Recently I was issued with hobnail boots, a high vis jacket and a hard hat for a tour of the biggest project undertaken in New Zealand. Sean Nash, Project Manager and Dorita Munro the Community Relations Manager, took me up to the top dome area via the scaffolding to inspect this massive construction site.
Westfield, Newmarket is undergoing a total reconstruction. If you think a knee reconstruction is major, take a look at this project.
Project Manager Sean Nash
Sean Nash is the Project Manager for Scentre Group’s $790 million shopping mall. Sean commutes to Auckland every week from Brisbane. David Jones and Farmers along with a range of national and international brands will be part of the new-look shopping mall. Event Movie Theatres, Bars and Restaurants with beautiful views are all planned for the site. You can see the Sky Tower across the Auckland skyline and the beautiful gardens of Highwic House. The food hall will be unlike anything we have seen in New Zealand. Design-wise they are sourcing beautiful tiling from Europe, so I feel we have some exciting design features to look forward to as well.
Above – The Dome from the old 277 will remain
Most apartment blocks around Auckland take two years to build; this entire shopping centre will also take two years to build, which is unbelievably quick. Currently there are 250 workers on site and the number will increase to over 2000. There are two huge cranes on site and two more will arrive in the next few months. 81 thousand cubic metres of dirt will have been removed from the site in total. That is a small mountain! Or equivalent to 33 Olympic swimming pools!
I asked Sean how he slept? “Well, it is a huge responsibility,” he replied, adding that he does sleep from time to time!
Sean is a Brisbane lad, educated at Kawana Waters State High School and at the age of 40, he has climbed the corporate ladder literally and figuratively.
I hope to revisit the site in six months and bring you an update then.
Above – how to move a digger around a construction site!
Dorita and Sean on site July 2018
Comments welcome….
KIWIGRAN - my escapades, my images, my thoughts :) 
Thatâs great Lynn â thankyou for telling us what is going on in our neighbourhood.
Ann