Geodetic Annual Programme 2009/10

30 September 2009

Each year, LINZ out-sources geodetic survey control and mark maintenance to contractors selected through a tendering process via the Government Electronic Tender Services (GETS).

The contracts for the 2009/10 geodetic control and maintenance programmes have been awarded and contractors have already begun surveying and repairing geodetic control marks.

This year’s Geodetic Control Programme is made up of more than 1000 marks located from Whangarei to Waverly in Dunedin, while the Geodetic Maintenance Programme is made up of 250 marks from north of Auckland to the south of Southland.

Geodetic Control Programme

In the past, the Geodetic Control Programme has largely focused on extending geodetic control into developing and/or rural areas where old cadastral datum plans are still being submitted. However, this year the spotlight has fallen on urban areas such as Karori in Wellington and Riccarton in Christchurch, where many of the geodetic control marks were installed pre-1900. It is unsurprising that many of these marks have been destroyed over time or are no longer in an appropriate location, for example in carriageways, making them virtually unusable due to modern traffic flows. These marks are being re-established in more accessible and practical locations.

Geodetic Maintenance Programme

Maintaining beacons and protection structures on prominent and often used geodetic control marks to ensure their ongoing availability, and safety to surveyors and other control network users is the focus of this year’s programme. It also serves as a check on the reliability of other important geodetic control points, to ensure these marks are not damaged or under threat by other land use activities.

LINZ uses information from its own systems and databases such as Landonline to determine geodetic marks that require maintenance. However, we also rely on surveyors and the general public to provide feedback and report on any marks, beacons or protection structures that are damaged or in an unstable condition.

You can report damage or disturbances to survey marks, including marks requiring maintenance or areas needing additional geodetic control.

Media enquiries: Brad Young, Land Information New Zealand, phone +64 4 460 0147, email media@linz.govt.nz