Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience team are going sky high, using cutting-edge LiDAR technology to collect aerial data via helicopter.
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser pulses to measure distances and create high-resolution 3D maps of objects and environments.
This data will provide vital insights to help manage flood risks more effectively across Tāmaki Makaurau, and is part of Making Space For Water’s 10-year programme following the extreme storms of early 2023.
“LiDAR is a game-changer for Auckland. While it’s widely used to map large river systems, applying this technology to small urban streams in complex environments is groundbreaking,” says Danny Klimetz, Principal Waterways Planning, Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience.
“As urban development reshapes our waterways and climate change intensifies rainfall events, building a resilient stormwater system is more critical than ever.”
Danny and his team are being assisted by Professor James Brasington, Director, and Dr Justin Stout, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, University of Canterbury.
The flights will cover a 233km2 area including all the North Shore, parts of Henderson Creek and Whenuapai as well as areas around Pukekohe.
What to expect:
- Low-level flights (250-400m above ground) by a three-bladed EC120 helicopter.
- Brief periods of low-level noise during data collection.
- Unparalleled precision in mapping stream networks and densely vegetated areas.
