Meet LINZ National Geodesist

The LINZ geodetic team is a highly specialist technical group led by Graeme Blick, National Geodesist. Graeme’s experience over the last 30 years in the survey industry makes him ideally placed to provide technical leadership to the data analysts in the geodetic area and a team management role across the broader hydrographic, topographic and geodetic teams within the Specialist Processing and Data Management Group, Customer Services.

Graeme has been involved in many key projects during his time with LINZ, notably the review of the national datum, map projections and development of a national GPS permanent tracking network PositioNZ.

“We’ve been working with GNS Science to establish a network of continuously operating GNSS reference stations. With over 30 established around the country and in Antarctica, we’re now looking at working with the private sector to see how we can use the data from the network to build what’s called a real-time network,” says Graeme.

The spatial alignment between the cadastre and the geodetic network is another significant area of work, and in particular how LINZ can improve the spatial accuracy of the cadastre in rural areas.

“Aligned with this is a project to maintain the spatial alignment between the cadastre and the geodetic system even in spatially accurate areas,” says Graeme. “This is particularly relevant for when we have events such as earthquakes, which is very topical at the moment given the recent Fiordland earthquake. We now need to readjust our geodetic system and then realign the cadastre with it.”

LINZ has a commitment to surveyors, Territorial Authorities and other parties interested in the cadastre to maintain the integrity of the underlying data to support the accurate and efficient transaction of land in New Zealand. LINZ makes sure that users needs are listened to and are appropriately met.

“It is all about awareness and getting a two-way dialogue with people who use geodetic systems. This year we encouraged comment and feedback on our products and services via an online survey and we are in the process of evaluating some of the responses we already have. In the meantime, we’ll continue to provide accurate control and information through our website that meets the needs of a broad range of users, but in many respects, this is just the beginning.”