Delivering construction projects within a live operating courthouse requires comprehensive planning and ongoing stakeholder management.

At Auckland District Court, RDT Pacific is working closely with Crown Infrastructure Delivery and the Ministry of Justice, in leading an entire building remediation and providing innovation to how the project is delivered safely and without disruption, through collaborative scenario-based multi-Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) sessions, to allow the building to remain fully operational throughout construction.

Auckland District Court is New Zealand’s largest and busiest court building. RDT Pacific has been appointed as the Project Manager and Contract Administrator (for the NZS 3910:2023 contract between Crown Infrastructure Delivery and LT McGuinness) to lead a remediation programme, which includes seismic strengthening, end of life services, and architectural remediation across 14,000 sqm of a multi-level asset.

The work is being delivered in a staged, floor-by-floor sequence so the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary can remain in the building with minimal disruption to operating courts. A dedicated decanting workstream relocates occupants during each construction stage, including the leasing and fitout of two offsite commercial spaces to maintain functionality.

Multi-PCBU discipline: turning roles into one team

In an environment shared daily by the Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, members of the public and various separate Contractors, the importance of regular multi-PCBU meetings with all stakeholder groups is the backbone of delivering the project safely and without disruption. Each multi-PCBU session follows a deliberate rhythm:

• Project clarity: a concise update on the main works so every organisation acts on the same facts.
• Responsibility refresh: a reminder of PCBU obligations, keeping accountabilities visible for every role.
• Scenario interrogation: an open conversation focused on a major incident, comparing management processes and agreeing practical improvements.

The rhythm builds the behaviours a live court environment requires: consult, coordinate, and collaborate – every time, with everyone.

The mock trial: rehearsing accountability before the risk

Ahead of works in the Jury courtrooms and surrounding public areas, Crown Infrastructure Delivery took the initiative, working with the Ministry so that court operations were not affected, to stage a mock trial in a Jury courtroom with the project team.

The fictional exercise was intentionally confronting featuring a tool left in a public area, which is later used to injure a key witness. Team members took fictitious roles, and lines of inquiry demonstrated where PCBU responsibilities sit within each role. The exercise turned policy into practice, making clear how individual choices ripple into public safety and the continuity of justice.

Why this matters

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, courts and tribunals resolve more than a quarter of a million cases each year, supported by 103 primary buildings across 96 sites in 52 towns and cities.

Keeping these facilities functioning through construction is a priority. The methods applied at Auckland District Court – multi-PCBU discipline, mock‑trial rehearsal, staged decanting, and contract administration aligned to NZS 3910:2023, offer a practical template for other live environment projects.