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About Us

Who are Airey Consultants

For over 50 years we have operated as an integrated consultancy of engineers, construction professionals, and advisers.

Airey Consultants Ltd have been at the forefront of developing New Zealand’s built environment, from our land development work to our building structures and specialist areas such as Marina and waterway development. We are always looking to use our creativity, knowledge and ingenuity to deliver creative, efficient solutions for our clients.

Clients call us “innovative,” “collaborative,” and “ingenious.” At Airey, we call it business as usual.

OUR EXPERTISE

”Airey have a proud history of tackling engineering challenges in the built environment which puts us in the perfect position to design for and advise our clients across a broad range of issues and challenges.

Manu WithersDirector

Our Values

Practicality

We pride ourselves on offering our clients practical and sensible solutions.

Diversity

We have excellent gender and ethnic diversity in our offices which reflects the diversity within our clients and the wider community.

Empowering

Empowering our staff to take ownership of projects, our clients know the staff working on their project have a real interest in the project and want it to succeed.

Developing

Developing our junior staff into great engineers able to work anywhere in the world

Collaboration

We have longstanding working relationships with a number of partners in the industry including planners, architects, surveyors, and contractors.

Our Team

Say hello to our people providing you with the best engineering services in the country.

David McKenzie

Chartered Professional Engineer - Botany Office

CPEng, CMEngNZ, IntPE(NZ), BE (Civil, Structural)

David has been with Airey Consultants Ltd for 25+ years and has been working in the greater Auckland area for 30 years. He has extensive experience in structural engineering design of residential, commercial, industrial and tensioned membrane structures. He has had widespread involvement in various aspects of civil engineering, including design and supervision of residential subdivisions, roading and drainage projects. Outside of work, his wife, two children and sport dominate his free time. David is passionate about triathlon and multisport and has represented NZ in Xterra off-road triathlon. David also loves playing golf and currently plays off a 5 handicap.

James Greenwood

Chartered Professional Engineer - Takapuna Office

CPEng (NZ), CMEngNZ, IntPE(NZ), BE (Civil)

James has been working with Airey Consultants Ltd since 1996. He has a strong background of land development and subdivisional projects, including large scale coastal developments. Skills include infrastructure design and project management.

Mike Williams

Chartered Professional Engineer - Botany Office

CPEng (NZ), CMEngNZ (Civil, Structural), BE (Civil)

Mike has a wide experience encompassing all aspects of civil, structural and fire engineering, from residential to industrial and commercial projects, with strong capability in children's playground design and inspection.

Women Engineering

Manu Withers

Chartered Professional Engineer - Takapuna Office

BE CMEngNZ CPEng IntPE(NZ)

Manu Withers has worked with some of New Zealand's and the UK's most innovative and emerging architects and structural engineers. Based on this diverse project portfolio and experience we can guarantee an excellent outcome for every project.

Royden Tsui

Chartered Professional Engineer - Botany Office

CPEng(NZ), CMEngNZ, IntPE(NZ), MEPM (Hons), BE (Civil)
(English, Mandarin & Cantonese)

Royden has accumulated over 18 years of experience working in the extended regions of Auckland and Wellington. In 2021, he assumed the role of Associate Director and currently heads the team of civil engineers at the Botany office. His extensive expertise spans across the spectrum of Civil Engineering projects, including Project Management, securing Resource Consents for subdivisional activities, earthworks operations, projects in watercourses, and obtaining stormwater discharge consents for diverse land development projects.

Ashley Watson

Chartered Professional Engineer - Takapuna Office

CPEng CMEngNZ IntPE(NZ) BE(Hons)
(English)

With more than a decade of civil engineering expertise in both Auckland and Melbourne, Ashley has contributed to diverse projects encompassing land development, building construction, infrastructure, and public realm initiatives across New Zealand and Australia. Proficient in steering engineering teams, Ashley excels in achieving outstanding project results. Embracing a collaborative approach, Ashley actively engages with clients, contractors, and fellow consultants to devise cost-effective engineering solutions aligned with the project stakeholders' requirements.

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Mitchell Roberts

Chartered Professional Engineer - Takapuna Office

CPEng CMEngNZ BE(Hons)

Mitchell is a a chartered professional civil engineer with more than a decade of expertise in orchestrating, designing, and overseeing civil engineering ventures in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. With extensive involvement in diverse land development and civil infrastructure projects, Mitchell has contributed from preliminary feasibility evaluations to on-site construction supervision, contract administration, and certification. Thriving in collaborative team environments, Mitchell finds satisfaction in devising innovative engineering solutions and has consistently demonstrated a successful record in timely and budget-conscious project delivery.

Nate Van Der Merwe

Associate Director - Takapuna Office

CPEng MBA, BSc Civil (Water)

Nate is a Chartered Professional Civil Engineer with over 17 years of industry experience, assumed the role of Associate Director in April 2023. Operating from our Takapuna office, he boasts extensive expertise across various facets of Civil Engineering projects. His diverse portfolio includes overseeing projects for Metlifecare and Hopper Developments, with a focus on Retirement Villages. Additionally, he has successfully managed residential canal developments for Hopper Developments in Whitianga and Marsden Cove. Nate is dedicated to delivering exceptional service to clients and is adept at managing all project aspects and stages, from feasibility assessments to vesting.

Luoman Li

Chartered Professional Engineer - Botany Office

CPEngNZ, CMEngNZ, ME (Civil, Structural), BE (Civil)
(English & Mandarin)

With over twelve years of expertise in the design and construction monitoring of commercial and residential buildings in New Zealand, Luoman is a seasoned structural engineer. Proficient in designing every aspect of a building, from the roof to the foundation, Luoman possesses sound technical knowledge in seismic assessment and retrofit design for various building types, including reinforced concrete, unreinforced masonry, commercial portal frames, and residential complexes.

Justin Ralston

Chartered Professional Engineer - Queenstown Office

CPEng (NZ), CMEngNZ, BE (Civil)
(English)

Our History

What started as a pair of plucky engineers with a dream, has grown into
a workforce of more than 60 across 3 offices across the country.

In 1965 Don Airey set up a practice with local surveyor, Bill Birch (later Sir William Birch) as the engineer in the predominantly surveying practice of DN Boak and Partners which had offices in Takapuna, Orewa, Howick, Te Aroha, and Pukekohe.

Shortly afterwards he employed Lynne Lawrie as a Draughtswoman in the Pukekohe office and Murray Smith as an Engineer located in Takapuna and at offices of then Hopper Bros Ltd.

A few years later the partners in DN Boak & Partners decided that they would separate their own offices into individual partnerships, and consequently, the partnership of Birch & Airey was formed at the Pukekohe Office.

In 1972 when Bill Birch was elected to Parliament, Don Airey formed a purely engineering firm, DC Airey & Partners. In the years that followed, Don was joined by Russell Watt – an engineer at the Pukekohe Office, and Tony Corbett (1974) who was based with Easdale and Partners (Surveyors) in their Howick office. 
As the decade progressed, several new significant clients engaged the services of an ever-expanding Airey team for large projects, particularly the Pauanui Ocean Beach Resorts project on the eastern Coromandel Coast, and the Three Guys Supermarkets around the Auckland and Waikato area.

When Consulting Engineers were permitted to form Limited Liability companies, in 1984 DC Airey and Partners was incorporated into Airey Consultants Ltd. Much of the work of Airey over those years related to land development work which was undertaken in association with survey firms, engineering for Local Authority projects and structural engineering for a range of Architects.

In October 1989, Roger Twiname and Ian Gibson were appointed Directors.

Michael Lee who joined Airey in 1990 was appointed as Director at Takapuna, in 1997.

In 1992 the first of our major canal housing projects was started in Pauanui. This was followed with another canal housing project at Whitianga and the opening an office in Whitianga.

The work as Project Engineer for Whitianga was taken over in 2008 from Murray Smith by James Greenwood who went on to be appointed Project Engineer for the next canal housing project at Marsden Cove adjacent to the Whangarei Harbour.

In 1995, Airey were engaged as Consulting Engineers for a development at Queenstown known as Remarkables Park. This project covers an area of 150 ha, located on the south side of Queenstown Airport and has been an ongoing development which has included new roading through the airport and a new intersection on SH6 for access to the airport and Remarkables Park.

Don Airey retired from the company in 1995.

To respond to the needs in the area, we opened another local office in Orewa in 1996 with Peter Kibblewhite as the manager.

In 2004, James Greenwood (Orewa), Mike Williams (Pukekohe) and David McKenzie (Howick) were appointed as Directors.

To support the Remarkables Park project, a Queenstown office was established in 2006. This office has steadily grown and now has a staff of six providing both Civil and Structural Engineering services.

Russell Watt retired from the company in 2002 and Murray Smith retired as a Director in 2009 but has continued working part-time as a Project Manager.

In 2010 Justin Ralston was appointed as Senior Engineer to manage the Queenstown office.

Airey was extensively involved in the Christchurch earthquake recovery effort. Shortly after the February 22nd 2011 earthquake. Two directors, Ian Gibson and Roger Twiname, assisted with the IPENZ emergency building inspection program. Shortly afterwards the Christchurch City Council and Civil Defence invited consultancies from around New Zealand to provide their services in a Council run effort to assist with rapid building response. We were quick to respond sending down groups of two engineers on an ongoing weekly basis.

In 2012 the Orewa Office was merged with the Takapuna Office to enhance the Civil Engineering capabilities of that office.

In 2015 we turned 50 years old, a celebration of this achievement was held with many past and present clients, staff and directors attending.

In 2017, the Howick and Pukekohe offices joined forces and relocated to a new office in Botany Town Centre. This enables us to service the needs of all clients, Auckland through to Franklin.

In 2018, Ian Gibson retired as a Director after 37 years with the company but continued to work as a consultant until February 2022 when he fully retired from the company.

Airey Consultants acquired the structural engineering firm Stroude, and Manu Withers joined the company as a Director.

In 2020, Roger Twiname stepped down as a Director and continues to provide advice and peer review services.

In April 2021, Royden Tsui assumed the role of Associate Director.

In October 2021, Airey Consultants purchased Morconsult and integrated it into their Botany branch to enhance their structural team’s capabilities. Andrew Mortimer, the former owner of Morconsult, now collaborates with Airey as a consultant and advisor for structural and business matters.

In April 2022, Ashley Watson and Mitchell Roberts were appointed as Associate Directors to succeed Michael Lee, who was approaching retirement.

In April 2023, after 33 years of service, Michael Lee retired as a director. Following his retirement, Luoman Li and Nate van der Merwe were named Associate Directors.

Over the past 50 years, Airey has established itself as a reputable and successful company, thanks to the continuous support of their dedicated and growing team of employees. Some of these employees have been with the company for over 25 years, contributing their expertise and experience to the firm’s success. This long-term commitment and loyalty from staff members have been a key factor in maintaining the company’s stability and reputation.

Need some help navigating your next big project?

Our exceptional team of engineers will steer you right.

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