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The professional services firms have been tapped to support a NZ$2.1 billion program to regenerate New Zealand’s Defence estate.
The New Zealand Defence Force has entered into a four-year agreement with professional services companies EY and Beca, as part of its 15-year plan to regenerate the Defence estate.
The firms have been tasked with leveraging their advisory skills to deliver a sustainable estate that enables the delivery of Defence outputs.
Over the first 12 months of the partnership, the firms are expected to support the delivery of new and upgraded facilities across most camps and bases, particularly Hakea Air Base and Burnham Military Camp.
“This is a game changer for the way we partner with industry to deliver infrastructure in New Zealand,” head of estate and infrastructure Mark Brunton said following the announcement.
“The alliance will improve our resilience and self-sufficiency, and maximise technology and innovation. It will also reduce the risk created by the scale and pace of this regeneration.
“New Zealand has a world-class Defence Force. To support this we need a Defence estate that has the right infrastructure, in the right places, that is safe and supports the delivery of the important work that is delivered by our personnel every day of the year."
Brunton added: “This alliance is an innovative way to deliver estate infrastructure both effectively and efficiently, which will result in greater public value.”
EY partner Grant Hodges said the firm’s approach would be underpinned by a ‘whakataukī’ — a Maori proverb that underscores the importance of collaboration to achieve a shared outcome.
“[The proverb] speaks directly to not only what we will do, but why we will do it — combine our capabilities with NZDF to deliver a prosperous physical and human estate for those people who live in, train in, manage, maintain and otherwise connect with it,” Hodges said.
Thomas Hyde, Beca Group director, added, “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Defence Estate and Infrastructure team to deliver this important regeneration program for the NZDF.
“Investment on this scale will fundamentally change the way we can deliver large scale infrastructure transformation programs in New Zealand.”
[Related: Beca partners with Vard Marine to support NZDF Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel project]
