Tauranga City Council - Stormwater Planning and Modelling Professional Services Panel

Challenge

To assist Tauranga City Council in effectively and efficiently delivering stormwater modelling programmes.

Solution

Awa put together a strong technical team to provide advice, streamline the delivery process, prioritise delivery for Tauranga Council work requests.

Impact

The Council has one of the most mature suites of stormwater models in the country, and access to talent to use them for a range of future planning purposes.

Project Summary

Awa was appointed as Tauranga City Council’s Specialist Modelling Assistant in November 2018 until late 2023 under its Stormwater Planning and Modelling Professional Services Panel. Since Awa joined this panel, over 50 individual projects have been delivered, with high scores in quarterly key performance indicator reviews. Additionally, Awa provides an ad-hoc request service to the Council so smaller pieces of analyses and advice can be delivered quickly. 

Awa's role in the panel has been primarily a hydrological and hydraulic modelling appointment and has focused on these activities:

• Model builds and updates - there is ongoing development of high resolution 1D-2D coupled models to reflect changes in data, software and emerging best practice.
• Technical assistance - updating modelling guidelines and developing specialist methodologies and tools to improve the modelling service delivery and enhancing the quality, usability, currency and traceability of models.
• Data management - using Awa’s Model Manager platform to ensure a well-maintained database of base model and project model versions with corresponding metadata are available for end users.
• Specialist model peer-reviews - providing the Council with assurances that the modelling work undertaken by other panel members and third-party consultants is fit-for-purpose. 

Awa's specialist staff have been able to use their strong technical skills to provide sound model quality assurance advice to the Council. The team has taken a conscientious and collaborative approach to the peer-review process with continual feedback at scoping, model build and project study stages. Awa's experienced staff have also been able to share their expertise with members of the panel, facilitating a dynamic of knowledge sharing and constant upskilling. This approach has been essential in helping Awa and the other panel members support planning for the future to benefit safety, asset management and the environment. Key services delivered by the panel relate to flood hazard assessment, catchment planning, consenting and option assessments for flood risk management and engineering design.