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Our Landscapes: Hawke's Bay LiDAR Project

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data has been collected to accurately map our landscapes, and understand the impacts of land use change and natural hazards. This information is also widely used for development, engineering, architecture, design, and farm and forestry planning.

What is LiDAR?

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data, or elevation data, is precise laser measurements of the Earth's surface that are used for creating highly accurate 3D maps of the land and the objects on it.

About the LiDAR project

The LiDAR Partnership Project is a collaborative initiative between Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. The purpose of our partnership is to maximise the benefit from LiDAR data collected for the Hawke's Bay region in 2020. This work took place over two years until June 2024 at a cost of $0.5M per organisation. The project focuses on the implementation of science into policy and management for HBRC, while providing geospatial research gains for MWLR.

Where will the information be used?

LiDAR data helps councils and sectors of the economy to better understand topography and the built environment. This information is useful to assess the impacts of land use change and natural hazards such as flooding and sea level rise. It is also widely used for development, engineering, architecture, design and farm/forestry planning applications by the private sector.

The Regional Council can use the data for a range of activities, some of which are already underway. These include:

  • Helping catchment advisors identify erosion-prone land and target poplar pole planting and riparian planting
  • Updating the Land Use Capability (LUC) classes and improve Intensive Winter Grazing constraints, and
  • Better understanding where forest cover is in rural areas and identifying priority biodiversity areas.

More applications for the data available under each workstream

  • Upgrade regional SedNetNZ erosion and sediment load modelling.

  • Improve the spatial representation of the stream network and watersheds (part of SedNetNZ model development).

  • Regional-scale shallow landslide susceptibility modelling.

View the slides presented by Hugh Smith, Research Leader - Erosion Processes & Management, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research: Improving understanding and management of erosion with LiDAR

  • Regional slope map(s) to support implementation of HBRC policies e.g. for consultants to use during farm plan development.

  • Regional updated Land Use Capability (LUC) map(s) for LUC classes 1 -3 to support both farm planning and regional mapping of highly productive land.

  • Additional regional land characterisation layers based on consultation with farm plan consultants and HBRC needs. Such as intensive winter grazing.

View the slides presented by Nathan Odgers, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research: Improving land characterisation with LiDAR

  • Digital models of canopy height, surface, ground and modelled daylight/shadow at very high resolution, i.e. 30 cm pixel size.

  • Specific spatial vegetation layers (agreed in discussions with HBRC): individual trees, forests, tree canopy, short vegetation, shelter belts, pine/exotic forest

  • Investigating experimental LiDAR case studies, as needed by HBRC such as horticultural uses.

View the slides presented by Jan Schindler, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research: LiDAR-derived vegetation layers in Hawke’s Bay

  • The proportion of runoff and nutrients retained by the landscape for scenario analysis.

  • The amount of biomass carbon stored in trees and air pollution removal.

  • Ultraviolet protection and shade provided by tree canopies.

  • A score of landscape aesthetics which combines scores for the physical area of the landscape that can be viewed at a point and the relative attractiveness of different land cover types.

View the slides presented by Dan Richards, Senior Researcher, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research: Ecosystem Services (seed funding)

Examples of greater resolution modelling available as a result of the project

LiDAR 3d vegetation map

Above: New 3D LiDAR map showing tall vegetation in red, short vegetation in yellow and green colours depict ground.

Landscape Modelling before and after

Left: Before LiDAR, the terrain data available allowed modelling only to this level of detail
Right: New modelling based on LiDAR information showing significantly increased terrain detail.

For more information on accessing data, please email GISsupport@hbrc.govt.nz

How to access the information

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