Traffic Design Group’s involvement in the transport matters associated with a Change in Designation assisted the Environmental Protection Authority’s Board of Inquiry in reaching its recent decision to confirm the designation sought by the Department of Corrections for its new Men’s Prison at Wiri, South Auckland. In parallel with the Board’s hearings process, Traffic Design Group was also selected as the Department’s transportation advisor for its Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme.

A significant effort was put into the structure around the designation. Rather than a defined proposal with dimensions, capacity and operating characteristics the Department was successful in having its “envelope” designation to allow for the ultimate procurement, delivery and operation of the new men’s prison through the PPP. This envelope approach posed a number of challenges for the transportation assessment of the prison carried out by TDG staff, in that what would have traditionally been key operational parameters such as staff:prisoner ratios, numbers of beds, specified shift timing – all had to be constructed so as to facilitate the desired innovation and individual operational methods that could be adopted by the future private consortium to deliver and operate the prison.

The PPP procurement system of public infrastructure delivery through a consortium of investors, contractors and facility operators is new to NZ – the Wiri site is the first in fact. The Wiri PPP process is rather unique in that the designation had not been confirmed when the private parties were invited to submit their Expressions of Interest with the Department. The selection of the preferred respondent will be the focus of significant effort by the Departments’ advisors (including TDG) through to March 2012 when the preferred respondent will be identified. The new facility is then expected to be operational by September 2015.