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Recent projects

Z Energy Ltd

I was delighted to help out the project team designing New Zealand's first industrial-scale biodiesel plant, which uses an animal fat byproduct, located in Wiri, south Auckland. I carried an environmental risk assessment which was needed to  support the resource consent applications for storage and use of hazardous substances.  These approvals were needed before the plant could operate. Under the Resource Management Act, many industries need resource consents to operate. Resource consents are required for industrial and waste activities that could harm human health or the environment if they are not controlled.

The risk assessment was carried out with representatives of the design team. Where potential things that could go wrong were identified, such as chemical spills,  checks were made with the design team that controls were included to avoid or mitigate these risks.   

Fonterra Cooperative Ltd

Fonterra’s Te Rapa manufacturing site north of Hamilton is Waikato's largest manufacturing site, producing more than 325,000 tonnes of milk powders and cream products for export every year. Located in the Waikato, it accounts for about 20 per cent of the Co-operative’s annual milk powder production. Over recent years more houses have been built across the river from the dairy plant, which has increased the sensitivity of the surrounding area to odour from the factory.   I designed an odour questionnaire for the local community  and inspected the wastewater treatment plant to understand the risk of odour becoming a nuisance. There were a number of benefits to surveying the residents.  I provided advice and recommendations for an odour diary programme and future odour control improvements.

Lion - the Pride brewery

When Lion Nathan designed their new brewery in East Tamaki, The Pride, they went all-out on ideas. I was enlisted to brainstorm as many sustainable additions as possible for the new building – no budgets, no limits, and the freedom to put anything at all on the table. 

The team behind The Pride wanted to ‘start green’, and make good decisions right from the beginning of the building process. From the pile of aspirational plans, costs and benefits were assessed and a few standout ideas selected:

• Rainwater harvesting system which collects rainwater from the roof for use in flushing toilets. 
• Low energy lighting combined with effective switching and control (sensors, presence detection, dimmers). 
• The use of non-ozone depleting refrigerants. 
• Reduction in energy use and greenhouse emissions by 10% compared to Khyber Pass. 
• Water use reduced to less than 3 litres per litre of beer produced. 
• Recycling of approximately 98% of the waste plastic, paper, cardboard and glass. 

Visually, the building looks stunning – and a large part of that’s down to the crushed glass used in the concrete, which delivers a striking, understated sparkle to the floors. Read more here. The stormwater system has earned the company an award for sustainable design, and the brewery’s recycling practices lead the industry.

It’s a fantastic example of what’s possible when sustainability is on the table right from the beginning.