Te Pokapū - March 2026

Kia ora

Mapping in Aotearoa includes more than lines and coordinates. Mapping processes recorded traditional and local place names that carry histories, identities, and the mātauranga shared through those naming practices. Our mapping systems also involve hazard mapping that helps communities understand risks and make informed decisions about their safety. In this issue, we highlight access to historic maps and how LINZ data, tools, and services can support our partners to understand and plan for natural hazards.

Ko te Tāhuhu o te Whenua

I love maps because they capture place and time. Back home beneath our maunga, Pirongia o Te Aroaro o Kahu, our whenua is slowly eroding along our awa, Ngakoaowhia. Each season the banks shift, each flood leaves its mark, and my whānau continues to look for ways to restore balance.

Planting along the awa is only the beginning. The kōwhatu, rākau, insects, and life within the awa are all connected through a wider whakapapa. The stones show how the wai moves, the rākau shape which insects gather, and the tuna respond. When one part shifts, everything adjusts — because in Te Ao Māori, all things are interconnected.

Reading these relationships is tūpuna knowledge, shaped by our deep connection to the taiao. Historical maps from the LINZ Data Service add another layer, showing what once grew on our whenua and helping guide restoration today.

Hazard mapping works similarly. It shows how land, water, and climate interact, revealing pressures and emerging risks. LINZ datasets, including Resilience & Climate Change, Topographic Data, Aerial Imagery, Heritage Maps, and Sea‑Level Data - support communities to understand changes and plan.

When mātauranga and modern mapping come together, we gain a clearer view of how to protect our marae, homes, and whenua tuku iho. Ultimately, hazard mapping is about understanding relationships, the systems that sustain us, and using every tool we have to keep our people safe.

We provide data, tools, and services that help our partners understand natural hazards.

Historical maps

Historical maps are available on the LINZ Data Service including aerial imagery, old cadastral layers, and past Topo50 editions:
LINZ Data Service

Hazard mapping

Hazard mapping identifies:

• Flooding, slips, erosion
• Coastal hazards and sea-level rise
• Faults, liquefaction
• Vulnerability of buildings and whenua

LINZ isn’t a hazard authority, but our spatial data supports assessments across government and councils.

Key LINZ hazard-related data

Resilience & climate change

Geographic data for emergency and climate planning  
Resilience and climate change

Topographic data

Land features and national maps
Topographic data

Aerial imagery

Up-to-date public sector imagery
Aerial imagery

Heritage maps

Digitised 1800s survey maps 
maps.recollect.co.nz

Sea-level data

National tide and long-term sea-level records
Sea level data