"It's a goal" at the home of the 2003 Auckland Blues and Auckland NPC Champion Rugby Union Team, Eden Park, Auckland.

The ASB Stand lights are fitted with AVIPOINT™ P20 bird spikes by ACE BirdProofing installers for Pigeon control.

Bird Netting

Nestle NZ Ltd situated in Wiri, in the south of Auckland, comprises two manufacturing operations: Confectionery and Maggi plants, together with the warehousing and normal ancilliary facilities. Nestle's quality systems are directed at implementing "Good Manufacturing Practices" (GMP) and the need to improve the bird proofing of this particular canopy was identified in an internal audit.  It was assessed in Nestle's Risk Management Plan, to install a better bird proofing solution to further reduce the risk of birds getting into the adjacent warehouse area

Nestle's Quality Assurance department, has Company Standards and Procedures which include pest control measures, monitoring and audits around the factory. They also adhere to local Manukau City Council and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Department regulations regarding pest control.

The underside of the canopy which Ace BirdProofing Systems Ltd were contracted to proof, needed to exclude access to all birds. A building contractor's earlier attempt to achieve this had not been successful. Products from the site are for both export and domestic consumption.

While Nestle considered fixing insulated steel clad panels and other materials to the underside of the canopy, the Ace BirdNet solution was chosen as being more cost effective. It also dispensed with the need to realign services such as lighting and maintained the ventilation under the roof while allowing for total exclusion of birds. In addition it now enables storage of spare equipment under the canopy without the risk of fouling from nesting or perching birds which may otherwise have occured.

Although this was a relatively small canopy, with an area of 186m2  it was important to Nestle to have it professionally bird proofed for a longterm solution. Working in conjunction with the client's architects, Gulf Design, the use of 19mm black polypropelene bird net was specified to span horizontally under the canopy, with edge fixings hog-ringed onto strained supporting wire; 2mm, 316 grade stainless steel rope for exceptional corrosion resistance. Zips were fitted in the birdnet under the lights to allow for servicing. Roof vents and other penetrations into the adjoining store from the canopy area were identified and sealed. After removing the old wire netting, the project was completed by two Ace technicians over two days.

A Nestle representative commented that "We chose ACE to do the installation as they were the cheapest option and that they would install a quality solution for us.  The bird proof netting was far cheaper than panelling over all exposed structural framework on the underside of the canopy. The old netting had deteriorated beyond its useful life and needed replacement."