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Life could be a little more complicated for some property owners following the introduction last month of new government rules, which change the information about natural hazards included in Land Information Memoranda (LIMs).
Properties identified as being at higher risk, particularly from coastal inundation or flooding, may become more expensive or difficult to insure. In turn, that could affect resale values.
A Ministry for the Environment report released in June warned that hundreds of thousands of New Zealand homes, worth an estimated $180 billion, sit on flood-prone land. As insurers and banks respond to this growing body of data, the financial effects on homeowners could become more visible in the coming years.
The reforms, introduced under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Act 2023 and the Local Government (Natural Hazard Information in Land Information Memoranda) Regulations 2025, are designed to make LIMs more transparent, consistent and easier to understand.
Since July 1, councils must include clear, easy-to-understand information about all known and potential natural hazards affecting a property including cumulative risks and the effects of climate change. Regional councils are now required to supply hazard data to their district or city council counterparts, ensuring LIMs contain up-to-date information.
The second change happened last month. Councils are now required to include more comprehensive information identifying natural hazards or climate-change impacts that affect the land. Every LIM must include a dedicated “natural hazard section,” written in plain language and supported by clear maps showing hazard zones and boundaries. Councils will also have to link to relevant data held by other agencies, helping buyers and lenders understand the full picture.
