Auckland Harbour Bridge is the first bridge to benefit from a new maintenance policy introduced this year by its owner Transit New Zealand. The organisation has been using competitive pricing procedures since 1991 but until recently, they were implemented using short-term contracts. The development of a new longer-term approach is expected to encourage more research and innovation by contractors.

Waiting in the wood panelled office for Fritz Leonhardt to arrive takes me back to my school days. It's a bit like waiting for the headmaster when you weren't quite sure whether you had been summoned for punishment or congratulations. The thrill I felt when he first agreed to be interviewed has been replaced by a mixture of excitement and fear and I have run through the interview so many times in my mind that I am word perfect.