Project Management

Coronet Peak Snowmaking Infrastructure and Reservoirs

Our work on the Coronet Peak Ski Area Snow Making Infrastructure and Reservoirs was recognised in 2010 when Hadley Consultants won the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards.

View an article on this project in the May/June 2011 IPENZ Engineering Insight magazine.

Hadleys were engaged at the inception of this project when NZSki identified they had a shortage of snowmaking capacity and hence snowmaking water. Snowmaking water modelling work included assessment and projection of total snowmaking water requirements (including review of past snow falls and local meteorological data), review of surface spring intakes and ground source extraction, analysis and design optimisation for achieving required water flows from a combination of surface intakes, ground extraction and static reservoir storage.

A combination of static storage and inflows from springs and ground bores was selected to meet the required snowmaking water demands. Our main involvement was to design and procure the significant static water storage required. This was done by the construction of three water storage reservoirs - Elephant Pit (20,000m³), Rocky Gully (48,000m³) and Sarah-Sue (92,000m³) - over two summer construction seasons.

Hadleys were completely responsible for these projects from inception to completion. This included:

• Identification of potential sites,
• Coordinating geotechnical site investigation - (test pitting, core drilling and material testing),
• Management of Geologist and Geotechnical Engineer,
• Preliminary design, detailed design and documentation of snowmaking reservoir facilities including embankment geometry liner anchor trenches, drainage, access, pipe work and ski trail design around reservoirs,
• Stage one preliminary earthworks and drainage settlement monitoring and design,
• Contract procurement and construction observation,
• Coordination and procurement of pipe network from reservoirs to pump stations and snowmaking machines,
• Preparation of as-built and operations manuals for the completed reservoirs, and
• Managing post construction ground settlement and level monitoring of completed and commissioned reservoirs.

The project was completed with sufficient time to fill reservoirs and operate for the 2008 and 2009 snowmaking seasons and was completed under budget.

The finished project represents the largest snowmaking facility in the Southern Hemisphere and provides significant recreational amenity to hundreds of thousands of snow sports users every winter season.  The investment by NZSki provides greater certainty to opening dates, extends the length of the operating ski season and provides stability to New Zealand’s winter tourism market.

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