Hamurana Springs Recreation Reserve sits on the northern shore of Lake Rotorua. The walking track crosses the spring fed stream on a series of timber and steel footbridges, with 2 viewing platforms, a vehicle bridge and a carpark bridge. The structures were built under a regional council resource consent. A condition of that consent requires them and the erosion protection works to be kept maintained. The Department of Conservation needed a suitably qualified and experienced person to confirm the structures are fit for purpose and to set out any remedial work.
DOC approached BlueWave in September 2026. I hold the head contract, carry out the site inspection and manage the job. I engaged a Chartered Professional Engineer in structural engineering as subconsultant to do the structural assessment and report. That is the model I use for work that needs a specialist input: 1 appointment, 1 point of contact, the right person doing the technical part.
What I did on this project
- Scoped the job in stages with DOC, so the site inspection could go ahead quickly and the structural report and any remedial work were priced once the scope was known
- Reviewed the resource consent conditions and the original 2007 design drawings against what is on the ground, then settled with the regional council which structures the consent covers
- Engaged the structural engineer as subconsultant, checked the registration and insurance and set up the shared job folder
- Prepared the site inspection safety plan and walked all 8 structures on 24 September 2026 with the client and the structural engineer
- Recorded and photographed each structure, mapped them against the consent plans and set out the observations for the structural engineer to assess
Project details
| Client | Department of Conservation, Rotorua |
| Regulator | Bay of Plenty Regional Council, resource consent compliance |
| Structures | 6 bridges and 2 viewing platforms |
| Engagement | Direct to DOC, BlueWave as head consultant with a CPEng structural subconsultant |
Engagement
Roles listed are held personally. On some contracts I was engaged as a subconsultant to the lead consultant. On this one BlueWave holds the appointment and the specialist works under it. References available on request.