Carterton Events Centre feted

The Carterton Events Centre has won a nationwide engineering award as the "celebrated heart" of the town.

The centre beat rivals from throughout the country to take the Ingenium Excellence Award 2012 for New Zealand Construction Projects between $2 million and $10 million.

Carterton District Council, Opus, and Holmes Construction Group were named for their involvement in the project and award winners were revealed at the Ingenium engineering society ceremony held in Rotorua that was attended by Carterton Mayor Ron Mark.

Mr Mark said the centre was drawing bus tours, and visits by architects, engineers and other councils and is a facility of which "the entire Carterton community can be immensely proud".

"Carterton slogged its way alone through the project, which was a long road with some bumps, and it is very rewarding to hear people now referring to the centre as a regional facility.

"There can be only deep gratitude to all those people who raised funds and contributed toward what is yet another jewel in the Wairarapa crown."

Ingenium chief executive Ross Vincent said the category was hotly contested and the Kopane Bridge Replacement project in Manawatu was highly commended in the same category. "There were a lot of very good entries in that category and a win shows the Carterton Events Centre is a truly excellent project," Mr Vincent said. "The project was up against some hot competition nationally and some big city developments and Carterton has proved that a small provincial town can do the business."

The Ingenium award recognised the development of the Carterton Events Centre, opened in Holloway St in October 2011, for the strengthening and refurbishment of the neighbouring heritage-listed Carterton District Library that was built in 1881, the centre's 300-seat auditorium incorporating the cutting-edge Pres-Lam structural system, and its facilities.

The award also recognised the Carterton Events Centre as the first civic building constructed in the town for more than 100 years, the project's extensive community consultation, and the new lease of life given to the library - the oldest purpose-built public library still operating in New Zealand.

The project was based around sustainability, economy, community engagement and ownership, and seismic damage mitigation, and the centre "is now the celebrated heart of the Carterton community".

The winners of the Innovate NZ awards will be announced at a gala dinner to be held at Wow Arts & Classic Car Museum in Nelson on July 28.