New members sought for coastal mapping advisory group

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is inviting organisations to help show how high resolution data of the coast and seafloor can support hazard planning, climate adaptation and community resilience.

The 3D Coastal Mapping Advisory Group is open to expertise and perspectives from government, iwi, science, academia, industry and community groups to help test practical uses for the data, from hazard modelling to safeguarding cultural heritage.

‘This group connects high-quality coastal data with the people who can apply it to real-world challenges,’ Programme Lead Stuart Caie says.

‘Communities face big decisions about where to build, what to protect and how to respond to the impacts of a natural hazard. Each use case helps show what this data can deliver and gives decision makers better information to work from,’ Mr Caie says.

Possible uses for the data include tsunami and storm-surge modelling, coastal erosion assessments, understanding coastal processes, supporting search and rescue operations, and detecting changes to the coastline.

Expected benefits include protecting life and reducing harm from coastal hazards, strengthening community resilience, supporting climate adaptation planning, and helping safeguard infrastructure, conservation areas and culturally significant coastal places.

Members of the Advisory Group work with the programme team to test and record how the data benefits their work. They join when data relevant to them becomes available and generally stay involved until their use case is complete. This flexible approach means a wider range of organisations can contribute over the life of the programme.

The next intake opens in March 2027 when new data will be available. Organisations with a potential use for the data can register their interest by emailing 3DCM@linz.govt.nz. The Progress Tracker on the LINZ ArcGIS web map shows which areas have been published, as well as upcoming areas, and the quarter in which new data could become available -  3D Coastal Mapping Progress Tracker.

The 3D Coastal Mapping programme began in late 2023 and runs to June 2028. It is mapping up to 40 percent of New Zealand’s coastline, focusing on populated areas, significant infrastructure and places at greater risk of coastal inundation. LINZ will publish details of use cases on its website as they progress.

More information: 3D Coastal Mapping - Use cases