Diamond Jubilee and Farewell for Kieran Shaw – ACENZ
Please join us for the Diamond Jubilee and Farewell to CEO Kieran Shaw, on the 19th of March, from 4:30-7:00pm at Dockside Restaurant & Bar in Wellington, with special guest, Hon Phil Twyford MP. Please note the minister will speak beginning at 5pm.
Attendees will receive a limited edition complimentary publication that marks ACENZ’s 60th Anniversary.
By invitation only, RSVP compulsory.
CCCS Roadshow – Auckland – ACE New Zealand
ACENZ wants to invite you to attend one of three upcoming CCCS/SFA Roadshow events, including Graham Chapman of AECOM (Chair of the CCCS Review Committee) and Ross Meijer (of Aon Insurance) to comment on some of the changes and highlights as well as be available to answer any questions.
Space is limited, so please RSVP for this FREE event to confirm your spot. These roadshow events will be co-hosted by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia – New Zealand (IPWEA NZ), so that ACENZ Members have the opportunity to network with client and council users of CCCS and SFA as well.
These documents have been prepared through a collaborative effort by numerous client organisations, Member Firm representatives, and has undergone extensive legal review to ensure compliance with recent changes to legislation. We also want to thank Graham Chapman of AECOM for his efforts as CCCS Review Committee Chair. ACENZ, on behalf of the industry, appreciates the volunteer effort and commitment to this project and giving back to the benefit of the industry. Thank you to all who contributed to this process.
Upon arrival, please sign-in at AECOM Reception. You will be directed to the event room from there.
For information on parking and where to find AECOM house, please click here.
AI Foundations Webinar Series with AI Forum AEC Working Group & academyEX – Webinar 1: AI Fundamentals with Felix – ACE New Zealand
The Foundations in AI webinar series is a collaborative initiative between ACE New Zealand, academyEX, and the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Working Group, as part of the AI Forum New Zealand. The webinar series is designed to empower consulting and engineering professionals to lead confidently through digital transformation. By engaging with AI now, we’re not just future-proofing individual firms—we’re strengthening the resilience and relevance of the entire consulting and engineering sector.
Through our Strategic Plan ACE is committed to powering successful businesses that are ready for the future. This webinar series aims to equip members with practical tools, sector-specific insights, and access to thought leadership that helps them adapt, innovate, and thrive.
Webinar 1: AI Fundamentals with Felix
Kick off the Foundations in AI webinar series with Felix Scholz in a foundational session that demystifies AI and introduces safe, practical ways to begin exploring its potential in consulting and engineering. Topics include:
What AI is and how it differs from traditional software
Core AI safety principles and risk management
Data privacy and legal considerations for ACE member firms
Creating safe sandboxes for experimentation
Building AI capability through continuous learning
This session will also reference practical resources and support options for developing implementation roadmaps, assessing data readiness, managing change, and piloting tools.
Speaker:
Felix Scholz, Senior Lecturer, academyEX
Felix Scholz is a senior lecturer at academyEX and founder of Stokeventures, with a background spanning PwC, Fonterra, ASB, and startups. He specialises in AI-driven innovation, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. Felix helps professionals turn abstract concepts into practical outcomes using frameworks like design sprints and agile delivery—now supercharged with AI. Known for his clarity and hands-on approach, he’s guided hundreds of learners in safely exploring tools, ethics, and strategy in the AI space.
Register for the webinar
Join academyEX, the AEC Working Group and ACE New Zealand via Zoom on Friday 10 October to demystify AI and begin exploring in a safe and practical way.
Register here
Auckland Umbrella Mental Health Awareness Workshop – ACENZ
March 12th 2019, from 9am – 4.30pm. ACENZ is hosting a heavily subsidized Umbrella Workshop.
Limited seats available, be sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
The Mental Health Awareness Workshop is designed to:
Increase participant’s knowledge about stress, mental health and illness,
Help participants feel more confident talking about mental health, including when speaking with colleagues they may be concerned about,
Further develop their understanding about how to promote and protect mental health at work,
Ensure participants understand how they can enhance their own emotional, psychological, and social well-being
Key Learning Outcomes:
Connect with colleagues and feel confident you have new knowledge and robust skills to take away
Practice how to have conversations about mental health and illness
Identify when stress turns into signs of something more serious, and what to do about it.
Learn effective, practical strategies to strengthen your wellbeing at work
Learn more about the facilitator here
Register for the Auckland Workshop
Early bird registration (prior to 14th Dec 18): $315+gst
Standard registration (from 15th Dec 18 onwards): $400+gst
Auckland Members Breakfast
Please join us for the 2018 Auckland Members Breakfast! Held at the Grand Millennium Auckland Hotel (located at 71 Mayoral Drive, Auckland) from 7:30-9:00am on Thursday, 14th June.
Use this form to order tickets for a single individual or multiple people. All tickets ($38 pp) include a hot buffet breakfast with tea and coffee, and are in New Zealand Dollars and exclude GST.
PrefabNZ CoLab 2018 – ACENZ
PrefabNZ’s CoLab 2018 conference is coming…Its THE fun, interactive and thought-provoking event that places you are the heart of innovative construction that is transforming the industry. Wed 7 – Fri 9 March in Auckland.
Wednesday 7 March – full of varied prefab site visits
Thursday 8 – phenomenal conference day with evening soiree
Friday 9 – Member-only half day event
For further information click here.
NZTA’s decision-led approach: The framework for state highway projects – ACE New Zealand
As of July 2025, the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi uses its decision-led approach to develop state highway infrastructure projects which supports smarter, more transparent decision-making.
Consultants will see changes in how NZTA develops investment cases and the role consultants play. Those who are currently working on NZTA projects or will be in the future are encouraged to attend this session.
In this webinar you’ll learn about:
What the decision-led approach is and why it matters
How to apply the approach
What changes consultants can expect to see
New tools, templates and examples to support your work
How this approach aligns with Treasury’s Better Business Cases and the investment lifecycle
Check out the draft guidance
The draft guidance for the approach is now available on the NZTA website.
Register for the webinar
Join NZTA and ACE New Zealand via Zoom on Wednesday 8 October to get an overview of the decision-led approach, understand the changes consultants can expect to see, and learn about new tools and templates to support your work.
Register here
Share your feedback
To further refine the guidance, NZTA is collecting feedback from those who’ve used the approach. We encourage you to get familiar with the approach and the guidance, and understand how it will shape the way NZTA and consultants will work together.
To provide feedback, email decisionledpdinfo@nzta.govt.nz by 16 October 2025.
Christchurch Umbrella Mental Health Workshop – ACENZ
March 7th 2019, from 9am – 4.30pm. ACENZ is hosting a heavily subsidized Umbrella Workshop.
Limited seats available, be sure you don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
The Mental Health Awareness Workshop is designed to:
Increase participant’s knowledge about stress, mental health and illness,
Help participants feel more confident talking about mental health, including when speaking with colleagues they may be concerned about,
Further develop their understanding about how to promote and protect mental health at work,
Ensure participants understand how they can enhance their own emotional, psychological, and social well-being
Key Learning Outcomes:
Connect with colleagues and feel confident you have new knowledge and robust skills to take away
Practice how to have conversations about mental health and illness
Identify when stress turns into signs of something more serious, and what to do about it.
Learn effective, practical strategies to strengthen your wellbeing at work
Learn more about the facilitator here
Register for the Christchurch Workshop
Early bird registration (prior to 14th Dec 18): $315+gst
Standard registration (from 15th Dec 18 onwards): $400+gst
2018 Presidents Roadshow – Tauranga 12th June – ACENZ
Please join us for the 2018 ACENZ President’s Roadshow in Tauranga! Hear from President Mike Kerr. Held at the Trinity Wharf Hotel (located at 51 Dive Crescent, Tauranga) beginning at 5:30pm on Tuesday, 12th June. Use the form below to reserve your place for a single individual or multiple people. The President’s Roadshow is FREE to attend, with dinner after at your own expense. Send any questions to Katie Bartlett at katie@acenz.org.nz
Drinks (at your own expense) will take place at the hotel bar prior to the President’s address with dinner following. Dinner will be at your own expense and you will be able to choose from an a-la-carte menu from the hotel’s restaurant.
Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, 29th May to reserve your place for the roadshow.
AMINZ Role of the Expert Seminar Auckland – ACENZ
The Role of the Expert, Auckland – 26 February 2018
Experts often play vital roles in a wide range of disputes, as investigators, witnesses and determiners.
This one-day seminar considers the various expert roles, best practice in the use of experts and how to make the most of experts.
The day will cover a range of topics including:
Expert roles – defining differences
The investigator expert
The expert witness
The determinative expert
Expert investigation and forensic analysis
Investigator bias and cognitive illusions
The place of fact and opinion in investigation
Air accident investigation protocol – a template for evidence collation and reporting
Expert witnessing
Eliminating indigestible evidence, saving time and making settlement easier
What counsel wants from a witness
Forensic accounting evidence – considerations and practical experiences
How to be an expert determiner
Expert determinations – it’s not as simple as it seems
Tribunal appointed experts and other procedural considerations
What’s a determiner to do: When expert evidence collides
Who should attend:
Lawyers and advocates who use experts
Engineers and those working in the construction industry
Expert witnesses
Expert investigators
Expert determiners
Arbitrators
Adjudicators
AMINZ is offering a 10% discount if you register before 16 February – just use the discount code ACENZ when you buy online and get to the shopping trolley.
To register, please click HERE.
If you have any questions, please contact our Education Co-ordinator, Rebecca – education@aminz.org.nz