Cruise Berth

When Mass Construction Nz Limited concluded its work on Lyttelton Port’s new Cruise Berth in November 2022, it marked the opening of the first ever purpose-built cruise ship facility in New Zealand.

At 148 metres long and 10 metres wide, the berth can cater for cruise vessels up to 362 metres long. To put that in passenger figures, that could be as many as 6,000 passengers on one boat, plus 2,000 crew.

Our work
Construction of a new cruise ship berth designed to the latest codes for Lyttleton’s earthquake, wind and wave conditions.

Installation of 400 driven piles, marine dredging and disposal, 10,000 cubic-metres of concrete works, 2,800 square metres of reinforced concrete in-situ deck works, and over 2,000 rock bags for scour protection and armouring works.

Landside amenities include bus shelters and small building with bathroom for passengers.

Demolition and reinstatement of existing adjacent structures.

Proactively looking after the unique ecology of the area throughout construction through marine mammal observation, plus specialist training of our team in dealing with nesting birds and penguin boxes.

Our Environment
Marine life had to be carefully protected during construction, as fur seals, southern right whales, penguins, nesting birds and the highly protected Hector’s dolphin could be present at any time. We implemented studious controls in line with the project environmental management plan (including training three HEB staff as marine mammal observers), and actively worked with the client and environmental subcontractors to incorporate their expertise seamlessly into everyday work.