Timaru Richard Pearse Airport has won a major award at the 2022 New Zealand Airport Awards.

Timaru District Council and Downer New Zealand jointly won the Small Airport Infrastructure Awards for the Partial Runway Reseal project, which was completed in March last year.

Project manager, Matthew Sisson accepted the award on behalf of Timaru District Council with Andrew Dyson from project contractors Downer New Zealand.

He said that despite significant challenges from the weather, the project was still delivered on budget, and reused materials were even used to extend a cycle trail instead of sending the waste to a landfill.

“We thought outside the box and used the runway millings for the new taxiways for the smaller aircraft, and were able to donate enough asphalt millings to extend the Washdyke to Pleasant point cycle trail by another 3.2 km,” Sisson said.

New Zealand Airports Association Chief Executive, Kevin Ward said he was impressed by the team’s determination to keep the airport runway operational throughout the project.

“Excellent levels of planning and collaboration were evident between the airport and contractor Downer – including minute-by-minute plans for the runway works.

“The innovations and variations which enabled the reuse of the runway millings to add additional taxiways and apron areas, not to mention contributing to a local cycle trail, added significant value,” Ward said.