About

Purpose

The New Zealand Tunnelling Society is a collaborative, technical society which promotes the development of tunnelling best practices in New Zealand.

Mission

The Society provides a forum for social interaction, participation and development for tunnelling practitioners and a shared understanding of the value of underground space for government, planners and the community.

Tikanga Māori

Tikanga Māori is part of the identity of Aotearoa and the New Zealand Tunnelling Society acknowledges this in the way that we work and in our role as a learned Society. 

This is expressed through the themes of Manawaroa, Tiaki, Hononga and Anamata.

Board

CHAIR/PRESIDENT


  • General Manager
    Oxcon

    Matt has more than 20 years experience, having been involved in senior leadership roles across a wide array of tunnelling projects in NZ and the UK. These ranging from pipejacking and microtunnelling to the NZD$36 billion Crossrail project.

    He holds a Site Senior Executive CoC and enjoys making a positive contribution to the H & S standards in underground construction having previously been a member of the Worksafe Board of Examiners and the NZ Temporary Works Forum committee.

    Matt is a strong advocate for the use of tunnels and underground space within New Zealand and promotes the industry both nationally and on the international stage.

SECRETARY


  • Principal Inspector for Mining & Quarries, Extractives team, WorkSafe New Zealand

    Before becoming a health and safety regulator, Priscilla worked as a geotechnical engineer and geologist in underground and surface mining operations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

    Priscilla is committed to engaging with the tunnelling industry and providing clarity on regulatory requirements for tunnels.

MEMBER


  • Partner
    Alta

    Rory has led numerous tender, design and delivery teams across a range of project types and scales in New Zealand, the Pacific, Australia and the UK. He has been involved in a range of complex civil engineering projects and has particular expertise in the construction of tunnels and underground spaces.

    Rory has addressed international conferences in New Zealand, Australia and Canada on tunnelling best practice and tunnelling projects. Rory is a passionate advocate for the construction sector and tunnelling and is committed to helping improve infrastructure that benefits society.

TREASURER


  • Major Projects Director
    Aurecon

    Tom has more than 30 years of proven experience in New Zealand and globally in directing major end-to-end infrastructure projects from initial feasibility through to construction and successful operation.

    He specialises in Tunnels and Underground Services and Civil and Structural Design. Tom has extensive experience in the planning and design of complex transportation projects, tunnel design leader for both mined and bored tunnels with specialist skills in segmental lining design of Mega-TBM projects. His leadership has been showcased on the two largest transport infrastructure projects to date in New Zealand. 

    Tom has led underground projects over the last 18 years in New Zealand and has delivered over 25km of tunnels in that time and is committed to the ongoing promotion of underground works.

MEMBER


  • Tunnelling and Trenchless Consultant
    HarkerWize

    Mike Harker is the founder of HarkerWize, a specialist consultancy launched in 2025 to advance tunnelling and trenchless infrastructure solutions. With over 35 years’ experience, he has played a pivotal role in the planning, design, and delivery of complex projects across diverse environments, driving technical innovation and excellence in underground construction.

    A two-time CCNZ award winner for tunnelling projects recognising their innovation and quality, Mike brings deep technical knowledge and a commitment to practical, value-driven outcomes.

    As an NZTS Board Member, he champions tunnelling as a sustainable, low-impact alternative for infrastructure delivery, focusing on clarity in planning, risk reduction, and achieving cost-effective, safe, and environmentally responsible results for clients and communities.

MEMBER

  • Senior Associate Tunnel Engineer, Delve Underground

    Katerina has gained experience on various international hydro and infrastructure projects across the world, including the United Kingdom, Iceland, Hungary, Hong Kong, and Canada, and spent the last decade working on tunnelling projects in New Zealand.

    She has been the design lead for numerous tunnels across New Zealand, leading teams to produce detailed designs for sprayed concrete linings, precast and cast-in-situ concrete. Katerina also enjoys keeping her feet firmly in the mud for construction supervision of tunnel excavation on some of the high-profile tunnel projects built in New Zealand in recent years.

MEMBER


  • Director
    Novoconsult

    Bill has been the Director of New Zealand-based tunnelling and advisory consultancy since 2019. Novoconsult focuses on risk engineering, risk management, claims resolution, and design and construction, particularly for tunnel rehabilitation.

    Arriving in NZ in 2005 Bill has had leading roles in the Waterview Connection and the City Rail link, during the planning, procurement and construction stages, the Kaikoura earthquake response, the Northland Railway Upgrade, and the Tawhai Tunnel Recovery.

    In his 30 years of professional experience, Bill has worked on tunnelling projects in Asia, Europe, Australia and the US as a client, constructor and designer for roads railways, metros and hydropower.

    Bill was the founding chair of the NZTS in 2017 as a ‘not for profit’ organisation and he hashelped to grow the NZTS standing and structure via short courses, seminars and conferences. NZTS was founded given the upturn in the industry and with a desire for New Zealand to have its own independent voice to promote tunnelling technology and good practices and this has included NZTS publications such as the Pipejacking Guide and the NZTS Guide for GBR’s.

    With the support of the NZTS Bill has been able to improve our connections to other tunnelling societies via the ITA as a member of ITA Working Groups, associated publications and assisting with ethics and governance of the ITA as part of the Governance Council and look forward to growing our influence but ultimately increase investment in tunnelling within New Zealand.

MEMBER


  • Managing Director of Ghella Limited
    New Zealand subsidiary of Rome-based Ghella S.p.A.

    Francesco is currently leading the delivery of Watercare’s $1.6 billion Central Interceptor Project.

    He has a Master’s degree in Structural Civil Engineering and nearly 20 years of experience across four continents and has played key roles in delivering major infrastructure projects worldwide. He brings extensive expertise in innovative and efficient infrastructure procurement and delivery.

    Francesco is passionate about advancing the tunnelling industry in New Zealand and is dedicated to driving excellence and sustainability in infrastructure development.

Committee

MEMBER


  • Bid Manager
    McConnell Dowell Constructors

    Ed is a construction professional with over 20 years’ experience in tunnelling and civil engineering. He has expertise across large diameter TBM and traditional mining methods at landmark projects like Heathrow Terminal 5 and the Waterview Connection, through to small pipejacking projects for local councils.

    He is an A Grade Tunnel Manager, Site Senior Executive and sits on the Board of Examiners for Worksafe, providing a civil tunnelling viewpoint on the development and implementation of underground competency standards.

MEMBER


  • Associate Principal
    Arup

    Jochem has held various project leadership roles with Arup and is its New Zealand  Business Development leader. He is a Chartered Structural Engineer with 20 years of experience designing and delivering infrastructure across heavy civil, rail, maritime and tunnelling projects in New Zealand, Australia and Asia.

    Jochem is an active committee member of the NZ Tunnelling Society and supported organising the tunnelling short course in 2024.

MEMBER


  • Associate
    Aurecon, Tunnels team

    Team Lead, Auckland Ground and Underground Engineering within the New Zealand Transport Unit

    Amy is a Chartered Professional Civil Engineer and holds a Master Degree in Engineering Management. She possesses a broad range of experience from more than seventeen years in the civil engineering industry in Australia and New Zealand.

    Amy has proven her capabilities in the design, construction and maintenance of tunnels; construction and contract administration of major highway infrastructure; construction of smaller civil construction projects spanning water and transport industries.

MEMBER


  • Shaft and MTBM Site Engineer
    Ghella Abergeldie JV

    Emma is currently working on the Central Interceptor Project in Auckland. She has worked across multiple sites and teams and gained experience in civil works, shaft construction, and tunnelling. Emma has contributed to various aspects of the Central Interceptor including risk management, quality control and assurance, and construction.

    Passionate about inspiring the next generation, Emma is dedicated to encouraging young female engineers to pursue careers in the tunnelling industry.

MEMBER


  • Engineering Manager
    McConnell Dowell

    Charles is based in Auckland and manages the technical and design aspects on a range of projects that McConnell Dowell offers. His background is in Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Engineering in the mining and tunnelling industries.

    Charles is committed to advancing the tunnelling industry in New Zealand and the southern hemisphere in general. He is an advocate for sharing industry knowledge and networking to create a community of tunnellers.

MEMBER


  • Engineering Manager
    McConnell Dowell

    Peter is an experienced engineering professional. Prior to his present role, he was the geotechnical and instrumentation manager for five years at Ghella, working on the Central Interceptor project.

    His previous experience includes a solid foundation in underground mining in Australia, where he worked as a Geotechnical Engineer for metallurgical coal mines. His expertise lies in longwall mining techniques and geotechnical engineering, supporting the safe and efficient extraction of resources.

    A strong advocate for industry collaboration, Peter is committed to developing opportunities for knowledge sharing, building strong relationships and fostering networking within the engineering community.