Foreword

City Rail Link Limited's 2020-2021 Annual Report reflects a year of exciting change.

City Rail Link (CRL) has finished the year with a dramatically changed project landscape in 12 breath-taking months - a project at peak production forging ahead; one successfully managing the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic; one that can demonstrate significant contributions during the year to a more vibrant and sustainable Auckland.

Hard work by many is responsible for rapid progress and construction sites are unrecognisable from a year ago.

Hitting peak production saw the project’s workforce increase from an early estimate of 1,600 to around 2,500. At Mt Eden, some 25 pieces of big and busy machinery, not counting CRL’s Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), Dame Whina Cooper, were in action – a ‘heavy metal’ reminder of pace and progress.

Anticipation marked the start of CRL Ltd’s financial year with the arrival from China of the TBM, built specifically for Auckland’s soil conditions. Its reassembly, the generous support from Dame Whina Cooper's whānau at the machine’s public unveiling, the recommissioning and official launch, and the start of tunnel excavation marked a pivotal and symbolic shift away from years of enabling works to a new focus on construction - building the tunnels, stations and installing the rail systems.

The start of tunnel excavation underlined a year for a project that is up and running and starting to take shape, above and below ground.

Work continued at pace across CRL’s biggest construction sites:

• Tunnel excavation, building a new station and extensive work to connect CRL to the Western Line are well advanced at Mt Eden

• At Karangahape, what will become

New Zealand’s deepest railway station, work started on platform excavation 32 metres below city streets

• The Aotea site began underground station work while continuing to manage challenges around relocating utilities, keeping traffic moving and central Auckland open, and the impact on neighbouring businesses.

Importantly, CRL Ltd and Link Alliance signed two contract variations, C5 and C7, that covered redevelopment work around Mt Eden Station, and the installation of rail systems. Contract costs of $825 million are included in the overall $4.4 billion cost of the project.

CRL Ltd is indebted to the commitment shown by the Link Alliance during a challenging year. The agility demonstrated by the Link Alliance to adapt to new Covid-related working conditions was a significant contributor to the year’s advances.

Despite outstanding progress, the Covid-19 shadow remains a long one.

Through the Construction Accord, the project raised wider infrastructure industry concerns to Government and its officials about difficulties providing access for skilled international workers. Some progress was made, but there is still some way to go. The time it takes to cross the border remains an urgent challenge.

While nearly all the overseas expertise required for the construction programme such as the TBM operation was able to enter New Zealand this year, a new tranche of international workers will be required for the complex phase of fitting out the stations and tunnels.

The project will have a more definitive view on the pandemic’s impact, including the most recent August 2021 lockdown, on the construction timetable and costs when tunnel excavations are finished, and station construction is substantially completed.

As construction shifted up a gear, people had a glimpse elsewhere of the benefits a completed CRL will deliver.

The historic Chief Post Office (CPO) resumed its role as the ‘front door’ to the Britomart Station after four years of CRL-related closure, innovative construction and meticulous restoration. The project was joint winner of the prestigious Arthur Meade Engineering NZ award which recognised the skills used successfully to build rail tunnels below the Category 1 heritage-listed building. CRL Ltd adds its congratulations to the team for pushing the boundaries of existing construction techniques to achieve an outstanding outcome.

A striking new traffic-free square known as Te Komititanga, which features traditional Māori design, was opened in front of the CPO as part of the project.

Our C2 contract in lower Albert Street ended positively with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia awarding an 'Excellent' 'as-built' rating, reflecting the quality of construction. Our contractors, Connectus, left this part of central Auckland a more attractive destination.

On the wider rail network, work was completed to future-ready the Ōtāhuhu Station in south Auckland

Te Komititanga was one illustration of the beneficial partnership CRL Ltd has with Auckland iwi. The square’s name, which means to mix or to merge, was gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the project’s Mana Whenua Forum. The forum continued its essential contributions through traditional blessings at project sites, and by ensuring the values of Tāmaki Makaurau are reflected in designs that will give CRL a unique cultural identity.

The project does not take the continuing goodwill of Aucklanders for granted. The city’s support is highly valued, particularly for a project of this size and scale that has not been undertaken before in the centre of a New Zealand city. The continued commitment to being the best neighbour possible saw the introduction of initiatives to offset the impact construction has on residents, businesses and road users. Those initiatives included CRL Ltd’s Business Hardship Programme providing rent assistance for C2 construction delays.

The project also acknowledges the support it received from all stakeholders including Community Liaison Groups and our Sponsors, the Crown and Auckland Council.

The project collaborated with Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to help keep people safe from the impact of construction on pedestrian and traffic access, and to promote city areas as places to visit, and to support businesses there.

CRL is a key part of Auckland Council’s “Auckland’s Future in Progress” campaign, and the project supported the campaign through its communications and branding.

Alongside spades in the ground and ribbon cuttings, there was much more that reflected CRL’s scope and scale. Achieving sustainability excellence to leave a positive social and cultural legacy is a core CRL value. CRL Ltd accepted the third intake of Māori and Pasifika rangatahi for its job-training Progressive Employment Programme. CRL Ltd is proud that 14 graduates from the programme are now working for the project. The project awarded 16 contracts to Māori and Pasifika businesses as part of a supply chain diversity initiative.

The opening of the Link Alliance’s Te Manawa training facility reflected the focus on safety as construction work accelerated around busy streets, live rail lines and constrained work sites. CRL Ltd became a foundation partner of MATES in Construction NZ, a charitable organisation supporting the wellbeing of workers.

A completed CRL will help transform Auckland’s future, but the project did not lose sight of the city’s past. A 19th-century bluestone seawall was uncovered in lower Queen Street. It will remain in place. The historic bluestone wall in Albert Street was deconstructed block by block to make room for CRL construction. The wall will be re-erected.

Alongside the CPO and Albert Street awards, there was welcome recognition elsewhere that reflected the quality of CRL work. Internationally, the Link Alliance won an influential Architecture, Engineering and Construction Excellence award for innovative use of computerbased technology. The Public Relations Institute of New Zealand acknowledged the nationwide initiative of our communications team to involve people in the search for a significant name for our TBM.

The project’s workforce provided the foundation for an exciting year of progress. CRL Ltd welcomed the support, commitment and flexibility from its own team, the Link Alliance and from other contractors, especially during the management of the pandemic. Together, they achieved much and have much to be proud of. Their contribution will not diminish as construction progresses at pace.

After the next 12 months, Aucklanders will have a more explicit illustration of how New Zealand’s largest infrastructure project will look, and how it will add to the city's growth and prosperity.

Dr Sean Sweeney

Chief Executive Officer

Sir Brian Roche KNZM

Board Chair