Leighton Contractors wins Auckland motorway contract

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Leighton Contractors wins Auckland motorway contract

NZ Transport Agency has appointed Cimic subsidiary Leighton Contractors to design and construct the Southern Corridor Improvements (SCI) project in Auckland.

The project will generate revenue of approximately NZ$192m (£81m) for Leighton Contractors over the next three years.

The SCI project will upgrade the Takanini Interchange and provide additional lanes on the Southern Motorway between the New Zealand capital’s growth areas of Manukau and Papakura.

Cimic Group executive chairman and chief executive officer Marcelino Fernández Verdes said: “The SCI project targets a critical link in New Zealand’s transport network to serve a growing population and support economic growth.”

Leighton Contractors managing director Román Garrido added: “Delivering new and upgraded transport infrastructure under live traffic conditions is a core capability for Leighton Contractors, the Cimic Group’s construction company. Our team is focused on providing the Transport Agency with innovative design solutions and construction methodologies that deliver value for money, mitigate construction impacts and enhance network operations.”

Key features of the project include constructing approximately 11km of additional lanes, the upgrade of 16 existing bridges and the construction of six new bridges.

The project is scheduled to begin in October 2015 and will be constructed and opened in stages to release early benefits ahead of final project completion in 2018.

Source and Link: The Construction Index

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.