Unveiling the Far North’s Liquefaction Vulnerability Map
We are delighted to announce a significant milestone in enhancing earthquake resilience in the Far North District. Vision Consulting Engineers, in collaboration with the Far North District Council, has unveiled the comprehensive Liquefaction Vulnerability Map for our region. This invaluable resource provides property owners, planners, and engineers with vital insights into areas that may be susceptible to liquefaction during seismic events. The map classifies these areas into three categories: “Unlikely,” “Undetermined,” and “Possible.” While we are proud to report that the majority of our district falls into the “Unlikely” category, we are dedicated to keeping our community well-informed about earthquake risks and preparedness. This initiative aligns with our commitment to ensuring the safety and prosperity of the Far North community.
You can read more about liquefaction and watch a neat video demonstrating the phenomenon here.
3D scanning of the Stone Store
Multiple views of the Stone Store 3D point cloud.
Last month we approached Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to set a challenge to scan the famous Stone Store in Kerikeri. The objective was to provide a precise digital twin of the building as a record of how it stands today. Heritage New Zealand agreed to the the challenge providing access to the building by our engineers, Callum Smith and Ben Perry. In their own time over a weekend the two scanned the inside and outside of the Stone Store. Some fourty-six scans were taken with a Trimble x7 scanner supplied by AllTerra and later processed with Trimble Realworks.
The results are amazing, with a cloud-to-cloud registration error of about two millimetres! Check out a video of the point cloud on our facebook page here. Thanks also to Heritage New Zealand for writing an awesome article about the project.
VISION supports Waitangi Mountain Bike Park
Waitangi Mountain Bike Park
Vision has recently been assisting Focus Paihia develop the carpark and welcome area for the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park. Our involvement has been in the areas of geotechnical ground investigations, foundation design, and development of their unique welcoming structures. We are looking forward to taking our families and friends to enjoy both the kids and adults bike trails. We are excited to be part of this community project and just need to figure out how to incorporate a bit of engineering education into the project, maybe the physics of jumps!
VISION has been busy undertaking Acid Sulphate Soils investigations
Vision was named in the Affidavit by Mr Andrew Carvell of Whangarei District Council, see pdf files on the WDC Acid-Sulphate-Soil page. The purpose of mentioning our work appears to be to demonstrate that Acid Sulphate Soils are not localized to one particular area in Northland. Read our page on Acid Sulphate Soils to learn more about what they are and how they are formed.
VISION Proud to Sponsor Hokianga – “REEL FISHING COMP”
Vision is proud to sponsor the Hokianga Big Game & Sport Fishing Club Inc. – “REEL FISHING COMP”, which kicks off in the Hokianga this February (20- 27th).
This event is part of the clubs annual fundraiser and is run in conjunction with the NZSFC Nationals. We would like to wish all participants good luck and are looking forward to seeing all the fish you catch. For more information or to check out their huge prize pool, visit their Facebook page by clicking image to the right!
Have your say – What is a Suitably Qualified and Experienced Professional!
Have your say! If you are interested in assisting with the definition of what a Suitably Qualified and Experienced Professional is for assessing contaminants in soil to protect human health, please fill in the survey at the link below!
Far North District Council, Kerikeri – Soil Disturbance, Contaminated Land Assessments
To assist our clients, Vision Consulting Engineers are working with the Far North District Council to provide practical methodologies and investigation techniques to save clients unnecessary costs. We have successfully worked with the Council to better define the permitted earthworks activity rule under the National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health. As written, the rule was interpreted differently by various practitioners and council. The rule states that if a site is on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List and the soil is to be disturbed then “the volume of disturbance of the soil of the piece of land must be no more than 25 cubic metres per 500 square metres.” Originally this was interpreted as a volume calculated as the land disturbance area times the ratio of 25m3/500m2. This meant that landowners were not permitted to disturb 1 square metre of land to a depth greater than 50mm!
Through our discussions with Council we have agreed to a revise the interpretation, as follows:
- Owners are permitted to disturb up to 25 cubic metres for am area of up to 500 square metres.
- Once over 500 square metres of disturbance, the permitted volume is calculated on a ratio basis of 25m3/500m2.
- This is an outstanding example of council and practitioners working together to achieve an acceptable outcome for the benefit of ratepayers.
WasteMINZ – National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health
Our firm attended and actively participated in the recent WasteMINZ conference on contaminated land. The conference had many expert speakers who discussed the practical implementation of the NES legislation and the challenges local councils are facing with enforcement. It was a great opportunity for us to discuss our experiences with other professionals. Particular interest was the discussion of on-site wastewater systems being included in the Hazardous Activities and Industries List and what defines a Suitably Qualified and Experienced Professional.
Springs Flat Sportsfield – Awarded
We recently completed a soil contamination report for the Whangarei District Council to re-develop a market garden into a multi-sports field complex.
Soil Contamination Reports – HAIL Assessments
To assist our clients, Vision Consulting Engineers are working with local councils and the Ministry for the Environment to provide practical methodologies and investigation techniques to save reporting costs. We are actively participating in a council lead working group to standardise the process and clarify the practical application of the legislation.
Tasman Heights, Ahipara – Stormwater Management
Vision Consulting Engineers have provided a Stormwater assessment report to the Far North District Council (FNDC) providing catchment-specific design recommendations using triple-bottom-line assessment criteria. We are proud to have introduced the council to this method of assessment, which bases the preferred design on engineering criteria over economic, social, and ecological categories.