Project Description
The cave at Te Awa Kura - Barnett Park is an iconic Christchurch attraction and a cherished part of the city's heritage. The track and staircase had been closed since the 2010 earthquakes as it had been badly damaged. The existing damaged stairs were flown out by helicopter at the end of 2022 and were replaced with 4 new sets of stairs that were flown in during winter 2023.
Project Solution
HGM was involved in the early stages of this project to assist Christchurch City Council to design a solution to fit the project requirements and allow for a safe install while minimising the impact on the environment.
All materials, tools and equipment were flown into site with a helicopter. Landings where then constructed on site to provide the dimensions to enable the building of the four sets of stairs in HGM's workshop in a controlled, clean and safe environment. This also enabled the project to progress over the winter months to meet the project deadlines.
The completed staircases (each about five or six metres long with about 80 treads in total between them) were then flown in and bolted into place.
As always, consideration for safety was a big part of this project. A lot of extensive planning and preparation goes into every helicopter operation. We look at the operational objectives and the health and safety risks and streamline the process as much as possible.
The HGM team were very proud to be involved with this iconic project and all stakeholders were thrilled with the project outcome.
Check out some behind the scenes action in the video below