Āpōpō History

As far back as the early 1900s, the people who managed our infrastructure saw a need to form an association of some type. 

They wanted a forum to discuss common problems, learn from each other,  and share success stories.

In 1912 they formed the Institute of Local Government Engineers, then the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, which later became Engineering New Zealand. But by 1947, county engineers felt they should form a complementary group to continue meeting annually to discuss their particular shared interests.

In 1948 the New Zealand Institute of County Engineers met for the first time in Rotorua. 60 members were present. The Institute evolved into Association of Local Government Engineers (ALGENZ) in 1988, then INGENIUM in 2000, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia - New Zealand (IPWEA NZ) in 2013 and then finally Āpōpō - Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Inc in 2023. 

Membership now sits at around 1,000 and still includes many from local government, but has broadened significantly to include central government, consultants, and even international members. 

While our organisation has changed name a few times since 1948, we have stayed true to the original intent of discussing common problems, learning from each other, and sharing our successes.