Built from the LINZ 1 m LiDAR composite (L121859) — the latest survey available for each region. Sources, classification and limitations published at /methodology. The map is free for council staff, contracted consultants and the public — no login. Data partnerships and feedback welcome.
An informal second reference: see where the district plan flood overlay may pre-date current LiDAR. Using the layer when assessing applications, or in any formal assessment, needs a separate data licence. Ask us about one.
Catchment-scale flow visibility for network planning and asset siting. Layer ships with upstream catchment area on every segment, useful for rational-method runoff sanity checks.
The published map is built from open data sources, documented at /methodology. If your team wants to compare against your in-house derivations, get in touch — we can talk through the data sources, classification and limitations.
A quick background check of where overland flow may cross a site, to help decide what to ask an applicant for. Using the layer when processing a consent or issuing a PIM needs a separate data licence.
FloodMap.nz currently publishes overland flow paths and potential ponding areas only, in five tiers by upstream catchment, from major rivers (over 5,000 ha) down to small flow paths under 2 ha. The layer is derived from terrain-based flow routing on bare-earth LINZ LiDAR. It does not include depth, velocity or flood hazard category, and it does not model culverts, stormwater pipes or constructed drainage. It is a screening reference — not a regulatory hazard layer, not a substitute for council flood overlays, not a substitute for site-specific HEC-RAS modelling. The methodology page lists every limitation up front.
If your council has internal flood layers we should be aware of, comparison data you'd like to share, or interest in council-specific data deliveries (regional bulk download, embed widget, API access for property reports), get in touch. We are exploring partnership arrangements with councils that want closer integration — no productised licence yet, just a conversation.
What we can talk about today:
Try the free public map for any address in your district. Happy to send a no-obligation comparison report against your current council flood layer for any region — see where the data agrees, where it doesn't, and why.
Request a comparison → Open the map