LiDAR, Aerial Mapping and Terrain Models for Land Development
Accurate ground data from day one, for subdivision design, earthworks, drainage and consenting.
Good development design starts with good ground data. Recon captures greenfield and brownfield sites with drone LiDAR, high-resolution aerial photography and GNSS survey, and supplies terrain models, contours, orthophotos and CAD features ready for your engineers, planners and architects.
The Problems We Help Solve
True levels across the whole site, not just the open areas.
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LiDAR maps the true ground under grass, scrub and trees, which photogrammetry can’t.
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Accurate terrain models for cut and fill, before and during construction.
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Drones capture steep gullies, wetlands and stream banks without sending surveyors in.
What We Deliver
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Terrain Models & Contours
Classified ground points, terrain models and contours accurate to better than ±50 mm vertical on hard surfaces.
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Orthophotos & Features
4 cm orthophotos and CAD features: kerbs, breaklines, drains, buildings, trees and fences.
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Earthworks & Drainage
Cut and fill, drainage and overland flow modelling from accurate ground data.
Why LiDAR for Development Sites
LiDAR sends laser pulses through gaps in vegetation and records the ground underneath, so you get a true terrain model across the whole site. On a Northland rail tunnels project, our drone LiDAR achieved thousands of reliable ground strikes under dense bush where photogrammetry couldn't see the ground.
We use the same approach on 100+ ha solar farm sites, combining drone LiDAR, aerial photography and GNSS into one design-ready dataset.
Projects Across New Zealand
A selection of recent projects. Client names are withheld; we're happy to provide references.
Auckland: coastal reserve and headland. Drone LiDAR terrain model for planning.
Bay of Plenty: industrial land development. Drone LiDAR and orthophoto for site design.
North Island: retirement village developments. Drone LiDAR and aerial mapping for site design.
Northland & Taranaki: proposed utility-scale solar sites. LiDAR, aerial photography and feature extraction.
Manawatū / Tararua: wind farm repowering. Drone LiDAR of the wind farm and haul roads for earthworks design.
How We Deliver
We agree the site, deliverables and datum, and notify landowners and occupiers.
Scope & plan
Survey control, drone LiDAR and aerial photography, plus GNSS survey of features such as culvert inverts.
Capture
Early LiDAR data within about 4 working days of capture; full deliverables typically 2–3 weeks after capture.
Process & deliver
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.
Land Development FAQs
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Yes, for most site and earthworks design. On open, hard surfaces our drone LiDAR is accurate to better than ±50 mm vertically and ±100 mm horizontally. We combine it with GNSS survey for critical features such as culvert inverts, and supply an accuracy statement with every job.
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Photogrammetry builds a surface from photos, so it maps the top of grass, scrub and trees. LiDAR sends laser pulses through gaps in vegetation and records the ground underneath, giving a true terrain model on vegetated sites.
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Yes. We regularly capture sites of 100 ha or more in a day or two, depending on terrain, airspace and weather.
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Typical deliverables include:
a classified LiDAR point cloud
a terrain model and contours
an orthophoto
CAD features such as breaklines, trees, fences, buildings and drains
a survey report
All are in NZTM2000 and NZVD2016 or your project datum.
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We tie all data to the LINZ geodetic datum, so it lines up with cadastral boundaries and your surveyor’s data. Boundary definition itself is done by a licensed cadastral surveyor, and we often work alongside them.
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.