Common
questions.

The report checks your Auckland property address against seven official natural hazard datasets and delivers a plain-English interpretation of what each finding means. For every hazard detected, you get an explanation of what the layer is, how it may affect your insurance, financing, and future development or consent applications, and what practical steps to consider. Where a hazard triggers Plan Change 120 consent requirements, the report includes a full PC120 pathway assessment — activity status, risk classification, Appendix 24 methodology, and qualifying matter analysis. The report is delivered as a professionally formatted PDF, instantly after payment.

The seven layers are: 100-year floodplain (1% AEP flood extent), flood prone areas, overland flow paths, coastal inundation (1% AEP storm surge + 1m sea level rise), coastal erosion (ASCIE 2130 RCP8.5+ outer envelope), large-scale landslide susceptibility, and shallow landslide susceptibility. All data is drawn from Auckland Council's open GIS datasets and is the same data used in LIM reports and professional engineering assessments.

The score runs from 1 (Very Low) to 5 (Very High) and equals the highest individual hazard score detected across all seven layers. It uses maximum-score logic rather than averaging, so a single serious hazard can't be masked by several low scores elsewhere. A score of 1 does not mean the property has no risk — it means none of the seven public datasets flagged a detection. Always read the individual hazard pages alongside the overall score.

No — they serve different purposes and work best together. A Know Your Risk NZ report gives you instant, plain-English interpretation of natural hazard data and PC120 consent pathways for $49, before you commit to ordering a LIM. A Council LIM (~$375, up to 10 working days) is the legally mandated document — it covers all council-held information including the full building consent history, soil issues from the property file, and formal hazard notations. The LIM is the authoritative record. This report is the fast, affordable first check that tells you whether the LIM is likely to surface anything significant.

No. The report is an information product — it interprets publicly available Auckland Council datasets and explains what they mean in the context of Plan Change 120 and the Auckland Unitary Plan. It is built by civil engineers using professional-grade data sources, but it does not constitute engineering, legal, or financial advice, and it does not replace a site-specific assessment by a qualified professional. Always obtain a LIM report and engage licensed professionals before making property purchase or development decisions.

All seven hazard layers are sourced from Auckland Council's open GIS platform — the same datasets published on GeoMaps and included in LIM reports. Flood layers come from Auckland Council's hydraulic modelling programme. Landslide susceptibility layers come from Technical Report TR2025/7 (prepared by WSP for Auckland Council, May 2025). Coastal inundation uses Auckland Council's 1% AEP storm surge + 1m SLR layer. Coastal erosion uses Auckland Council's ASCIE 2130 RCP8.5+ dataset. Property boundary data is sourced from LINZ.

Detections are determined by intersecting the legal property boundary (from LINZ parcel data) against each hazard dataset. If any part of the property boundary touches a hazard cell or polygon, that hazard is flagged as detected. This is the same methodology used by Auckland Council's own GIS tools. A detection may reflect all or only part of the site — the map page in the report shows the spatial extent of each intersection so you can see exactly where the hazard falls relative to the boundary.

This is almost certainly a zoom scale issue. Auckland Council's landslide susceptibility layers in GeoMaps are deliberately restricted to suburb-level zoom — approximately 1:25,000 scale for shallow landslides and 1:50,000 for large-scale. This is by design, as instructed by Technical Report TR2025/7, which states the maps should not be displayed at finer scales. If you zoom in to property level on GeoMaps, the layer colours disappear. This is not a bug.

To see the classification on GeoMaps: select the Natural Hazards theme, tick both landslide layers, search your address, then zoom out to suburb level. The colours will render clearly. Our report uses a boundary intersection check against the underlying data, so the classification is accurate even though it may not render at property zoom in GeoMaps.

The "slippage" or soil hazard notations that appear on LIMs are drawn from Auckland Council's property file — which can contain site-specific geotechnical reports, building consent records, and historical inspection notes submitted for that specific property. This is separate from the regional landslide susceptibility maps (TR2025/7) that this report assesses. Property file information is not a public open data layer and cannot be accessed via GIS. Know Your Risk NZ can only assess publicly available datasets — individual property files fall outside the scope of what our service can detect or interpret. If your LIM contains a slippage or soil notation, we recommend requesting the full property file from Auckland Council to understand its source and nature.

Landslide susceptibility layers are from Auckland Council's May 2025 regional study (TR2025/7) — the most current data available. Flood layers are updated on a rolling basis by Auckland Council as each catchment is remodelled (typically every 10–15 years per catchment). Coastal inundation and coastal erosion layers reflect Auckland Council's current published datasets. The report notes the source and date of each dataset used. Where more current data may exist for a specific catchment, we direct buyers to Auckland Council's Flood Viewer tool, which is updated in real time.

Plan Change 120 (PC120) is a change to Auckland's Unitary Plan publicly notified on 3 November 2025. Its natural hazard provisions took immediate legal effect under s86B(3)(f) of the Resource Management Act. PC120 introduces mandatory assessment requirements for properties in mapped natural hazard areas — including formal risk assessments before resource consent can be granted for new development, additions, or subdivision. For landslide susceptibility specifically, it introduces Appendix 24, a formal Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment methodology that applies to properties in Moderate, High, and Very High susceptibility areas. PC120 also changes how flood hazard categories affect consent applications and potentially restricts future development through qualifying matter provisions under the RMA.

A qualifying matter under Schedule 3C of the RMA means Auckland Council may apply lower housing density or height limits to this property than the underlying zone would otherwise allow — even where PC120 would normally permit intensification. In practical terms, this may restrict future development beyond what you might assume based on the zoning alone. A qualifying matter is confirmed through a formal assessment process — the susceptibility or hazard classification flags that it may apply, but it only becomes a firm constraint once a site-specific assessment confirms the risk level. Engage a resource consent planner or lawyer if development is a factor in your decision.

If you are buying an existing dwelling with no plans to build, subdivide, or significantly extend, PC120 consent requirements do not immediately apply to you as an occupier. The hazard classification is still material information — it will appear on future LIM reports, may affect your insurance and lending arrangements, and will affect any future development proposals. But the consent pathway obligations under PC120 are triggered by development proposals, not by occupancy of an existing dwelling.

A formal Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment (LHRA) under Appendix 24 is a mandatory special information requirement for resource consent applications for new development on properties in Moderate, High, or Very High susceptibility areas. Auckland Council cannot assess a consent application without it. However, this obligation is triggered only when a consent application is lodged — it does not affect your right to occupy or maintain an existing dwelling. The word "may" in the report reflects that the activity type and scale of any proposed development determines exactly which pathway applies.

Reports are generated and delivered instantly after payment. You'll receive a download link by email within a few minutes of purchase. If you haven't received it within 10 minutes, check your spam folder or contact us at support@knowyourrisk.co.nz with your order ID.

Yes. The PDF is yours to share freely — with your lawyer, solicitor, mortgage broker, real estate agent, or anyone else involved in your property transaction. The report is professionally formatted and clearly identifies its data sources, making it easy for advisors to understand the context and basis for each finding.

Contact us at support@knowyourrisk.co.nz with your order ID and the correct address. We'll help you resolve this — either by rerunning the report for the correct address or by applying a credit toward a new purchase.

We're happy to discuss arrangements for conveyancing lawyers, mortgage brokers, and buyer's agents who regularly recommend reports to clients. Get in touch at support@knowyourrisk.co.nz and we'll find an arrangement that works.