Real-time Monitoring Takes Centre Stage In ALGIM Resilience Discussion

Hosted by ALGIM Chief Executive Mike Manson, the 90-minute session, Building Resilient Communities: Data, Monitoring and Risk Tools for Flood and Landslip Management, brought together practitioners working across recovery, engineering, geotechnical assessment and environmental monitoring.

ALGIM provides professional development and thought leadership for local government professionals across areas including ICT, digital, information management, customer service and GIS.

So, this discussion was particularly timely given the increasing frequency and intensity of severe weather events affecting communities around New Zealand.

Alongside Guy Macpherson, the panel included Darren De Klerk from Hastings District Council, Ben Westgate from Tonkin + Taylor, and Damien Young from Zealandia Consulting. Together, the group shone a spotlight on how councils are responding to evolving flood and landslip risks, and how real-time data is helping shift resilience planning from reactive response to proactive decision-making.

A major focus of the discussion was Hastings District Council’s work following Cyclone Gabrielle, a devastating event causing extensive flooding and infrastructure damage across the Havelock North catchment.

De Klerk outlined how the council has developed a more coordinated and data-informed approach to monitoring dams, streams and flood behaviour across the network. Central to that approach has been the use of real-time monitoring systems, including the implementation of Adroit technology to monitor river levels and incorporating that data into dashboards to provide live visibility across the catchment.

“We’re really proud of the work that we’ve done with the Adroit system and our own internal teams,” De Klerk said during the webinar.

The system now combines live dam levels, stream monitoring, rainfall forecasting and alert thresholds into a publicly accessible dashboard that supports council operations, emergency management and community awareness during weather events.

De Klerk explained that one of the key lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle was the importance of understanding not just water levels, but how fast conditions are changing and what that means downstream for roads, bridges, properties and communities.

For Hastings District Council, the goal was not simply to install sensors, but to build a monitoring system that directly supports real-world operational decisions.

“If a monitoring network doesn’t influence one of those decisions, it’s probably worth asking ourselves why,” De Klerk said.

That transition naturally led into Macpherson’s discussion around the practical role of real-time environmental monitoring and how councils around New Zealand are increasingly using connected monitoring networks to build resilience.

Macpherson explained that Adroit’s role extends well beyond supplying individual devices. Instead, the company focuses on delivering complete end-to-end monitoring solutions that combine sensors, connectivity, calibration, dashboards, alerting systems and ongoing support.

“Adroit’s strength is that we’re an end-to-end solution provider,” Macpherson said. “We assess the technology, bring best-of-breed solutions into the country, test them, build the standard operating procedures; and then we support councils and consultants with installation, maintenance and data integration.”

He outlined Adroit’s work across weather stations, rain gauges, water quality monitoring, geotechnical monitoring, flood detection and image capture systems, many of which are now being used to support resilience and emergency response planning.

A key theme throughout the presentation was the importance of making environmental data useful and actionable.
“Around floods and landslips, we see massive benefits because real-time monitoring helps shift decision-making from reactive to proactive,” Macpherson said.

Engineering geologist Ben Westgate from Tonkin + Taylor also highlighted how monitoring technology is changing the way engineers understand slope behaviour and geohazard risk.

He explained that traditional groundwater monitoring methods often relied on infrequent manual measurements, sometimes taken months apart. Real-time monitoring now provides continuous visibility into how rainfall events affect groundwater and slope stability.

“We suddenly had this brilliant profile of actually what Cyclone Gabrielle did to the ground,” he said, describing how automated groundwater logging revealed significant underground changes that had previously gone unseen.

Westgate noted that increasingly intense rainfall events are rapidly saturating surface soils and changing slope behaviour across New Zealand, particularly where urban development and vegetation removal have altered natural land stability.

The session also explored how monitoring is evolving from isolated data collection toward integrated systems that combine rainfall, groundwater, slope movement, water levels and modelling into a more complete picture of risk.

Zealandia Consulting founder Damien Young said resilience ultimately depends on more than technology alone.“The technology is essential,” he said. “Without it, we’re never really going to get anywhere.”

However, he stressed that resilience also requires community engagement, governance, organisational coordination and public trust.

Young described resilience as a shared capability involving councils, emergency management teams, iwi, communities, infrastructure providers and technical specialists working together. He also highlighted the growing importance of integrated digital systems that allow councils to manage workflows, emergency response and public communication more effectively during severe weather events.

Macpherson identified four key benefits of real-time monitoring systems: immediate and relevant alerts, stronger planning insights, improved community engagement, and the ability to scale monitoring networks according to risk and budget.

The webinar also explored how councils are using different operating models depending on their internal capability and resources. In some cases, councils manage installations and maintenance themselves using Adroit-supported systems. In others, Adroit provides installation, maintenance and operational support directly.

One emerging trend discussed was the growing involvement of communities and businesses in resilience monitoring. Macpherson shared examples where businesses and local communities are helping fund or support monitoring networks that provide early warning and improve local awareness during severe weather events.

The discussion also highlighted the growing role of cameras and visual monitoring alongside traditional water level sensors. Pairing imagery with live environmental data gives councils and communities a clearer understanding of what is physically happening during rapidly changing weather conditions.

Connectivity was another important topic. Macpherson explained that both satellite and cellular technologies have a role depending on location, network resilience and risk profile. In remote or vulnerable regions, satellite connectivity can provide critical redundancy, while urban environments often benefit from strong cellular coverage and lower operating costs.

Throughout the webinar, a consistent message emerged from all speakers: technology alone is not the solution. Real resilience depends on how data is integrated into planning, emergency management, maintenance programmes, governance and community engagement.

As Macpherson noted during the panel discussion, the challenge is not simply choosing technology, but building systems that can evolve alongside changing risks and growing community expectations.

For Adroit, participating in the ALGIM webinar was an opportunity to contribute to an important national conversation around resilience, preparedness and the future of environmental monitoring in New Zealand.

As councils continue adapting to more frequent and complex weather events, the role of trusted, real-time environmental data is only becoming more important.