Sustainability Award

2009

• Trafalgar Park Upgrade Team, Nelson, New Zealand of Royce Greaves, Alastair Wiffen, Chris Porteners, Gavin Calder and Hans-Peter Froeling

Since December 2008, Opus has been the lead Project Manager for the Trafalgar Park Upgrade. The following innovative initiatives were adopted:

• Recycled Glass Sand: Use of 2800 tonnes of recycled glass sand manufactured (from recycled glass bottles) in the South Island in lieu of quarried sand transported from the North Island, as the drainage medium for the sports turf upgrade – this is a world first.  Not only was this sand option sustainable (and essentially infinite in supply!) it was cheaper than quarried sand
• Low carbon footprint transport options
• Intelligent and sustainable park capacity analysis
• Intelligent sustainable building design
• Intelligent earthworks
• Re-use of recyclable demolition materials
• Intelligent use of onsite materials
• Cultural Sensitivity

Through intelligent marketing, innovative research, careful risk management (literature reviews, teleconferences with specialists, etc), internal and external networking, and ability to influence positive outcomes, Opus was able to sell these sustainable initiatives to Nelson City Council. In some cases, the Trafalgar Park Team also had to demonstrate that the long term social and environmental benefits outweighed the short term financial benefits.