Murihiku Marae

Client: Henderson Construction Ltd/ Wāihopa Rūnaka
Contract type: Earthworks, Site Works, Landscaping, Asphalt and kerbing  
Capability: Earthworks, sustainability, conservation awareness, traffic control, customer engagement 

An opportunity presented itself to be a part of the $15 million zero-waste and self-sustainable renovation of one of Invercargill’s most treasured community hubs, and there was no chance of us passing it up. The new and improved 1442m2 Murihiku Marae was designed to better meet the needs of the rūnaka, as well as act as a space for the whole community to share and be a part of. 

With the redevelopment of the building itself well underway, SouthRoads was called upon to subcontract to Henderson Construction Ltd to put our expertise into action as the company responsible for aspects of the civil works on site. From laying the building pad foundations right through to the landscaping and site works package, no stone was left unturned when it came to making the surrounding area of the marae as functional as possible. 

Based right in the heart of Invercargill, our SouthRoads construction, civil engineering, and site works teams were tasked with preparing this plot of land for the building stage of the project to commence. From installing a 110m retaining wall to introducing a new roading network and a 110m2 car park with concrete footpaths, putting topsoil and grass seeding over 7000m2 into the front lawn area, as well as some design and build work around the iconic whale tail marae structure – our team worked around the clock to start building this project from the ground up. 

From the work previously completed, we picked up the additional following design and build works, which we designed ourselves: 

- 200m2 Car Park, including excavation, preparation, asphalt, concrete footpaths, and line marking 
- Rehabilitate the existing roading network 100m2 with asphalt 
- New 60m2 asphalt footpath to the meeting house, the same scope as the car park 
- Design and build a flush concrete nib kerb whale tail in front of the Marae to the client's brief - The tail symbolizes the strength of the whale so our footpath leads to the tail, which you enter through to get into the marae; the gravel behind the tail symbolizes the wash of the tail 
 

Our crews worked around the clock to bring the Wāihopa Rūnaka vision to life, and it was a special experience for all involved, having the chance to learn about tikanga Māori (practices around Māori culture) and immerse themselves in te ao Māori (the Māori world). 

Completed in June 2023, the Marae and community hub have already been and will continue to be used for a variety of purposes and are an undeniable asset to Murihiku and its people.