My Story

Kia Ora.

My name is Les and I am the owner of Spatial Data Services Ltd.. I have over 40 years of experience as a land surveyor (specializing in Engineering and Construction Surveying), software development, and Mine Surveying. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Surveying from Queensland University of Technology and a Graduate Diploma in IT with a specialization in software development from Capricornia University. 

I am a New Zealand Statutory Mine Surveyor. This certification was required for underground survey works associated with the Central Interceptor Tunnel, in Auckland. I am very experienced with mine survey and mine planning for open-cut operations.

I have given back to the surveying profession by serving on the Engineering Survey Stream Committee, for Survey and Spatial New Zealand; to establish the Certified Professional Engineering Surveyor qualification.  

I have worked on projects in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, PNG, and Indonesia, including the Ok Tedi Mine, Clem7 Tunnel, SH16 Lincoln Rd to Westgate, Central Interceptor, Mangamuka Slip Repairs and a Steven Spielberg movie set.

I am passionate about land surveying and using technology to improve workplace safety, productivity, and decision making. My experience as a digital engineer started in the 80s when Geocomp software was developed. I have since worked on software such as QSurv, Virtual Surveyor, and an intranet-based Survey Request Database System. My most recent project involved a volumetric analysis of close to 1000 million data points.

I worked for 20 years for Thiess in Australia overseeing all operations in Australia and off-shore. We were the first company in Australia  to trial terrestrial scanning (Quarryman), aerial LiDAR (Optech), machine control (Trimble) and graphical data collection (QSurv). Post-Thiess I developed, in conjunction with Brad Quick from Geocomp, the first automated deformation monitoring system using Trimble robotic total stations. After the 2011 Queensland floods myself, Brad Chambers and Nick Nolan were the first company in Australia to use mobile laser mapping. Post flooding the habitable floor levels of 6,500 homes and businesses needed to be recorded for resilience planning and future flooding.

A complete summary of my experience can be found on my LinkedIn profile; which can be accessed by clicking on the button below.