Low flying plane to map North Shore City

North Shore residents may hear and see a low flying aircraft over the city in the next few days - but they should not be alarmed.

The light aircraft is undertaking an aerial survey for North Shore City, using a system known as a 'Lidar'. This uses harmless laser technology to obtain an accurate digital terrain picture of the city. It can determine land heights with great accuracy, to around 15cm, and this will be used to generate contours at intervals of only 0.25 of a metre.

City engineers say that the aerial survey is scheduled to start tomorrow (Tuesday, August 31) and could run until September 4. The flights are weather dependant, and may also take place at night, so at this stage the exact flying times can't be determined.

Information from the survey will be used to help engineers understand more about stormwater flows, which in turn helps with the development of the city's stormwater management projects.

The data will also be incorporated into the council's existing geographical information system, and will be used for a further range of projects as well as for identifying overland flow paths and flood plains alongside streams.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>