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OUR COMPANY

Australia
HiDef speak at the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)

HiDef speak at the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)

We’re thrilled to announce that Jess Harvey will be speaking at the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) 2024 Impact Assessment Symposium! 🌿

Join her talk, ‘Smooth Sailing: How Lessons Learned from the UK Can Streamline Australia’s Offshore Wind Future’ on Tuesday morning. Jess will discuss assessing and managing potential impacts on marine mammals and seabirds, drawing on UK case studies. She’ll highlight methodologies for robust baseline surveys to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making, offering insights on applying these lessons in Australia.

 

 

HiDef to be attending the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) 2024

HiDef to be attending the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) 2024

HiDef Aerial Surveying is excited to be attending the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) 2024 Impact Assessment Symposium! 🌿

Join us as we engage with industry experts and share our insights on impact assessments for offshore wind development in Australia. Learn how our digital aerial surveys contribute to environmental monitoring and impact assessments. We look forward to discussing the latest advancements and innovations in the field.

Get in touch with our Australia Program Manager Maria Gadeke or Jess Harvey to meet us there!

 

 

HiDef Aerial Surveying Opens its First Office in Australia

HiDef Aerial Surveying Opens its First Office in Australia

HiDef Aerial Surveying is thrilled to announce the opening of its first office in Melbourne this month, marking a significant milestone in our expansion into the Australian market. Strategically located in Victoria, this new office will serve as a hub for our Australian operations, providing the local presence needed to effectively support and collaborate with Australian developers and regulators in the offshore wind sector.

 

 

HiDef Aerial Surveying is dedicated to delivering world class digital aerial survey services, focusing on seabird and marine mammal baseline studies and monitoring to support the offshore renewables sector. Utilising bespoke video camera technology, we provide essential data for environmental impact assessments. With approximately 70% of the UK’s offshore wind farms having used HiDef’s services, we bring a proven track record of reliability and precision to Australia.

We are excited to be part of Australia’s emerging offshore wind sector and look forward to supporting the development of sustainable energy projects. Stay tuned for more updates on our projects and initiatives as we continue to advance renewable energy in Australia.

For more information about HiDef Aerial Surveying and our services, contact our Australia Program Manager, Maria Gaedeke at maria.gaedeke@hidefsurveying.co.uk.

 

HiDef Aerial Surveying presented at the Australia Wind Energy Conference 2024

HiDef Aerial Surveying presented at the Australia Wind Energy Conference 2024

At the recent Australia Wind Energy Conference 2024, Jess Harvey and Ruth Peters-Grundy from HiDef Aerial Surveying delivered an insightful keynote presentation titled “Making Informed Decisions – Key Ecological Evidence Needs for Reducing Consenting Risk.” Drawing on their extensive experience in the UK, they explored critical aspects of ecological evidence that can mitigate consenting risks in environmental assessments.

The presentation emphasised the importance of comprehensive baseline data to inform evidence-based decision-making and reduce consenting risk for offshore wind farm projects. In Europe, digital aerial surveys are standard practice for collecting data on marine mammals and seabirds as part of offshore wind baseline studies. HiDef is the leading provider of digital aerial surveys in the UK and Europe, conducting over 500 flights in 2023 alone.

 

 

HiDef’s digital video aerial surveys offer continuous footage across the survey area, providing data on species presence, abundance, and distribution. These data are vital to feed into environmental impact assessment processes.

We are also able to estimate seabird flight height for collision risk modelling using our innovative in-house photogrammetry techniques, which determine flight height from our existing footage making this a cost-effective option for our clients. Additionally, we can deliver LiDAR solutions upon client request.

Maria Gaedeke and Dilwyn Jones also attended the conference, contributing to discussions on innovation and best practices for environmental baseline data collection.

Stay tuned for more updates from HiDef Aerial Surveying as we continue to share our expertise and experience in Australia.

 

 

 

First Commercial HiDef Flight in Australia

First Commercial HiDef Flight in Australia

HiDef Aerial Surveying Limited and BioConsult SH have conducted their first digital survey flight for marine species off the south-east coast of Australia. The flight took place for the construction of the planned wind farm “Seadragon”.
In order to assess the impact of the construction and operation of an offshore wind farm, it is important to monitor the fauna at the affected sites. In this way, it is possible to understand how the animals use the area at different times of the year and under different weather conditions. The surveys will take place monthly to record seabirds, whales and other species found in the area.

Seadragon Offshore Wind is one of the first offshore wind projects planned in Australia and is being implemented by international developer Flotation Energy. With a planned capacity of 1.5 GW, electricity could be generated for up to 1 million homes in the state of Victoria. We are delighted to be part of this project and to accompany Australia on its journey to harness offshore wind energy as a renewable energy source.

Seadragon’s marine baseline investigations are being led by RPS in collaboration with a number of other scientific and academic partners, including HiDef. The HiDef flight surveys are carried out by 360° Aviation, an aircraft charter company based in Melbourne.
The tailor-made, high-resolution video camera system was developed by our British partner company HiDef Aerial Surveying, which has been part of the German BioConsult SH family since 2016. Since 2008, HiDef and BioConsult SH have been using this system to record seabirds and marine mammals at an altitude of over 500 meters. The method sets new standards for ecological surveys, as it minimizes disturbance to wildlife and reduces safety risks. Compared to observer flights to record birds and marine mammals at sea, the system provides significantly better and verifiable data for environmental impact assessments and nature conservation projects.

 

 

 

 

 

HiDef and BioConsult expand to Australia

HiDef and BioConsult expand to Australia

HiDef with BioConsult have expanded services to Australia and have deployed a survey rig and staff in south east Australia as a first step. With momentum building in the regions offshore industry digital aerial surveying will play a key part in the consenting process.

We are working closely with Melbourne based ecological consultancy Nature Advisory, dedicated professionals with extensive experience in addressing the biodiversity information requirements of decision-makers and regulators throughout Australia. They will add an ‘Aussie’ QA to our works and help with logistics for our data.

Maria Gädeke has moved over from Germany and is our Wildlife Projects Manager is based in Melbourne Australia and is our first point of contact regarding our ongoing projects.

If you are located in Australia and want to discuss any projects please contact Maria, she would be more than happy to answer any questions!

Maria’s contact information:

Email: Maria Gädeke m.gaedeke@bioconsult-sh.de or maria.gaedeke@hidefsurveying.co.uk

Contact number: +61 (0) 402 230 352

 

ADDRESS:

The Observatory,

Dobies Business Park,

Lillyhall, Workington,

Cumbria, CA14 4HX

Tel: 01946 814463

Registered in England and Wales No. 5587044

Registered Office: The Observatory, Dobies Business Park, Lillyhall, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 4HX

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