Economic development

3D coastal mapping helps the economy by giving better information for planning and decision-making. It supports smarter infrastructure development, helps prepare for natural disasters, and improves safety at sea. These benefits lead to saving money, lowering risks, and boosting economic activity in coastal areas.

Key benefits

Key benefits to economic development are listed below.

  • Risk reduction and cost savings.
    • Lower damage costs to assets, infrastructure, and land through better zoning and planning.
    • Net savings from reduced damage to coastal buildings via improved hazard prediction.
    • Reduced litigation risk for councils due to more consistent and accessible data.
  • Improved decision-making.
    • Better investment decisions with reduced risk of stranded assets and improved risk assessment.
    • Enhanced aquaculture site selection using detailed seabed maps, boosting industry growth.
    • More accurate coastal and marine boundaries, supporting legal and planning clarity.
  • Climate and sustainability reporting
    • Supports climate risk assessments for councils and businesses under climate disclosure regulations.
    • Enables sustainable coastal development by informing habitat mapping and coastal process understanding.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture is growing fast, currently earning around $750 million a year. The Government aims to double export value in 10 years, with aquaculture expected to reach $3 billion annually by 2035. 

Growth will boost regional resilience and create jobs through new infrastructure like ports, hatcheries, and processing plants.

The Government’s Aquaculture Strategy (to be reviewed in 2025) includes goals to:

  • protect the industry from biological threats
  • help it adapt to climate change.

This requires forecasting climate impacts and managing risks to support sustainable growth.

To unlock aquaculture and coastal opportunities, we need to understand the underwater environment and high-quality 3D mapping will help identify the best locations, balancing economic gains with environmental protection.

Better elevation and sea-level data can also support new types of land-based farming, for example areas near sea level may become unsuitable for traditional farming but ideal for saltwater-based production.

Tourism

Tourism makes a significant contribution to New Zealand’s economy, generating $28.7 billion, or 7.5% of GDP in 2024 and employed more than 303,000 people.

Hydrography and coastal mapping will boost tourism in New Zealand by making maritime activities safer and more enjoyable. They provide essential information to facilitate more informed decision-making for tourism businesses and visitors. 

The 3DCM technology allows for detailed visualisation of coastal areas, improved planning for recreational activities, and a better understanding of coastal hazards. This ensures a richer and safer experience for tourists exploring New Zealand’s beautiful coasts and will promote economic growth. 

Trade

Shipping is vital to New Zealand with over 99% of goods (by volume) travelling by sea and contributing approximately $7 billion to the economy. 3D Coastal Mapping outputs will support the safety, efficiency, and infrastructure of New Zealand’s maritime trade.

High-quality hydrography and coastal mapping will provide detailed and accurate information about coastal areas which is crucial for maritime safety, infrastructure development, and understanding potential risks from climate change, for example data on water depths, seabed conditions and navigational hazards. 

This information will support safer and more efficient navigation, assist disaster preparedness and reduce accidents and disruptions to trade routes 

Detailed maps also aid in planning and developing ports, optimising infrastructure for larger vessels and increased cargo volume. 

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