriers or enclosures in areas where the noise limits are predicted to be exceeded, and where they provide effective mitigation

Scheduling of construction activities to avoid particularly sensitive times for our stakeholders.

Air Quality

Emissions to air from construction activities continues to be an environmental risk that is closely monitored. Dust suppression measures are made to ensure the impacts of dust are not becoming a nuisance to stakeholders. Real-time air quality monitors operate continuously around all our construction sites to ensure the mitigation measures are working effectively. This is supported by

visual inspections at each site to check there are no visible dust plumes. Read more about how we measure air quality in the case study on page 38.

Heritage

The project continues its commitment to preserving and protecting culture, heritage, and local character while the CRL is built. With an Archaeological Authority granted by Heritage NZ for works across all three stations, all archaeological evidence previously encountered during works has been investigated, recorded and analysed. With bulk excavation works now complete, the likelihood of further archaeological discoveries is low. Final Archaeology Reports are currently being written for the stations detailing all the previous discoveries identified. These reports will be provided to Auckland Council, Heritage NZ and mana whenua for record keeping.

Social Impacts and Business Disruption

CRL Ltd and its contractors continued their focus on proactive management of construction effects throughout 2023 to minimise impacts on nearby neighbours.

This year saw a shift towards urban realm and streetscapes construction at Te Waihorotiu Station. Solid hoardings were replaced

with scrim depicting the future state of midtown’s regeneration, alongside comprehensive wayfinding to ensure businesses were still accessible while utilities diversions, concreting and laying pavers took place. The Win Win Wednesday activation continued this year and new business signage was installed to publicise the area to customers. The Small Business Support Programme (SBSP) entered its third year, providing independent business advice and a $3,000 microgrant to small businesses.

Following two years of closure for CRL construction, the Victoria and Albert intersection reopened to vehicle traffic, with narrower lanes and space for a bi-directional cycleway along the southern side.

Wider footpaths, street furniture and LED lighting provide more space for pedestrians on this popular route connecting the Sky Tower and Queen Street.

Throughout the year, stakeholders were given opportunities to visit CRL construction sites up close, both overground and underground, to appreciate the stations taking shape in their neighbourhoods.

Across the stations, the annual SIBD (Social Impact and Business Distribution) audit did not identify any significant issues requiring remedial treatment. Tours and activations across the station precincts saw Link Alliance celebrate with the community including the Auckland Heritage Festival, Chinese New Year, Halloween,

Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Restaurant Month, Matariki, Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and ArtWeek.

The established and popular First Thursday market continued around Beresford Square and Link Alliance partnered with Karangahape Road Business Association for a bumper ‘freaky’ celebration of Halloween with the event ‘Halloween Freakout’.

2023 saw the publishing of a second edition of the Uptown Food & Drink Guide in partnership with the Uptown Business Association, to promote the hidden foodie delights of the precinct. Train passengers benefited from an improved journey between Kingsland and Grafton stations in July 2023 when the Western Line returned to dual line running. Trains had been running on a single track between Kingsland and Grafton for construction of new CRL connections into the bored tunnels.

Construction work within and across the rail corridor continued in 2023 with a number of Blocks of Line closures. Comprehensive stakeholder engagement prior to closures ensured neighbours around Maungawhau Station were kept informed about upcoming works. Completion of works in the rail corridor saw Boston Road restored to two-way traffic, new bridges and connections created for those on foot, by bike or by car – at Normanby Road and Porters

Avenue, and the start of replanting for the urban ngahere with locally supplied native trees and plants.

Security and safety saw continued focus throughout 2023 at Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape, reflective of wider trends in antisocial behaviour within the city centre and around Karangahape Road. Teams targeted site cleanliness, lighting, signage, rubbish collection and CCTV to make site perimeters light and bright to act as discouragement.

Branch Out Festival

The Branch Out festival brought 4000 people from all over to Nikau Street, in Mt Eden, to enjoy local talent, food and crafts and to foreshadow the future hubbub of the Maungawhau Station surrounds.

Link Alliance collaborated with the Uptown Business Association and local businesses to host the street party on Saturday 7 October. Nikau Street was closed to traffic to make space for food, music, market stalls, performances, activities, art, fashion and more.

Twenty local businesses, entertainers and service providers made the day a success. The streets were packed with children playing, dogs and people in photo booths, and on-stage performances from talented local artists. The event showcased Uptown businesses and provided a day of entertainment for the community.

Case Study

Dust Prediction Tool

A dust risk prediction tool was developed by the Link Alliance and used across the whole CRL project. The tool uses a sophisticated weather model called the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model, which was developed by the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and is used worldwide to predict wind speed, wind direction and other meteorological parameters.

At 6.30 am each day, the adaptive dust management tool calculates the hourly dust risk for the day ahead before each site’s 7.00 am crew briefing and toolbox talk. The dust risk is based on the average wind speed predicted by the WRF at Maungawhau and the rainfall amount measured by the Link Alliance over the previous 48 hours at the Maungawhau Automatic Weather Station (AWS). A ‘high’ dust risk is triggered by a forecast wind speed of over 5 metres per second (m/s) and if no rain has been recorded at the Maungawhau AWS over the previous two days. In the event of a high dust risk prediction, the system sends a text message and email alert to key Link Alliance personnel (e.g., site supervisors and the environmental team), indicating when the high dust risk will occur and what dust control measures should be implemented ahead of the construction activities taking place. Through its IS Rating, the Link Alliance is

claiming the tool is a New Zealand first and an innovative technology or process to manage dust.

Key benefits of implementing the dust risk prediction tool include:

Automated dust risk predictions and communication ahead of the daily crew briefings

Timely planning and action between construction crew members, supervisors and the environmental team to implement dust control measures

Consistent dust management project-wide, including efficient use of water for dust suppression.

The tool's success is evidenced by the fact that only a few dust complaints have been received to date. Ambient concentrations of total suspended particulate matter and particulate matter less than ten microns in diameter (PM10) measured to date at each construction site have generally been well below the trigger levels stipulated in the air quality management plans.

Case Study

Waiōrea - Water Treatment Plant

Having healthy urban streams is important to New Zealanders. The CRL project sits within a piped catchment area that flows into Motions

Creek – Waiōrea, which flows from Western Springs Lake through Auckland Zoo, Seddon Fields and Jaggers Bush to the Waitematā Harbour off Meola Road.

Sustainability has been integrated into decision-making on the CRL project from the beginning and the Mana Whenua Forum have had input on significant issues, wai ora being one of these. Changes in building coverage, surface coverage and stormwater treatment across the project site have all been considered.

Capturing and treating water from project sites, maximising the reuse of this non-potable water, and ensuring water efficiency is optimised in the station buildings has been a focus since the very start.

The project is carefully managed to minimise changes in hydrology and avoid contaminants entering the stream and harbour by taking a water sensitive approach.

Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) are the primary systems used to treat stormwater runoff from construction areas and water generated from construction activities, which can be sediment-laden and highly alkaline. Across the stations, there are five WTPs still in action; two of

which were specifically designed to treat water from tunnelling activities at Mercury Lane and Maungawhau Station.

How a Water Treatment Plant Works

Stormwater on site is treated to meet water quality discharge standards before being discharged to the stormwater or wastewater network. An automated dosing water treatment system that includes continuous monitoring of water quality parameters is used to meet these.

Sensors within the WTPs measure the pH and turbidity of the water at various stages of the treatment cycle and can recycle the water for further treatment if required.

Once the pH and turbidity levels are within the acceptable range for discharge, the system will automatically select the appropriate type of discharge (i.e stormwater or tradewaste).

The water quality discharge standards for stormwater are between pH 5 and 9, and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) <50g/m3. To ensure these standards are met the WTPs will only allow discharge to stormwater when the outlet sensors measure pH between 5.5 and 8.5 and turbidity less than 50 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

WTP Challenges

The two large WTPs at Mercury Lane and Maungawhau were imported from overseas suppliers in Australia and France respectively. New Zealand not having readily available WTP systems with the treatment capability for tunnelling activities. This presented some challenges, with no New Zealand based technical support, troubleshooting issues was impacted by different time zones.

The Maungawhau WTP had the added challenge of its operating manual being in French. This wasn’t much of an issue while the TBM crew who were mostly French were working on site but once they finished, new local WTP operators took over responsibility and had to learn how to solve the maintenance issues.

Due to delays importing all the required parts of the plant, the Maungawhau WTP was not installed and commissioned before tunnelling started. Therefore, the team had to initially use a smaller WTP that was not designed for treating water from tunnelling activities.

This caused water quality issues such as the generation of foam from the use of a soil conditioning product called TamSoil that is used as part of the TBM excavation process. The foaming issues were resolved once the desanding unit of the WTP system was installed as this is the stage of the treatment process where an anti-foam agent is added to the water.

WTP commissioning issues included problems with the acid dosing pH treatment. The pH treatment is required due to the highly alkaline water that is produced during tunnelling activities from the use of concrete. This WTP treats the water in stages and the permanent pH treatment was the final part of the system to be installed. Before the permanent pH treatment was installed, a temporary acid dosing system had to be installed to ensure the pH of the untreated water could be lowered.

This temporary acid dosing system used the acid dosing pumps from the smaller WTP to dose the water with citric acid. However, these dosing pumps were not designed to treat such large volumes of water which led to issues with the internal hoses of the dosing pumps frequently wearing out and in turn requiring at least daily replacement.

Experience on the CRL also revealed the importance of having dedicated WTP operators trained from commissioning stage. For WTPs to perform, they require regular maintenance. Having Trade Waste Agreements (TWA) in place was also crucial. Maintenance issues are common, resulting in a reduction of performance of the WTPs. Without the TWAs there would have been a much higher risk of non-compliant discharges to the stormwater network. Investing in better sensors can reduce long-term costs and prevent malfunction of the system, as can ensuring operation manuals are available in

English and knowledge is transferred to local staff. These challenges all reinforce the need for a better local solution and support.

Working with the Mana Whenua Forum, project consultants and our environmental advisors has highlighted opportunities for future projects. There is potential to improve the design and operation of WTPs and take a more te ao Māori based approach to improve water outcomes at both a project site and catchment level based on the six principles of

Te Mana o te Wai1

There is currently tension between consent conditions, and a more traditional approach, where limits for discharge are set but do not necessarily enable improvement of receiving waters. Water management on the CRL reflects this approach with a commitment to resource efficiency and consent conditions designed to protect, but not necessarily enhance, the receiving waters.

Opportunities for Future Projects

 There is an opportunity for future projects to work with mana whenua

 to create:

 Mana whenua led catchment management plans with

 a Wai o te ao vision

 a Mātauranga Māori benchmarking and monitoring framework

 with guidance to assess the mauri of water in partnership with mana whenua

 a modular water treatment plant designed to enhance the mauri of the water with:

 a small physical footprint and

 a standardised way of testing and treating water to measure and an agreed way of enhancing its mauri.

 This approach is a valuable opportunity for:

 research and a case study, in partnership with other key stakeholders, to better meet mana whenua aspirations for improved water outcomes at a catchment level and

 improving future project outcomes.

Profile

Sarah Sutherland

Sarah Sutherland, Link Alliance Environmental and Sustainability Manager, was honoured to receive a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship (one of ten), to travel to the United Kingdom and Australia to gather insights and perspectives on the main factors that drive the successful integration of sustainability across an infrastructure construction project. Awarded in 2020, Sarah’s Fellowship travel was delayed by COVID and completed in 2023.

Sarah’s career began in local government and consulting, across environmental impact assessment, resource consent procurement and compliance monitoring. Her expertise in water quality and stormwater management led to her role as the technical lead for the regional consenting of the CRL, presenting expert evidence at the CRL hearing.

In 2016 Sarah joined the CRL project as the Environmental and Sustainability Manager. Initially she joined as part of the Contract 1 early works package at Waitematā Station (Britomart) and following its completion, joined the Link Alliance. Here, she has been responsible for the Link Alliance's Environmental and Sustainability Team. The team work closely with the design and construction teams to minimise the adverse effects of the project on the environment while maximising the positive environmental, social, economic and cultural effects. Part of the team’s important mahi has been delivery of the Infrastructure Sustainability rating for the project.

Sustainability

Reducing our carbon footprint, avoiding waste and leaving a positive social and cultural legacy for Tāmaki Makaurau are the key elements of CRL’s aims for sustainability excellence. These aims inform all aspects of the project, from design, through construction and operation.

The project's sustainability performance is externally verified with the ISC, using their Infrastructure Sustainability rating tool, which has been adapted in partnership with mana whenua to respond to Aotearoa's unique cultural context.

In 2023, Link Alliance was awarded a Leading IS Design rating for the main contract (C3), including the tunnels, three stations and western line connections. Adding to the Leading and Excellent As-Built IS Awards already gained for C1 works at Waitematā Station (Britomart) at the lower end of Queen Street and the C2 Albert Street works.

CRL Ltd’s Sustainability Strategy has five key focus areas:

 Reducing resource consumption

 Zero waste to landfill

 Social outcomes

 Mana whenua outcomes

 Governance and reporting.

Read more about progress made across each of these areas in 2023 to deliver the CRL sustainably.

Reducing Resource Consumption

CRL's energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the embodied carbon of the materials used during construction make up the project's total carbon footprint. Water is also required, both during construction and operation of the CRL.

The project has used the least amount of resources possible during construction and over the infrastructure's 100-year lifespan through efficient design and construction methodologies and through its sustainable procurement policy.

To track the project's success, a base case was created to measure the total amount of energy, materials and water used to build and operate the CRL if business-as-usual occurred without sustainability interventions. A detailed design, which included initiatives to reduce resource consumption, was then developed. Comparisons between the detailed design and the base case enabled the project to quantify

improvements in resource use. Comparisons were also made throughout construction between the actual and predicted performance for energy, materials and water against the project’s base case.

The Link Alliance achieved a ‘Leading’ Infrastructure Sustainability Design Rating in 2023 and is intending to submit its As-built rating in 2024.

Energy

Whole-of-Life footprint

CRL’s energy and carbon footprint mostly comprises of the diesel and electricity needed to construct and then operate the stations and tunnels throughout their 100-year design life. Link Alliance has a target of reducing the energy carbon footprint associated with these two phases by 25% compared to a business-as-usual base case.

As at 31 December 2023, the project is on track to achieve a saving of just over 38,000 tCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions. This is a 23% saving and around 82% of this is expected to be achieved during the 100-year operational phase. The total saving (construction and operation) is equivalent to just over 41,000 economy class flights between Auckland and London.

Tracking energy-related construction emissions shows the project doing slightly better than projected at this stage, with 28% savings compared to the base case. The total cumulative construction energy emissions through 31 December 2023 were 22,328 tCO2e, which was 33% below the base case and 17% below the detailed design projection.

Water

Link Alliance developed projections of water use for both construction and operation of the CRL, with a target of reducing water use by at least 5% compared to a business-as-usual approach.

Although the majority (82%) of the water used on CRL will be during its operation, construction is still expected to use more than 340 million litres. Therefore, as well as designing the stations to be water efficient when operational, a lot of effort has gone into reducing potable water use during construction. A key approach has been to utilise non-potable water (water that is not of drinking quality) where possible.

The water treatment plants located on all CRL sites process all water collected on site and ensure it can be safely discharged into the stormwater network. These plants are a key non-potable water source, as is rainwater collected from roofs. Instead of discharging this water off site it has been used for washing the wheels of trucks

before they leave site, for other site cleaning and for refilling the water carts that spray water on the ground to prevent dust being generated around the site.

The total cumulative water use through 31 December 2023 was 332,629 m3 (332.629 million litres). In December, the measured water use was 8.9% below the base case and 6.1% below the

detailed design. The total cumulative water reuse in December 2023 was 3.3% of the total cumulative on-site water use amount (i.e. below the 5% target). Nonetheless, this still means that 6.5 million litres of water has been used from non-potable sources, equivalent to 29 households’ annual water use.

Materials

Link Alliance’s target is to reduce embodied carbon by 15% against the base case from materials used to build the project.

The embodied carbon of materials makes up half of the total carbon footprint over the project’s 100-year design life. The total cumulative materials’ carbon footprint through 31 December 2023 was 151,379 tCO2e, which was mostly associated with concrete (62%)

and steel (30%). In December, the project’s total cumulative embodied carbon footprint was tracking 9% below the base case and 7.1% above the detailed design projection.

Several initiatives have contributed to the projected reduction:

 Maximisation of cement replacement in the project’s concrete mix designs

 Redesign of Karanga-a-Hape Station to remove the central mined walkway

 Reduction in the amount of materials-intensive mined tunnels at Maungawhau Station

 Change from piles to diaphragm wall (D-walls) across large parts of the project

 Change from bottom-up to top-down construction across the project, reducing the need for temporary steel propping

 Reuse of materials on-site or on other projects.

This does mean, however, that it is very unlikely the 15% reduction target will be achieved, which was largely caused by more concrete and steel being used during construction than was anticipated during design.

Waste avoidance & resource recovery

Half of New Zealand's total waste to landfill is made up of construction and demolition waste. From the outset CRL set an aspirational goal of zero waste to landfill to help shift the dial on best practice within the sector.

As at 31 December 2023, the total cumulative construction and demolition waste diversion rate through December 2023 was 96%, while the total cumulative clean fill diversion rate was 100%: no clean fill (spoil) has been sent to landfill. The total office waste diversion rate was 58%, which is below the target of 60%.

Sustainability on C9

In the first half of 2023 the ballasted track in Platform 1 and 5 at Waitematā Station (Britomart) was replaced with slab track and the Rigid Overhead Conductor Beam (ROCB) reconfigured to match the new alignment. In the second half of the year the turnout between Platform 4 and 5 was removed to transition the track and overhead electrics into the final configuration required for the opening of the CRL. Cable trays from the tunnel portal to the platforms were also installed to align with the new signalling design.

Carbon Savings

Resource efficiency and reduction of carbon emissions were key targets for the delivery of the 2023 works. Martinus were able to run the works solely on the station’s mains power and ventilation system to eliminate the need for generators and additional powered equipment. Electric plant was used for material distributions and track building behind the hoardings during station opening hours.

The team utilised both fixed and mobile scaffold for Cable Service Route (CSR) works to reduce plant use in areas where the install locations could be safely reached without hi-rail plant or when unavoidable maximised the use of hybrid Elevated Work Platforms (EWPs).

A Martinus Zephir with low loader trailer or wagon consist, and hi-rail excavators with double trailers were used for transferring plant and materials between Quay Park and the tunnel worksite.

This improved logistics efficiency, substantially reducing the number of plant movements required to transport along the public highways.

Martinus collaborated with other contractors completing CSR works for the C7 project, by removing their excess materials from the station rooms and using them for the C9 tunnel, rather than both teams having to mobilise/demobilise materials.

Material Reuse

Maximising material reuse has been essential in the successful delivery of this year’s scope.

For all temporary works, the team were able to re-use Under Pad Sleeper and timber sleepers removed from previous stages of the project that had been stockpiled at Quay Park. The team were also able to stockpile the ballast removed from Platform 5 for the slab track tie-in and reuse this for the Platform 4 plain track extension. Any additional ballast was then removed upon completion.

All special track sets were carefully measured and cut locations planned to allow for all rail components to be returned in a suitable condition for reuse by KiwiRail on other projects. The surplus rail, sleepers, overhead line equipment (OLE) and walkway materials were returned to KiwiRail for use on other projects. This totalled more than 40t of rail steel, 100t of sleepers and 2t of walkway. Any small off-cuts of OLE not able to be returned for refuse were kept and utilised for training with the team as part of ongoing quality improvements. Off cuts of rail and other small steel were taken for scrap metal recycling.

Minimising Waste

All construction waste is sorted and segregated to maximise recovery and reuse, with the majority of construction waste diverted from landfill, unless restricted due to composition.

Opportunities to sustainably dispose of ballast from the site were explored. Unfortunately the high hydrocarbon and zinc levels identified within the ballast prevented it from being reused elsewhere on the network or alternative jobsites.

Waste concrete and clean fill was stripped for steel (scrap metal) plastics (recycled where possible) and then crushed and repurposed.

Timber pallets were reused or returned to be ground up, recycled and sent to Zealandia to burn to heat glass houses.

Careful planning and management of concrete pours kept concrete waste to a minimum, with waste mainly from cleaning the hopper and line. This was discharged directly into skips and taken back to the Firth distribution plant for recycling and any truck returned batch made into concrete blocks at the precast yard.

Case Study

Basalt Terrazzo

For hundreds of years terrazzo has been made using stone offcuts. Adding stone offcuts to cementitious bases creates a strong and

durable product. When Giacon Terrazzo Limited Director Andrew Giacon discovered a large amount of basalt was being excavated from beneath Maungawhau, he immediately saw an opportunity to reuse this in the products going back into the CRL stations.

Giacon Terrazzo Limited partnered with Link Alliance to manufacture products for the stations. Working with Link Alliance at the Giacon factory in Henderson Auckland, a proposal was devised to recycle the excavated basalt and return it to Maungawhau Station from where it was sourced.

Link Alliance supported the idea as it was in keeping with its kaupapa of sustainability. Link Alliance supplied the basalt to Giacon Terrazzo, who then arranged to have the rocks crushed and added to mixes for the station copings, tiles, tactiles and trims.

Returning the basalt to the site it came from honoured the environment of Maungawhau as well as being a sustainable re-use of excavated material.

Link Alliance provided 388.5 tonnes of excavated basalt to use as pavers, stairs, tactiles and copings for Maungawhau Station and in the tactiles, copings and trims for Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape Stations.

To further acknowledge the volcanic nature of the land in Tāmaki Makaurau and especially in Mt Eden, Giacon Terrazzo are using red recycled glass in the pavers for Maungawhau Station.

Giacon Terrazzo also sourced a New Zealand white marble excavated from a quarry in the South Island for Te Waihorotiu Station.

Link Alliance preferred these products originating in New Zealand over anything imported, due to the environmental benefits gained from sourcing and manufacturing product locally.

Case Study

Comparison of Four Tunnel Types

In last year’s report we shared how CRL’s bored tunnels were 71% less carbon intensive per kilometre than those mined. In this report we look in more depth at the four different methods used to create the 3.45km twin tunnels: Boring, Mining, Top-Down Cut and Cover (C&C) and Bottom-Up Cut and Cover (C&C).

The high-quality data used during design and construction allows the resulting carbon footprint of each tunnelling method to be calculated, resulting in direct comparisons that can be useful to future decision-makers.

As shown in the graphs below there are significant differences in the overall carbon footprint of the different tunnels. The bottom-up cutand-cover tunnel had the highest footprint, followed by the topdown tunnel, which was 9% lower, the mined tunnel, which was 66% lower and finally the bored tunnel, which was 80% lower.

A key reason for these differences is that much of the total tunnelling footprint came from the embodied carbon from the materials used.

The shape of the bored tunnel meant lower levels of steel reinforcement were needed and the plant required (e.g., the TBM, conveyor, the tower crane and some of the multi-service vehicles used) was mostly powered by New Zealand’s largely renewably generated electricity grid. In contrast the mined and C&C tunnels had larger carbon footprints due to the comparatively higher levels of reinforcement and concrete required. Top-down C&C had the highest onsite energy emissions because of the smaller, less efficient excavators required in the confined space. The amount of temporary works required also had a huge impact. Materials and energy used for these made up 34% of the total footprint on average overall. Temporary works emissions made up:

 70% of the mined tunnel (mainly consisting of the shotcrete lining)

 45% of the bottom-up cut-and-cover footprint (being mostly piles) and

 10% of the top-down cut-and-cover temporary works.

The bored tunnels also had significant temporary works including a support area, spoil shed, temporary segments, conveyor foundations, thrust frame, temporary bridges and the TBM itself, but because these are apportioned across the 3.2km of bored tunnel, it only amounted to just under 2 tCO2e per metre of tunnel, despite being 24% of its footprint.

Calculating Tunnel Carbon Emissions

The carbon footprint for each tunnel is broken down into:

 Materials’ embodied carbon

 Construction energy

 Operational energy

The ISC’s Materials Calculator was used to calculate the embodied carbon of the concrete and structural steel, with Pacific Steel’s Environmental Product Declaration used to calculate the reinforcing steel’s footprint more accurately. A wastage rate of 2% was assumed for insitu concrete, 3.5% for reinforcing steel and 30% for shotcrete.

Mined tunnels construction data showed actual shotcrete usage was 91% higher than the design quantity due to additional factors such as over-excavation and wastage due to long pumping runs, so was included in the calculations for that tunnel.

Calculating Tunnel Carbon Emissions

Most of the concrete used included 30% cement replacement with fly-ash to reduce the embodied carbon footprint, with the exception of the shotcrete that had 12.5% cement replacement and the tunnel segments, which used 100% Portland cement. Temporary and permanent works were both included – including the “shared” temporary works consisting of the temporary tunnel portal and bulk excavation behind the tunnel portal activities.

Social Outcomes

CRL Ltd created a Social Outcome Strategy in 2017 and this has formed the foundation for the Link Alliance to deliver Social Outcomes to a level that has now been recognised both nationally and internationally for its excellence. The strategy is aspirational, focused on connecting people to real opportunities through employment, training, social innovation and by engaging with students at school, in training and at tertiary institutes to support our future workforce.

In September 2023 Link Alliance Social Outcomes Legacy Manager Berenize Peita won the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, Enduring Impact Award for Individual Contribution to a Sustainable Future.

The CRL then went on to scoop the 2023 Supreme Award at the 2023 New Zealand Procurement Excellence Awards after winning both Social Impact and Environmental Awards.

With the judges emphasising that "CRL was a clear winner with how they built alliances, delivering on tangible environmental and social procurement. The benefits into the future cannot be overstated, as they will have an impact on infrastructure, industry, and provide employment opportunities for many years to come".

Having targets directly related to employment, training, future workforce development and social procurement has provided clear goals to aspire too.  With these targets now surpassed by the project, in reflection could more have been achieved.  The simple answer is yes, with this in mind Link Alliance and CRL Ltd is now compiling and sharing lessons learned with the hope that the information we are now compiling will better inform future projects.

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi

With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive

This whakatauki acknowledges that everybody has something to offer and by working together we can all flourish.

Profile

Berenize Peita

Berenize has been instrumental to the development, design and delivery of CRL’s social outcomes initiatives from the very early stages of the project.

Berenize first joined the project as a representative of her iwi Ngāti Te

Ata Waiohua on CRL’s Mana Whenua Forum. With a clear passion for helping people, Berenize then took on the CRL Social Development Advisor role where she wrote the CRL Social Outcomes Strategy.

Berenize was then seconded to the Link Alliance. First, she created the Link Alliance Social Outcomes Management Plan to outline how the Link Alliance would deliver on CRL’s aspirations. Then, she recruited a team to deliver “social outcomes that make a positive difference to the lives of others”.

Along the way Berenize has changed the way we work in infrastructure in Aotearoa. Through her leadership, with the support of our CRL mana whenua partners, te ao Māori has become a more valued part of how we do things. Māori culture has been woven into

the fabric of the Link Alliance, setting a precedent for the sector and a diverse, healthy and inclusive workforce.

Fortnightly team briefings start and end with karakia, events like Māori Language Week and Matariki, along with other cultural events, are celebrated and many people across the Link Alliance now know their pepeha.

ISC Chief Executive, Ainsley Simpson says Berenize’s efforts emphasise "the value in social outcomes and fostering a diverse, inclusive workforce."

Social Outcomes Initiatives

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini ke.

My strength is not mine alone but the strength of many.

Social outcomes initiatives are now bearing fruit. From the foundations established early in the project over $120 million has now been spent with Māori and Pasifika owned businesses, representing 7% of the total Link Alliance spend, leading to business development opportunities and growth for many.

With the majority of the Link Alliance procurement packages awarded, Link Alliance is now able to reflect on the social procurement journey, capturing the challenges, insights and successes and actively sharing these lessons learnt. Presenting at the Amotai Navigate Summit and the Thriving Infrastructure NZ event, among others, has provided a unique opportunity to share insights with other procurement professionals and organisations around New Zealand interested in supporting supplier diversity and a quadruple bottom line.

In 2023 another eleven rangatahi successfully completed the Progressive Employment Programme (PEP) the cornerstone programme designed to help Māori and Pasifika youth overcome the barriers to employment. The Link Alliance delivered two PEP with the support of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Pastoral Care partners Waipareira Trust, Brothers Unlimited, Ara Education and Jobs and Skills Hubs Central and Manukau.

The second programme boasted the most applicants ever received and took an additional placement with a bespoke position created for a young person who withdrew from an engineering degree as a result of the pressures of Covid. After successfully completing the programme, he will return to tertiary study in 2024.

The programme will draw to a close in 2024 with a final three PEP interns.

To support future workforce development for the sector a further 21 Engineering students completed summer internships helping kick start their careers. First Foundation engineering students were also able to visit the CRL work sites during the year and another 11 Summer interns joined the Link Alliance in November. This will be the final group to participate in an Alliance internship.

Students from schools took part in the Link Alliance Education Engagement Programme as well as visits being made to Kelston Boys and Kelston Girls schools.

Five young wāhine from Auckland high schools were paired with mentors onsite to experience and explore careers on the project as part of the Scaffolding Through Sisterhood work experience programme.

The Link Alliance also trialed ‘Te Ana Turoa’ a rangatahi programme targeted at Year 12 and 13 students from total immersion Māori schools. The Alliance was able to tap into the current workforce and pair two young men up with te reo Māori speakers working on the project. The second iteration of the programme will be held in 2024.

Social training experienced its best engagement yet with 100% of Link Alliance Māori, Pasifika and youth employees in training and over 52% with Career Development Plans. A big part of this success can be attributed to bringing in two Māori and Pasifika training organisations Zeducation and CALLED. Having facilitators that look and sound like you has made it easier to ‘let down barriers’ and fully participate.

Case Studies

PEP Graduates

CRL has a number of programmes that target Māori, Pasifika and youth. Māori and Pacific youth, young females and those aged between 20 and 24 are more likely to not be in employment or training than any other sub-group of young Aucklanders. These are groups disproportionately affected by the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PEP is a key part of CRL’s response, designed to bypass barriers that prevent rangatahi reaching the employment start line. Funding support for this programme has been provided by the MSD.

Heni Karena

– PEP Graduate, July 2023

Heni had her first experience with the Link Alliance and the CRL project in 2022 with the Sisters through Scaffolding Programme, designed to promote careers in the construction industry to wāhine Māori and Pasifika at secondary school. Heni was then referred by the MSD Skills & Work Hub to the PEP and in March started her journey as a PEP intern. Heni worked in the Health and Safety team and this led her to a full time role as the Health & Safety Coordinator at Karanga-a-Hape Station.

Alex Aleke – PEP Graduate, November 2023

Prior to joining the PEP Alex was working two part time jobs, a barista in the mornings and a waiter at a restaurant in Auckland City most evenings. Before COVID-19, Alex was studying Marine Engineering but paused his studies to help support his family. Alex was referred to the programme by a Link Alliance staff member to offer him experience in the construction industry and encourage him to reconsider his engineering pathway. Alex was purposely paired with

engineers and enjoyed his time with the team. After completing the PEP internship, he enrolled himself into an Engineering Degree and will resume his studies in Civil Engineering in February 2024.

Alex has lots of work ahead of him and through his involvement in the PEP he gained firsthand experience of his future career.

Northern Area Line Young Guns

The Maungawhau Station site has been the home of a Young Guns Programme pioneered by Maungawhau Station Supervisor, Morris Misilisi. Developed as a simple but effective way to create confident and capable rangatahi as part of the more than 400 strong team working around CRL’s Maungawhau station site on the North Auckland/Western Line works (NAL).

Morris designed the Young Guns Programme to help the youngest workers gain confidence, build their public speaking and communication skills and gain exposure to new and future work opportunities.

On “Young Guns Friday” six to eight rangatahi took it in turns to run the Friday prestart meeting.

“They speak in front of the others sharing what they’ve learned on site and what they have achieved.”

For many this is often the first time speaking in front of others. This helps build their confidence to talk in front of peers.

“It also helps them get to know what other people are doing, and gain some insight into opportunities, giving them a taste of what’s to come to help find their future pathway.” Morris notes the Young Guns programme and positive culture as two of his main successes.

“The participants demonstrated big gains in confidence speaking in front of up to 100 people”.

As preparation for the session Morris met with younger members of the team on Thursdays at afternoon break to check they were prepared and comfortable ahead of the session. The rangatahi were also involved in week one and week five planning meetings to better appreciate work coming up and support planning work.

This programme formed part of a four-prong approach alongside competency-based training, building a positive culture and pairing them with more experienced team members in informal mentor/buddy roles. The most competent were then given more opportunities to take on additional training, including working at heights.

CRL’s Social Outcomes Advisory Group was impressed with the initiative noting that sometimes quieter employees, and those less

likely to speak up for cultural reasons, can often miss training opportunities.

“We see the Young Guns as a great way of helping rangatahi gain confidence, and exposure to work opportunities that could be replicated on other sites” says Berenize Peita, Social Outcomes Legacy Manager. “Learning to be a confident communicator is so important for their future careers”.

Mana Whenua Outcomes

A partnership between CRL Ltd and mana whenua has been established through the CRL Mana Whenua Forum.

This partnership began in 2012. Over the years Mātauranga Māori from mana whenua has significantly benefited the project as a whole.

2023 was a busy year for CRL - many underground works have reached completion and there is now a shift to station fit out and installation of systems – including signalling, lighting, communications, and fire protection. It has been exciting for CRL Ltd’s Mana Whenua Forum to see the stations taking shape with iwi narratives proudly celebrated both internally and externally. Design

elements have come to life and reflect Tāmaki Makaurau’s cultural landscape and provide a legacy for our future transport network.

The CRL Mana Whenua Forum, made up of eight Auckland iwi, provides a structure to realise the partnership between iwi mana whenua and CRL Ltd.

The contribution of Mātauranga Māori and sharing of cultural values continues to deliver better sustainability, environmental, design, health, safety and wellbeing outcomes. Some of the highlights this year include a presentation on mana whenua engagement at the Infrastructure Sustainability Conference (Reconnect Conference), blessing of Porters Avenue Bridge, Maungawhau Matariki hikoi, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori videos on the pronunciation of station names, and the blessing on opening the Victoria and Albert Street intersection.

Profile

Thomas Rawiri

CRL Mana Whenua Forum representative Thomas Rawiri, Kaitiaki for Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, was appointed as the first mana whenua representative on the CRL Project Alliance Board (PAB) in 2023.

The CRL PAB governs the project Alliance, providing leadership and ensuring connectivity between the parties. The Board is made up of

senior representatives from each Alliance participant, stakeholders KiwiRail and Auckland Transport and from 2023, mana whenua.

Thomas is a native te reo speaker, with a love of te taiao. He is passionate about his governance role representing nga Mana Whenua ō Tāmaki Makaurau who are helping shape the future of the city. As part of the PAB Thomas is gaining invaluable experience in governance on a mega project and the unique role mana whenua play as part of this.

CRL and mana whenua see this role as another important step in building mana whenua capability and capacity for governance appointments on other projects.

Dr Sean Sweeney, CRL Chief Executive describes the appointment as “An opportunity to create a legacy. It acknowledges the strong partnership we’ve developed with mana whenua and reflects an approach that is already being adopted across the infrastructure sector in Aotearoa.”

CASE STUDY

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Māori Language Week was celebrated by the Link Alliance and CRL whānau with a series of events and activities:

A successful competition ran throughout the week highlighting

Te Whare Tapa Whā - a holistic model of health and wellbeing

created by Sir Mason Durie

Videos were produced to promote the correct pronunciation and stories of the names of each CRL station, featuring Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki

Mana Whenua representative Thomas Rawiri and Social Employment

Lead, Cultural Advisor Miriama Wilson

Te Reo Māori 101 sessions with CRL offered an opportunity for staff to work on their pronunciation of Māori words including the station names

Fry bread making

Daily Link Alliance email drops featuring a new word, a blessing and a Māori song to bring more te reo into team members’ days.

Profile

Artist: Tessa Harris

Designing the CRL to be uniquely Tāmaki Makaurau required mana whenua artists – and the three who worked on the project made significant contributions to the look and feel of each of the new stations and other amenities.

Artists were initially nominated by mana whenua iwi, then put forward to the Mana Whenua Forum for endorsement. As part of the selection process, the artists submitted a portfolio for consideration.

Nominated by Te Ākitai and endorsed by the Mana Whenua Forum, Tessa Harris (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) has undertaken work embedding the narratives of Tāmaki Makaurau right across the project – at Te Komititanga, Porters Avenue bridge and the Maungawhau Station building.

At Te Komititanga, Tessa worked with other mana whenua weavers to design a whāriki welcome mat.

“It was definitely a collaborative project with the weavers from Tāmaki. We went away and had wananga, discussed the patterns, and I was the one who translated that back to the architects”

The whāriki was designed to appear woven, even referencing the hiki by having the pattern sectioned by lighter coloured pavers.

At the Maungawhau Station entrance and Porters Avenue Bridge, Tessa brought narratives of Mataaoho the volcanic atua, and the volcanic past of Tāmaki Makaurau into the design with repeating basalt and red glass triangles. Water flowing over the artwork references Parawhenuamea, the atua of freshwater, it reflects the water as it flows between the crevices in the basalt below Maungawhau.

Case Study

Pourewa Nursery

As part of CRL’s commitment to positive sustainability outcomes, when the project is fully complete, almost double the number of trees that were removed will have been planted, along with 4000 additional native plants.

Pourewa Nursery – a Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei-led social enterprise – is growing the plants that will make up the CRL urban ngahere. While the trees are being sourced from Blackbridge Nurseries, Pourewa Nursery has been growing the understorey – including kawakawa, ota, pukupuku and huruhuru whenua.

Planting a wide variety of native species reflect what plants and trees traditionally existed in each area. They will be suited to local conditions and are more likely to thrive. Most species are ecosourced, which means they have been propagated from the local wild population from within Tāmaki Makaurau.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Pourewa Nursery will gift ota from Maungawhau mountain and plant it in its new home on Fenton Street.

All the plants will create habitat for wildlife and help provide ecological corridors within Tāmaki Makaurau.

Governance and reporting

The project's sponsors, the Crown and Auckland Council, expect CRL to be designed, constructed and operated to achieve sustainability excellence, as set out in CRL Ltd's Statement of Intent, and is reported to Sponsors annually against the Statement of Performance Expectations.

CRL is being designed, procured and constructed to generate the greatest long-term environmental, social and economic value from the considerable resources needed to deliver the project. This will result in:

An asset that has a carbon footprint optimised over its 100-year design-life

A construction process that minimises the amount of waste sent to landfill

Training and employment opportunities for those experiencing barriers, disadvantage or discrimination in the labour market

Supply chain opportunities for Māori and Pasifika small and medium size enterprises and socially innovative businesses.

C3 Governance

Link Alliance commitments

Many of CRL Ltd’s performance expectations are being delivered by Link Alliance on C3. Embedded within the strategies and objectives are the following commitments:

To minimise waste and limit visual impacts, air quality, water quality and noise impacts

To integrate sustainability in design, construction, operation and maintenance

To maximise opportunities to support local businesses and suppliers

To recognise the broader dimensions of the environment, including social, cultural, economic and natural

To maximise opportunities for training and skills development for the widest possible group of people

To protect and promote our cultural and historic heritage for future generations.

Infrastructure sustainability

ISC's IS framework is a comprehensive rating and certification tool for evaluating sustainability across project design, construction and operation.

CRL adopted the IS rating framework to evaluate and drive sustainability performance. We adapted the framework in collaboration with mana whenua to ensure it is appropriate within the context of Tāmaki Makaurau.

CRL continues to meet criteria across the framework's six themes:

 Management and governance

 Using resources

 Emissions, pollution and waste

 Ecology

 People and place

 Innovation.