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Mātaihia ngā raru waipuke i mua i tō hokonga, hanga whare rānei

Check for flood risks before you buy or build

Assess flood hazards

Land that gets covered by rainwater during heavy rainfall is considered a flood hazard.

Flood water can:

  • pool (build up) in low points
  • move quickly down a slope.

Check our Flood viewer to find out if there could be a flood hazard on or near your property.

Flood plains shown on the Flood Viewer have a one per cent chance of flooding in a given year. This is often called a 'one-in-100-year flood'. Some areas may flood more often depending on the local landscape.

Our tip

Visit the property and consider the flood hazard before you buy or design the stormwater system.

Get property information

To help you make informed decisions, you should get:

  • a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report - this is a summary of information about the property, and includes identified flood hazards
  • a Property file – this shows building consents, resource consents and all work done on the property
  • a Flood risk assessment report – this lists potential impacts of flood hazards on the property. Find an engineer to make this assessment on the Engineering New Zealand website
  • pre-application advice – this explains the application process, fees, and consents and permits you may need.

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