Wednesday, 22 January 2020 09:41

Hawkes Bay launches aerial water mapping

Written by  Staff Reporters
Watching the helicopter carrying SkyTEM take off yesterday at the launch. Watching the helicopter carrying SkyTEM take off yesterday at the launch.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has launched a 3D water mapping project to better understand the region’s freshwater supply.

As part of the project, a helicopter towing airborne electromagnetic survey technology called SkyTEM is flying over the region’s aquifers for the next six weeks.

The technology is able to scan the aquifers down to 300 metres, further than what has been seen before.

The data provided by the survey will enable HBRC to build a 3D digital picture of the aquifers horizontally and to great depths, enabling a better understanding of groundwater resources.

IrrigationNZ has congratulated the HBRC and its partners on the launch: chief executive Elizabeth Soal says the project is a breakthrough. 

“We urgently need more facts about what water we have and where,” says Soal.

IrrigationNZ chief executive Elizabeth Soal has praised the project.

“This can inform a sensible water strategy to guide sustainable water management in New Zealand.

“We’re often seeing headlines about shortages in our dry regions which rely on water for their communities, their recreation, and their livelihoods. 

“If this initiative by Hawkes Bay Regional Council is successful, we can repeat this elsewhere to get a nationwide water map to understand more about this critical resource. And then we can act on what we know.”

The project is a collaboration between the HBRC, the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) and GNS Science, using Danish SkyTEM technology that has been used extensively overseas.

The total cost for the project is $4.3 million. The PGF is contributing $2.15 million, the HBRC $1.85 million, and GNS Science $300,000.

More like this

Haere Ra 2024: Te Matau-a-Māui, Hawke's Bay

Kate Radburnd has seen plenty of challenges in the Hawke's Bay wine industry during her 41-year wine career, including the destruction wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle in vintage 2023, and the resilience and recovery of the region in its wake.

Scanning data at your fingertips

A partnership between two technology companies in Hawke's Bay is making orchard data more easily accessible to growers using new interactive online heat maps.

Best of Wine Tourism

Four Hawke’s Bay wine tourism operations have been celebrated in the inaugural Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism awards.

Featured

ANZCO Foods' net profit plunges

Meat processor ANZCO Foods’ net profit has plunged on the back of lower market returns which squeezed margins and impacted business performance.

Editorial: Forest for the trees?

OPINION: Most people will be aware of the Government's plans to boost coal, oil and gas production to meet energy requirements.

Protest planned outside dairy awards venue

As the dairy industry prepares to celebrate its top achievers at an awards night this Saturday, attendees are being warned to be aware of protests planned outside the venue – Baypark Arena, Mount Mauganaui.

National

Machinery & Products

Iconic TPW Woolpress turns 50!

The company behind the iconic TPW Woolpress, which fundamentally changed the way wool is baled in Australia and New Zealand,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Keep it up

OPINION: The good fight against "banking wokery" continues with a draft bill to scrap the red tape forcing banks and…

We're OK!

OPINION: Despite the volatility created by the shoot-from-the-hip trade tariff 'stratefy' being deployed by the new state tenants in the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter