Woolpert, Inc. and iXblue Sea Operations Division have been awarded two significant airborne LiDAR program mapping projects that will help contribute to the economic development efforts of regional New Zealand, the companies announced today.
The effort is part of the New Zealand government’s Provincial Growth Fund LiDAR program in which the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Land Information New Zealand and Councils are working to develop 3D models of landscapes that contribute to development.
The projects will require the companies to work together to cover approximately 15,000 square miles for the Hawke’s Bay and Waikato regional and local councils. The information collected will then help inform a range of land management decisions such as road design, precise understanding of sea-level rise impacts, stormwater design, and geohazard mapping.
To complete that task, iXblue’s Sea Operations Division will draw on their expertise in advanced marine, photonics and autonomous technologies in partnership with Woolpert, which will apply its geospatial solutions and industry-leading LiDAR capabilities to the projects.
“Woolpert is very excited to work with our partners at iXblue and participate in this New Zealand opportunity,” Woolpert Geospatial Sector Leader Joseph Seppi. “By playing to our firms’ combined strengths, we take pride in our clients receiving this highly accurate mapping data with the professional competency and experience that we are known for.”
The two companies initially formed a strategic partnership in 2019 and have since focused on the collection, processing and delivery of Airborne Digital Imagery, Topographic LiDAR and Bathymetric LiDAR operations from helicopter and fixed wing platforms in order to provide custom solutions to commercial and government clients across Australia and New Zealand.
“We are privileged to have been awarded these major projects in New Zealand,” said iXblue General Manager Airborne Matthew James. “The team has built a strong technical offering that aims at using the latest sensors and processing techniques available, with a strong customer relationship focus to deliver world-class products.”
