Land Information New Zealand has posted a request for tenders for surveying work around Canterbury following the 4 September earthquake.

The surveying work will focus on precise levelling of 409 benchmarks. A GNSS survey will also be required on 180 of these benchmarks. The survey will cover most of the Canterbury Plains area.

The earthquake – which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale – has resulted in land surface displacement over a large area of rural and urban land in Canterbury.

As a result, there has been a displacement of survey network marks from their pre-earthquake geographic positions.

An initial analysis of the damage conducted over the past month has shown that more precise levelling of benchmarks is necessary.

It has also been noted that there will be some destruction of non-boundary marks and boundary marks in areas subject to replacement of underground infrastructure and compaction of surface material.

Traverses of old and new marks will be lodged together with graphic plans of connections to as many marks and other boundary evidence as is feasible.

The Surveyor-General has provided some information on the LINZ website to assist cadastral surveyors working in the Canterbury region.