The Department of Conservation and URS New Zealand were the recipients of the award, given to the Cleddau River flood protection scheme, which was officially opened in November last year.
At the time, the project was praised for being ahead of time and under budget, with the awards panel impressed by its environmental sensitivity and the project hailed as an excellent example of co-operation between several agencies in a "challenging physical and legislative environment and an extremely important location for New Zealand".
The award is made annually to recognise innovative and creative excellence in the undertaking and completion of a project involving a physical work or development and was accepted by Doc project leader Jessie Haanen on behalf of the department.
Doc Te Anau area manager Reg Kemper said it was a great achievement and an endorsement of the work of all those involved in the project.
"We're extremely proud to receive this award.
"It's a fantastic acknowledgement of the collaborative nature of Doc's work in conservation and tourism," he said.
Others involved included the Southland District Council, Environment Southland, Opus International and Downers, along with subcontractors, committees and stakeholders.
The project had improved the safety and amenity of residents and businesses in Milford Sound while protecting critical infrastructure.
The awards panel paid tribute to the way the project had overcome a series of unique challenges, including the World Heritage and National Park status of the area; various multifaceted natural hazards; issues relating to when and how consenting, design and physical works would take place; and ensuring "normal life" and tourist visits would continue during the construction phase without a reduction in the quality of their experience.
Started as a stop-bank scheme to manage the flow of the Cleddau River away from the Milford area, the project needed significant modification when planners discovered a second potential source of flooding.
A new approach was required to protect people, businesses, buildings and infrastructure, with the solution requiring buildings in the Cleddau Village area of Milford to be temporarily relocated while the ground level was raised above flood level.
The scheme was declared a project of national significance because of the multimillion-dollar contribution made by Milford Sound to the Fiordland tourism industry.
