Local Government – Drone Mapping, LiDAR and 3D Scanning
Current, accurate geospatial data for council planning, infrastructure, coastal and environmental management, and community engagement.
Recon provides aerial drone mapping, LiDAR, 3D reality modelling and laser scanning to city and district councils from Auckland to the Bay of Plenty. Our data is GIS-ready, tied to the national datum, and captured under our CAA Part 102 certificate, which lets us fly over roads, reserves and council land with the right notifications.
How We Help Councils
From single sites to township-scale models and multi-year monitoring programmes.
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Project-specific drone flights and LiDAR give you up-to-date imagery and terrain exactly where you need it.
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Repeat surveys on the same control give consent monitoring and enforcement objective evidence.
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Photo-realistic 3D models let communities see proposals in their real setting.
What We Do for Councils
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3D Reality Models
Township-scale reality models, orthophotos and point clouds for planning, viewsheds and engagement, viewable in Skyline TerraExplorer.
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Coastal Monitoring
Repeat drone surveys of beaches, seawalls and cliffs to measure erosion and support consent monitoring.
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Assets & Facilities
Laser scans and Revit models of bridges, culverts, buildings and facilities for renewal and strengthening design.
3D Reality Models for Planning and Engagement
Recon created photo-realistic 3D reality models of townships for Waikato District Council. GIS staff use them to place proposed designs in their real setting, run viewshed and geospatial analysis, and share projects with stakeholders and the public. Built from drone imagery tied to survey control, the models can also be measured for early planning.
The council views and manages the 3D content in Skyline TerraExplorer. Recon is the New Zealand authorised distributor of Skyline Software, so we support the platform as well as capturing the data. New captures can be added over time to show growth and change across each town.
Projects Across New Zealand
A selection of recent council projects. Clients are named where we’ve published a case study; for other projects we’re happy to provide references.
Waikato: Waikato District Council township 3D reality models. Drone capture, reality mesh, orthophoto and point cloud; Skyline support. Case study
Bay of Plenty: Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Waihi Beach and seawall monitoring. Biannual drone surveys over four years for consent monitoring. Case study
Auckland: Biosecurity New Zealand and Auckland Council stormwater ponds. Repeat filtered drone imagery to monitor invasive weed treatment. Case study
South Auckland: Great South Road bridge and stream underpass for Auckland Council. 3D scan and Revit model for shared-path design. Case study
South Island: district council LiDAR capture. Drone LiDAR to national specifications.
Auckland: council heritage buildings and parks. 3D scanning and CAD surveys.
How We Deliver
We agree the area, outputs and formats, and handle airspace and public notifications under our Part 102 certificate. Flights over roads, reserves and council land are planned around public use.
Scope & approvals
Drone imagery, LiDAR and laser scanning on surveyed control, with permanent marks for repeat surveys. Crews work to site-specific safety plans.
Processing & checks
Point clouds are classified and imagery is processed into orthophotos and 3D meshes, then checked against survey control before release.
Capture
GeoTIFF, LAS/LAZ, terrain models, contours, 3D meshes and CAD in NZTM2000 and NZVD2016, ready for your GIS, CAD or Skyline TerraExplorer.
Repeat surveys
Permanent marks and consistent methods let later surveys line up with earlier ones, so change can be measured over time.
GIS-ready delivery
Certified, Safe and Fully Compliant
Recon is a CAA Part 102 certificated unmanned aircraft operator. Part 102 is the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand’s certification for commercial drone operators who need to work beyond the standard Part 101 rules, and it is only granted once the CAA has reviewed and approved how an operator identifies and manages every hazard and risk.
What Part 102 certification means for your project:
More places we can fly: our certificate allows us to be approved for work that standard Part 101 rules restrict, such as flying over people or property, near aerodromes or in controlled airspace, subject to the conditions of our certificate and the required permissions.
A CAA-approved exposition: every operation follows our approved procedures for pilot competency, aircraft maintenance, flight planning and emergency response.
Job-specific risk management: each inspection includes a site risk assessment, airspace checks and coordination with air traffic control, landowners and site managers where needed.
Ongoing CAA oversight: as a certificated operator we are subject to CAA audits, giving asset owners and principal contractors confidence that the work meets New Zealand aviation safety standards.
Alongside our Part 102 certification, Recon holds SiteWise Gold accreditation and is a Site Safe member, so our health and safety systems meet the expectations of New Zealand’s leading contractors and asset owners.
Local Government FAQs
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Both. We capture anything from a single reserve or building to whole townships, and plan larger areas in stages around weather and your programme.
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GeoTIFF orthophotos, LAS/LAZ point clouds, terrain and surface models, contours (DWG, SHP), 3D meshes (3DML, 3D Tiles, OSGB, SLPK) and CAD, in NZTM2000 and NZVD2016 or your local circuit.
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Our drone LiDAR is accurate to better than ±50 mm, and down to ±20–30 mm in ideal conditions, with orthophotos at 4 cm resolution or better. Every job comes with an accuracy statement.
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Yes. We install permanent control and repeat flights with the same methods, so changes in sand, cliffs, vegetation or channels can be measured reliably between surveys.
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Yes. Reality models can be shared through web viewers and Skyline TerraExplorer, letting the public explore proposals in their real setting on a phone or computer.
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Yes. Recon is SiteWise Gold accredited, a CAA Part 102 certificated drone operator, and carries public liability and $2M professional indemnity insurance. Our capability statement is available on request.
Our Drone Fleet & Equipment
DJI Matrice 300 RTK
Heavy-lift inspection and survey platformOur workhorse for demanding sites. RTK positioning, up to 55 minutes of flight time and IP45 weather resistance let us fly longer, more precise missions while carrying professional camera payloads.
DJI Camera Payloads
Zenmuse H20, P1, XT2 and L2The full-frame P1 with 35mm and 50mm lenses captures survey-grade imagery for photogrammetry and 3D models. The H20 zoom camera inspects fine detail from a safe distance, the XT2 thermal camera reveals heat-related faults, and the L2 LiDAR sensor captures accurate 3D point clouds.
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise
Compact rapid-deployment droneQuick to deploy on smaller sites, roofs and tight spaces. Its mechanical-shutter wide camera and zoom camera deliver sharp inspection imagery and mapping data without the setup of a larger aircraft.