Southland is one of eight regions in the country set to receive funding to obtain Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) elevation datasets.
The regions receiving the funding, including Canterbury and West Coast, will get a portion of $14 million from the Provincial Growth Fund.
LiDAR provides data that can be used to map and model changes to the environment.
The initiative is managed by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) on behalf of the Provincial Development Unit and will allow New Zealand's total LiDAR coverage to increase to approximately 80 percent, from the current 10 percent.
LINZ Deputy chief executive Jan Pierce said the data captured by LiDAR would support regions to make infrastructure investment decisions and prepare communities and industries for climate change.
Head of the Provincial Development Unit Robert Pigou said, "Having highly accurate land information also supports good planning and decision-making by industries looking to invest in the regions, particularly in the agriculture and forestry sectors. This investment will be an important enabler of investment and growth into the future."
LINZ is to issue a request for tender to select aerial survey companies for data collection and a second round of co-funding with an application deadline of February 28 2020 allows other councils to prepare co-funding applications.
