Date: |
21 May 2026, 12.00PM – 1.30PM |
duration: |
1 hr 30 mins |
Venue: |
Timaru District Council |
Address: |
King George Place Timaru |
Cost: |
Free event |
Step back into the projects that helped shape Timaru District in the early 2000s.
Engineering New Zealand invites members and guests to a practical and locally grounded afternoon featuring three Timaru District Council speakers reflecting on projects they worked on in the early 2000s within the Timaru District.
This event will feature Simon Davenport, Team Leader Transport Design, John Clemens, Water Services Operations Engineer, and David Hooke, Projects and Contracts Officer, who together bring decades of hands-on experience across transport, water services, and capital project delivery. Public council records connect Simon Davenport with transport leadership, active transport and place-focused initiatives including shared pathways, school travel planning, and Timaru’s City Hub work. John Clemens is publicly listed in senior water operations roles at Timaru District Council and was named by Water New Zealand as the 2010 Operations Award winner; more recent industry material also records Timaru District Council, represented by Clemens, as a national tap-water taste-test winner. David Hooke is publicly linked with delivery roles on major district projects including the Pareora Pipeline Renewal and the Aorangi Stadium redevelopment.
Attendees can expect an honest look at how local infrastructure projects were conceived, delivered, and managed in a different era — before today’s tools, standards, and expectations fully took hold. The evening will explore how engineering practice has evolved, what lessons still hold up, and how past projects continue to influence the district today. This should be a strong session for engineers, graduates, students, contractors, and anyone interested in the real-world stories behind Timaru’s infrastructure.
Light lunch will be provided at the venue.
Join the South Canterbury Branch for an afternoon with three experienced Timaru District Council practitioners as they explore the engineering challenges and lessons learned from projects that shaped the district in the early 2000s. Gain unique insights into local transport, water and project delivery while connecting with industry leaders to discuss the long-term impact of these foundational works.
Step back into the projects that helped shape Timaru District in the early 2000s.
Engineering New Zealand invites members and guests to a practical and locally grounded afternoon featuring three Timaru District Council speakers reflecting on projects they worked on in the early 2000s within the Timaru District.
This event will feature Simon Davenport, Team Leader Transport Design, John Clemens, Water Services Operations Engineer, and David Hooke, Projects and Contracts Officer, who together bring decades of hands-on experience across transport, water services, and capital project delivery. Public council records connect Simon Davenport with transport leadership, active transport and place-focused initiatives including shared pathways, school travel planning, and Timaru’s City Hub work. John Clemens is publicly listed in senior water operations roles at Timaru District Council and was named by Water New Zealand as the 2010 Operations Award winner; more recent industry material also records Timaru District Council, represented by Clemens, as a national tap-water taste-test winner. David Hooke is publicly linked with delivery roles on major district projects including the Pareora Pipeline Renewal and the Aorangi Stadium redevelopment.
Attendees can expect an honest look at how local infrastructure projects were conceived, delivered, and managed in a different era — before today’s tools, standards, and expectations fully took hold. The evening will explore how engineering practice has evolved, what lessons still hold up, and how past projects continue to influence the district today. This should be a strong session for engineers, graduates, students, contractors, and anyone interested in the real-world stories behind Timaru’s infrastructure.
Light lunch will be provided at the venue.
Presenters
South Canterbury Branch
