Published Monday, 22 September 2025
Lyttelton Port Company is making significant strides in the digital space by rapidly developing knowledge and capability in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The New Zealand Esri User Conference, held in Christchurch from 12 to 14 September, enabled several LPC staff to attend, expand their knowledge, and connect with others using this software.
GIS is revolutionising how information is displayed and shared, improving communication and greater operational efficiencies across LPC as staff embrace the mapping technology.
Chief Information Officer, Jackie Dawson, says she was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the presentations and the remarkable turnout of attendees.
“It was fantastic to see staff from various teams present at the event. I left with a clear sense of the vast potential and opportunities that GIS presents,” said Jackie.
“It was a powerful reminder of the impact of storytelling, highlighted by the excellent examples of storymaps showcased at the conference,” she added.
Environment and Sustainability Business Partner, Kirsty Brennan, says it is essential for multiple teams at the port.
“Engineers, asset managers, marine specialists, and the environmental team now rely on GIS to streamline their work,” said Kirsty.
“The technology allows people to visualise asset locations, track maintenance needs, and communicate complex data in a user-friendly way,” Kirsty added.
Kirsty has been using ArcGIS software throughout her science career.
Using GIS to analyse data at LPC, Kirsty has developed a method to determine LPC’s impacts on nature and to track progress towards the company’s biodiversity-positive ambition. This is a first in New Zealand, and Kirsty presented on this at the conference.
Practical applications of GIS at LPC include locating stormwater sumps for maintenance or cleaning, to high resolution imagery and crack detection mapping to viewing bollard ratings and emergency equipment locations, our teams are enjoying the ability to visualise and communicate data.
Kirsty says we are only scratching the surface of what GIS can do, and it has already saved significant time and costs.
Key learnings Kirsty took away from the conference were how councils manage assets, how drone images can be used for analysis, and how AI is improving data patterns and analysis.