We have brought together our natural hazards spatial data into a single, online, easy to use, natural hazards map viewer.
Explore this web map to find out which natural hazards might affect the places you live, work and play. It’s important that everyone is aware of the natural hazards that might affect you in the Tasman District. The map viewer displays natural hazard map data and includes links to access to reports and the data behind the maps.
Not all properties have all hazards, and hazard information may not be available for all areas of the district. For example, if there are no flood modelling results available for a given area, it may still be susceptible to flooding. It is therefore important that you obtain expert advice to help to interpret the information.
Open the natural hazards map viewer in a new window here.(external link)
The data underpinning the maps can be accessed through GeoHub(external link).
The hazard information is subject to change with existing information reviewed on an ongoing basis. Data and information will be added as new data become available or research is completed.
The hazard information provided in the maps is not a substitute for a Land Information Memorandum. The hazard information provided in the maps is district or area-wide in scope and cannot be substituted for a site-specific investigation.
What does the map viewer show?
The maps show information held by the Council about some of the natural hazards (and related information) that occur across Tasman District. The maps have been grouped into broad categories:
The maps show the location and extent (or potential extent) of a hazard – they do not show risk or consequence.
Maps are not available for every natural hazard that may occur in Tasman (e.g. wildfire).
The maps indicate the extent of the natural hazards from analysis of information available to Council. They do not necessarily reflect the greatest extent of the hazard suffered in the past or likely to be suffered in the future.
Why has Council made this information available?
Most of the information on the maps has been available on Council’s website for some time. This map viewer brings the different hazard maps together in one place.
These maps help inform our community about areas that may be vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, slope instability, and sea-level rise. By knowing where these hazards can occur, people can use this information in their own decision making. For example: to make your home safer for natural hazards; to make educated choices when deciding where to live; or to know what hazards could affect the area you live in.
Where have you got the information from for the maps and how accurate is it?
Our natural hazards information comes from a range of sources. This includes Council commissioning technical advice or modelling from experts, Council staff advice and observations from previous flooding events, or national datasets. For information derived from models, Council will typically calibrate and/or validate models to ensure that the methodology is robust. This includes comparing modelled outputs against observed actual events where possible.
Can I use this information instead of a LIM?
The hazard information provided in the maps is not a substitute for a Land Information Memorandum (LIM).
The hazard information provided in the maps is district or area-wide in scope and cannot be substituted for site-specific investigation or advice.
Property-specific information can be provided by applying for a LIM.
Will this information be put on a LIM for my property?
When someone applies for a Land Information Memorandum (LIM), the Council is required to convey in the LIM all information known to Council about natural hazards. The information shown in the maps has been known to Council for some time, and so Council has already been including this information in LIMs.
How will this mapped information affect my property value?
Most of the information on the maps has been available on our website for some time.
Implications of the mapped information will vary from property to property and the Council is not able to determine whether there will be any effect on property values.
How will this mapped information affect my property insurance?
In the first instance you can contact your insurance provider to discuss your specific policy.
The Council cannot advise property owners about the implications of this mapped information on your ability to obtain insurance or on insurance premiums.
We do know that the insurance industry uses local government-produced natural hazards data, along with their own assessments, to quantify natural hazard risk to help determine insurance coverage and/or premiums. Most of the information on the maps has been available on the Council website for some time.
The map shows my property is affected by sea-level rise. What does this mean for me?
The rate and magnitude of future sea-level rise is uncertain, especially later this century and beyond. Scientists advise that sea levels will continue to rise and that levels are likely to rise at an accelerated rate over time as the earth’s temperature rises, meaning changes could happen sooner than predicted – or there may be changes to emission rates that reduce the rate of warming. Uncertainty is a key message. What we do know is that rising sea levels will have increasing implications for development and infrastructure in coastal areas along with environmental, cultural and societal effects.
More information on sea-level rise can be found here.
My property is shown within an area susceptible to flooding, what does this mean?
The mapped areas are where land may flood during an extreme rainfall event based on flood hazard data held by Council. The degree to which an individual property would be affected by such flooding will depend on a number of factors including the location of the property in relation to the river or overland flow path, the depth and velocity of the flood water, and duration of ponding. Building characteristics such as the floor height and construction materials, as well as the nature of landscaping and fencing around a building can also influence the extent of flood damage that may occur.
More information on flooding can be found here.
The map shows a fault line running through my property. What does this mean for me?
Fault rupture can result in ground displacement and deformation at the ground surface. This can cause significant damage to structures built across or very close to the fault line.
The Tasman Resource Management Plan includes parts of the Waimea, Eighty-Eight, Wairau-Alpine, White Creek and Lyell faults within the ‘Fault Rupture Risk Area’ overlay and the associated planning rules seek to avoid building structures directly over an active fault line. The overlay acts as a flag to pay extra attention when developing a site or undertaking new building work in that area.
More information on earthquake faults can be found here.
The map shows that my property is in the Slope Instability Risk Area . What does this mean for me?
The Tasman Resource Management Plan identifies a ‘Slope Instability Risk Area’ (SIRA) overlay and associated planning rules which seek to control the location of habitable buildings and earthwork activities (e.g. tracks, building platforms) in these areas.
The SIRA provides high-level guidance to landowners and the wider community on areas that could be subject to slope instability hazards. The overlay and rules act as a flag to pay extra attention to slope stability when developing a site or undertaking new building work in these areas. The SIRA rules require geotechnical assessment of the ground conditions and site stability and may include recommended mitigation measures (if necessary).
More information on slope instability and debris run-out susceptibility can be found here.
The map shows that my property is in an area where Liquefaction Damage is Possible. What does this mean for me?
The areas mapped as ‘liquefaction is possible’ do not necessarily mean liquefaction will occur across all of these areas. In fact, the gravelly nature of Tasman’s alluvial plains is such that incidences of liquefaction may be much more limited in extent, but there could be “pockets” of liquefiable fine-grained sands and silts within these areas (such as an old infilled and buried river channel). The uncertainty of where such areas are located results in them being mapped as ‘liquefaction is possible’. Low-lying land at the estuary and coastal margins are often vulnerable to liquefaction.
Landowners may hold site specific information, such as a geotechnical assessment, which will provide more accurate detail than what is shown on the map. This is because our liquefaction mapping is a desk top assessment (Level A mapping) based on MBIE’s Planning and Engineering Guidance for Potentially Liquefaction-prone Land (2017). It is based on published geological information as well as LiDAR ground elevation data and groundwater level data.
More information on liquefaction can be found here.
How can I find out more information?
Check out the natural hazards section on our website. There is more information on each hazard.
Who to contact for more information
Contact our Natural Hazards team at [email protected] or call 03 543 8400.
Contact the Council's Natural Hazards team at [email protected] or call 03 543 8400.
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