2024 Unsealed Roads Project for Auckland Council

This project, conducted in partnership with Lynker Analytics, uses high spatial and temporal resolution satellite imagery alongside machine learning techniques to identify “bare earth” and unsealed roads across the Auckland region.

Knowledge Auckland have published this report "Auckland Council Unsealed roads. Data Quality, Accuracy and Summary Report 2024".

The model analysis defines areas of bare earth as gravel, exposed soil, and sand.

GIS (Geographic Information System) processing techniques were used to consider key features, in conjunction with bare earth and unsealed roads, including intersections with overland flow pathways, river networks, and steep slopes.

Additionally, the identification of unsealed roads, within high-risk environments, can be used to prioritise sealing works and road improvement works, such as through the Unsealed Roads Improvement Framework that Auckland Transport leads or to support the strategic management of potential sediment generating areas, across the entire Auckland region.

These resulting datasets can be used to provide further understanding to monitor the complex interactions of, roads, sediment within sensitive receiving environments and waterways.

This has the potential to inform compliance, management, and monitoring across Auckland, utilising near real-time satellite imagery.