More major construction projects close down ahead of Covid-19 lockdown

Wednesday, 25 March 2020

One of the units making a difference is the Māori focus unit Te Aō Marama.

More major construction projects have temporarily put down tools to help limit the spread of Covid-19 between workers.

Waikato's $750 million Waikeria Prison upgrade has sent its 200 to 300-strong workforce home after initially telling them it would carry on.

Andrew Robertson, Corrections' deputy chief executive of finance, property and technology, said it had initially been thought that Waikeria was exempt from the country's lockdown which starts tonight.

The new prison was due to be completed in early 2022.

'The Government has designated the Department of Corrections as an essential service agency in the public safety and national security sector and has stated that building and construction related to essential services and critical infrastructure should continue.

* Coronavirus: NZ Transport Agency says roading projects will stop around the country**

Work on Transmission Gully has been stopped. The project was meant to open at the end of the year.

'The ongoing development of the new facility at Waikeria was initially captured within that broad description.'

However, while the project was a strategically important project for the prison network from 2022, Corrections did not believe it was essential to continue it at this time.

'The safety and wellbeing of our staff, our contractors' staff and our communities is our highest priority.'

The Transmission Gully motorway north of Wellington was due to open in late 2020.

The new prison, due to open in 2022, will eventually house 600 inmates south of Te Awamutu.

Other major projects to shut down include Wellington's Transmission Gully and Fletcher Building's non-essential work. The country's biggest construction company has just cancelled its interim dividend because of the ongoing uncertainty.

Energy company Mercury has also suspended work on its its Turitea wind farm in the Manawatu and other projects.

The $464m wind farm's northern zone turbines were due to start generating electricity next summer, and the rest in 2021.

Residential developer CDL Investments has also halted work on its subdivisions. It has several underway, including in Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, Canterbury and Queenstown.