Looking Back, Flying Forward: The Next Phase of LiDAR in New Zealand

In 2019, Aerial Surveys made a major investment in airborne LiDAR technology with the purchase of the Teledyne Optech Galaxy Prime. At the time, it was the most advanced airborne LiDAR sensor in New Zealand — and for Aerial Surveys, it has been a tremendous success.

That investment helped position us to play a significant role in New Zealand’s national elevation data collection programme, supporting the capture and delivery of LiDAR elevation data and derived products across seven regions covering approximately 120,000 square kilometres.

The Galaxy Prime brought major efficiencies to large-scale LiDAR mapping at exactly the time New Zealand needed that capability. It also helped support our push for a higher standard in national elevation data. While the original specification was set at two points per square metre, we believed four points per square metre was the right level to create a dataset with greater long-term value for the country.

Seven years later, those datasets continue to support flood modelling, infrastructure planning, environmental management, engineering design, hazard assessment, and better decision-making across New Zealand.

The success of the Galaxy Prime reinforced something we have always believed: investing in the right technology at the right time can change what is possible.

Now, we are entering another new phase of LiDAR technology. The needs of New Zealand are evolving again — from better ground information under vegetation, to higher-resolution corridor mapping, faster turnaround, and greater efficiency across complex terrain.

Aerial Surveys is once again looking ahead, investing in capability that will help shape the next generation of airborne LiDAR mapping in New Zealand.