Natural Hazards

Councils are required by law to manage use and development of land in relation to natural hazards. Relevant legislation includes the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), Building Act 2004, Local Government Act 2002 and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002. The first step in managing natural hazards is assessing a region or areas to identify where the hazard could potentially occur. This assessment often involves mapping. Managing natural hazards aims to ensure that the use and development of land occurs in appropriate locations, and in ways that avoid or mitigate the hazards.

Natural hazard information is used to inform planning, building, and resource consent processes.

Before starting any development, check the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP), National Environmental Standards developed under the Resource Management Act 1991, and the Building Act 2004 to confirm whether a consent is needed. If a consent is required, natural hazard information will be considered through the resource and building consent processes.

Natural hazard information and the impacts of climate change that exacerbate natural hazards is noted on a Land Information Memoranda (LIM). This is required under section 44A(2) of the Local Government Official Information Management Act 1987 (LGOIMA). A LIM can be requested from the Council here. Property files are also updated with natural hazard information.

If a qualified expert completes a detailed technical assessment, and this is given to the Council, it will be added to the information the Council holds about that property.

Any LIM will note whether a site-specific report is available, but the LIM won’t include any validation or opinion on the report’s findings, merely how to obtain a copy.

This does not alter our own natural hazard maps.

Yes. The Council must include information in LIMs when it knows about natural hazards or effects of climate change that may increase the impact of natural hazards on a property. This is required under section 44A(2) of the Local Government Official Information Management Act 1987 (LGOIMA). Property files are also updated with natural hazard information.

No, councils are legally required to include notations in LIMs that advise of any natural hazard information they hold which may affect the property. This is required under section 44A(2) of the Local Government Official Information Management Act 1987 (LGOIMA).

If the latest information that the council holds shows that a property may not be affected by the natural hazard, then a LIM generated for that property would no longer contain a notation relating to the hazard.

Anyone, including potential buyers, can obtain general property information, or a Property File, from the Council to learn more about a property. More information about requesting property files, and any applicable fees, can be found here.

Anyone can also purchase a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) from the Council. More information about what LIMs contain, how to obtain a LIM, and any applicable fees, can be found here.

The Council cannot advise you about any effect that this natural hazard information may have on your property value or insurance. If you would like to know more detail, we recommend speaking with a property valuer or insurance expert. This letter from The Insurance Council of New Zealand to Nelson City Council may be of interest: Information for property owners. The Insurance Council of New Zealand website provides information on insurance.

In most instances, our natural hazards maps have been developed at a regional scale, or in some cases at a sub-regional scale. The maps tend to show the general distribution of areas that could be susceptible to a hazard. None of the maps for any hazard type contain a detailed site-specific assessment of a hazard risk at any given property. Property owners may wish to undertake their own property specific assessment.

As part of assessing applications for resource consent to subdivide or use and develop land, applicants and the Council consider natural hazards at the specific site based on the information known to it at the time.

There are specific rules in the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP) that apply within areas potentially susceptible to natural hazards. In some cases, resource consent will be required. Natural hazards are considered when processing resource consent applications to subdivide or use and develop land.

Even if your property is not shown on natural hazard maps, it could still be affected by a natural hazard. The Council reviews and updates its hazard information as new studies are completed and the information becomes available, so maps and resources on our website may be updated as our understanding of natural hazards improves.

No, they’re different. Hazard means something that could cause harm, like flooding or liquefaction. Risk is about both the likelihood of the hazard happening – and the consequences if it does.

Council’s hazard maps only show where the hazards might happen and, in some cases, contain some information relating to the likeliness, but not the consequences. Risk can vary with things like building design, floor height, engineering, protection, location and drainage.

Being included on a natural hazard map does not mean that your property will definitely be affected. The maps are prepared at a regional or sub-regional scale to show areas that may be susceptible to particular hazards, using the best information that we currently hold. They are projections rather than predictions, and are intended to support planning, development design, and awareness, rather than to provide site-specific assessments. If you need detailed information about your property, a site-specific assessment by a qualified professional will be necessary.

The Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP) regulates the use and development of land across the region. The NRMP contains a map with associated rules regulating new activities, such as constructing a new building, extending an existing building, or earthworks over a certain scale. The maps indicate areas potentially susceptible to various natural hazards. Newly identified areas of Nelson that could be susceptible to natural hazards may be included in the NRMP as plan changes occur, or be included in a anew plan that replaces the NRMP. View the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP).

NRMP natural hazard maps are part of a statutory plan under the Resource Management Act 1991 and can only be updated through a formal plan change process. Meanwhile, the Council’s online natural hazard maps may be updated more frequently as new information becomes available As such, they may show more recent or more detailed information than the NRMP.

The council is required to include notations in Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) where it has knowledge about natural hazards and impacts of climate change that exacerbate natural hazards, that affect, or may affect, a property. This is required under section 44A(2) of the Local Government Official Information Management Act 1987 (LGOIMA).

Updating or implementing a plan change to the NRMP takes time and must go through a robust, comprehensive and often multiyear plan making process. This means that newer information on a natural hazard may be in a LIM but not in the NRMP.

Yes. The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards 2025 (NPS-NH) came into force in 2025.

The objective of the NPS-NH is that natural hazard risk to people and property associated with subdivision use, and development is managed using a risk-based proportionate approach.

The NPS-NH applies to a range of natural hazards being flooding, landslips, coastal erosion, coastal inundation, active faults, liquefaction, and tsunami.

The NPS-NH contains a natural hazard risk matrix that must be applied when considering the subdivision, use or development of land. Natural hazard risk must be managed proportionally, with ‘very high natural hazard risk’ (as determined under the matrix) to be avoided. Natural hazard risk assessment and decisions must be based on the best available information, and the potential impacts of climate change to at least 100 years into the future must be considered.

The Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC) provides the first layer of residential land and building insurance cover for a range of natural hazards. This cover helps insured homeowners repair or rebuild their homes and also provides cover for specific parts of residential land that support or provide access to the home, if that land is damaged by a natural hazard event. More information about what is and is not covered by NHC can be found on their website. New Zealand's national Natural Hazards Portal can be found here.

Civil defence information, including advice on getting prepared for natural disasters, can be found on the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence and Emergency Management website.