Staff employed by a Workington-based specialist surveying company have spent the first three months of the year working on a proposed new windfarm in Australia.
HiDef Aerial Surveying has been conducting digital aerial surveys for the Gippsland 01 offshore wind project off the coast of Victoria where Ørsted’s first offshore wind project in Australia is set to be constructed.
Collaborating with AECOM as the environmental lead and Nature Advisory as a key local partner, HiDef has already gathered valuable data on marine mammals and seabird populations in the region.
By combining the company’s extensive European experience with Nature Advisory’s local expertise, HiDef is able to provide environmental data essential for understanding the unique ecological dynamics of Gippsland waters.
The baseline studies are among the first of their kind in Australia and play a crucial role in ensuring that offshore wind developments are both sustainable and environmentally responsible.
Digital aerial surveys are a standard requirement for offshore wind baseline studies across Europe, providing crucial data on seabirds and marine mammals.
The company says digital aerial surveying technology is now setting new standards for environmental monitoring in Australia.
Equipment used includes:
- High resolution video: video technology captures up to eight detailed images per animal, capable of achieving high species identification rates of over 95% for seabirds in Europe.
- Minimise disturbance: HiDef conducts surveys at an altitude above 500m to ensure safe operations above offshore infrastructure while minimising disturbance to seabirds and marine mammals.
- Angled, rotatable cameras: HiDef’s cameras are angled 30° off vertical for better species identification and can be rotated to significantly reduce the risk of data loss from glare.
The company is continuing to work on the project.
