The adventure behind protecting Southland’s future
The construction of the new Stead Street pump station in Invercargill has been a major, two-year project, culminating in a state-of-the-art facility.
For Fulton Hogan’s project manager, Luke Hazlett, this was a dream job.
Luke and his wife Becky, a horse trainer, live on their lifestyle block in Christchurch with their horses, cats, and dogs.
His career with Fulton Hogan began nearly four years ago, after stints with other construction companies.
“Taking jobs around the country is about the adventure,” Luke says.
When the opportunity to manage the Environment Southland Stead Street pump station project arose, Luke was ready.
“The timing was perfect. The project I was working on was wrapping up, and this new challenge was floated as an option. I jumped at it.”
The project involved replacing the old pump station with a new, energy-efficient, and fish-friendly facility and riparian planting.
This upgrade was crucial for bolstering climate resilience in Waihōpai Invercargill, and meeting the aspirations of Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku to restore the health of the Kōreti New River Estuary.
Working in Murihiku Southland during the past two years offered Luke an opportunity to explore and extend his passion for hunting and fishing.
“I took the chance to get outdoors a lot, going hunting and fishing. Getting to explore the region was a personal highlight,” he says.
Luke notes that building team culture is really encouraged at Fulton Hogan, and it’s part of the job he really enjoys.
“I got the chance to take the team on a fishing charter around Rakiura Stewart Island as a team-building exercise.”
While many of the team were locals, some of the specialist tasks needed to be performed by experts.
“It was an extremely complex construction project. One of the highlights was lifting the pumps into position. It was a significant milestone, and everything went smoothly.”
The project saw the installation of 110 tonnes of steel and 550 cubic metres of concrete, with each pump weighing 25 tonnes.
Over the course of the project, 212 people worked on the site, contributing a total of 35,251 hours. The project wasn’t without its challenges.
“Ensuring the locals weren’t impacted too much while we laid pipe across the road and installed the viewing platform into the estuary was tricky,” Luke says.
“The community, particularly the Otatara residents, were very patient, often giving the team a wave as they went through the roadworks.”
Luke is now preparing for his next role in Timaru, where he will be replacing old piles and the timber deck of a wharf structure.
But despite having finished the pump station, spending more time in Murihiku Southland is still on the cards.
“I would come back in a heartbeat—there’s still so much to see and experience.”
