Pole top photography and LiDAR

Per Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requirements, the helicopter will only be flying in open air space. That means it will fly above 300 metres in urban areas, and above 150 metres in rural areas.

Your privacy will not be impacted by this work. We are only taking photos of our poles and crossarms, not residential properties. The photos are for internal asset assessment purposes only and are held in a secure location. Here is an example of the type of photos taken:

Drones can only last for a short period in the air before they need to be charged. It would require someone to travel with it on the ground across the network, which would be inefficient. A helicopter can run for several hours and cover much greater distances. 

Aethon Aerial Solutions, who will contract local pilots to carry out the work.

Our electricity network stretches across the North Island, made up of about 264,000 poles. It is impossible for us to survey all of these in one summer, so we’ve been spreading out the surveys since 2018. 

Depending on timing, we may be able to liaise with our flight crew so that people with animals can be given prior notice of when the helicopter is likely to fly over a specific area. Check the map above for your area, and if you'd still like to talk to a team member, please fill in the form above or contact our general enquiries team.