Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be undertaking aerial survey work in and around Ōpōtiki next week.

Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed between Monday and Friday.

It will involve a helicopter flying at low altitude (approximately 150 metres) along sections of river channels and margins.

The helicopter will be operated by Vadis Geomatics and will be visible on public flight tracking services under that name. It will be fitted with specialist LiDAR survey equipment used to map river systems.

Bathymetric LiDAR is an emerging technology that has been used in other parts of Aotearoa and is now being applied to key rivers in the Bay of Plenty.

People in affected areas, including parts of Ōpōtiki township, may notice the helicopter operating at low altitude for short periods.

Ground-based survey work will also be carried out alongside the aerial survey.

Niroy Sumeran, project engineering team leader, said the technology would provide more detailed and accurate information to support river management.

“This work helps us better understand how our rivers function, which is critical for understanding river behaviour, maintaining assets, and protecting people and the environment.”