In-house Survey team proving invaluable

Our Survey team has only been in action since January 2025, but is already indispensable.

For the previous 10 years, Port Otago had contracted out its hydrographic surveying. A decision was made last year to bring the service in-house. We now have experienced surveyors Peng Ong and Allan Sutherland and a Senator 650, Mātai Awa, out on the harbour several days of each month.

GM Marine & Infrastructure Grant Bicknell: “Our always open strategy depends on an always open channel. By having surveying capability within our business, we can react to any storm events as soon as conditions allow and clear the channel ready for business within hours, versus days. Previously, we needed to wait for a contractor to get to us, before we could begin dredging.”

Welcoming larger vessels

There is also a bigger picture aspect. “The Survey team’s first task was a full hydrographical survey of our entire harbour channel. This established our exact channel depth profile in relation to accommodating our current shipping line vessels and any potential future vessels. It also confirmed that we are very close to our desired 14m depth, which we’ve been working towards for some time.”

Precision dredging

Grant says the Survey team works alongside the Dredging team most days, feeding them real-time measurements so they know exactly where to dredge and how deep. “We only dredge exactly what we need to, which is better for our harbour and is more commercially astute. Dredging uses fuel – and plenty of it – and unnecessary dredging wastes man hours and causes wear on equipment. So precision dredging is great, all round.”

Using our expertise

The team also carried out the bathymetric and terrestrial (LiDAR) survey of the Aramoana mole [see separate story] – a task that would have been contracted out, a year ago. 

“We are also able to help out the Harbourmaster with some survey work in the Eastern channel, for our recreational harbour users.”