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Māori / General Land titles
There are different land titles in Aotearoa - Māori and General land titles. Understanding if your whenua is Māori or General land and the legislation associated with your whenua is important.
Explore more about the legislation associated with whenua Māori.
Māori land Court is a specialist court, supporting the retention of whenua Māori in the hands of Māori. Aotearoa is broken into different regions to maintain registries. If your whenua is Māori Title, it will be important to know which region your whenua is in so that you can link into your relevant district office.
Please note that the Māori Land Court district applies to Māori Land. If your whenua is General Land, the Māori Land Court does not have any jurisdiction over your whenua.
Learn where your whenua sits within Regional Council boundaries across Aotearoa.
Each Regional Council has its own objectives, policies and priorities. By understanding what Regional Council your whenua is in, you can understand the specific factors that may apply to your whenua.
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About this data
Council boundary data from Statistics NZ and Māori Land Court District boundary data from the Ministry of Justice reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
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Land Use Capability (LUC)
Land Use Capability (LUC) shows the different ways your whenua can be sustainably used over time.
You can compare the potential of your whenua with other areas across the motu. This helps to identify and develop whenua to its full potential and avoid degrading whenua over time.
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How to use this data safely
New Zealand Land and Resource Inventory (NZLRI) maps like the LUC map are of a regional scale (i.e. 1:50,000 which is equivalent to 10 hectare “smallest area” units). This means while they are good for catchment-level decision-making, more detailed mapping is required at the farm scale to support accurate decision making. You can read more about mapping scales here.
This data is sourced from the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research NZLRI Land Use Capability 2021 dataset. Data reproduced with the permission of Landcare Research New Zealand Limited.
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Land Cover Database (LCDB)
The Land Cover database helps to understand different land uses for your whenua.
This database maps Aotearoa, highlighting different crop, pasture and forest opportunities. You can use this information when planning a range initiatives. For example, carbon forestry projects or developing a freshwater farm plan for your whenua.
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How to use this data safely
LCDB was created at the scale 1:50,000. This means it may be indicative of what is in the area but is not accurate to a level of detail for farm-planning. This information comes from the New Zealand Land Cover Database (LCDB) v 5.0. It is created from satellite imagery from 2018 / 2019 so the land cover might be different now. The LCDB is a good indicator of what's in the area but it's not intended to be accurate for individual properties. You should always check things out on the ground before making big decisions.
The land cover data layer is sourced from the New Zealand Land Cover Database version 5.0, Mainland New Zealand, produced by Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. It is not modified from the original. The LCDB v 5.0 was released in January 2020, contains land cover as of late 2018, making it a significant update in showing decline in wetlands, intensification of grasslands, and increase in built-up areas since version 4 (from 2012/13). It is licenced for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
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Land Use Map (LUM-LUCAS)
LUCAS is a map of different crop, pasture and forest types, but is predominantly focussed on pre-1990/post 1989 forests. This is helpful when planning carbon forestry or determining GHG numbers for your whenua.
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How to use this data safely
The Land Use maps are at 1:50,000 scale (units and smallest hectare unit) and are interpreted from satellite imagery. This means while its useful for catchment scale observations, the information is high level and cannot be used for decisions at the farm scale.
This data is sourced from the LUCAS New Zealand Land Use Map and reflects estimated land use as of 2016.
LUCAS New Zealand Land Use Map
It is reproduced here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
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Soil drainage indicates how wet the soil is likely to be after wet periods. The length of time water sits in the soil profile dictates how long oxygen is prevented from being available to chemicals and organisms in the soil (i.e. how long soils have to hold their breath). The longer the soils have to ‘hold their breath’ during a year, the more they become grey, and in some cases even purple. This process is known as gleying and reflects oxygen deprived conditions.
Why it's important
The drainage ability of your soils can limit or restrict growth and require different management strategies. For example, well drained soils allow water to drain through the profile in all periods of the year, whereas poorly drained soils are limited in the rate at which water can drain through the profile. Imperfectly drained soils are an intermediate condition between well-drained and poorly drained. Poorly drained soils are also susceptible to pugging and lose Nitrogen to the atmosphere faster than well drained soils. We have included a table of soil drainage states below.
There are a few things you can do to better understand the drainage of your soils:
1. Use the S-Map tool by Manaaki Whenua to get a high-level indication of soil drainage (you’ll need to register to access the soil drainage maps).
2. Once you have a high-level indication of what you might find, dig holes in different areas of your whenua to investigate what drainage looks like for you. To do this, dig a whole approx. a foot deep by a foot wide and look for discolouration of soil. Is it grey? Does it have mottles? Is there a water table present? How deep is that water table?
3. Observe and record water movement and drainage on your whenua. After moderate to heavy rainfall, record areas that are wet (or don’t drain), how long do they take to drain.
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How to use this information safely
The FSL uses estimates and was created at the scale 1:50,000. It may be indicative of what is in the area but is not accurate to a level of detail for farm-planning. For more detailed data consider undertaking soil analyses or see S-Map Online.
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New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) rock
New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) rock explains the makeup of rocks that are likely to be under your whenua. This is referred to as the geology of your whenua.
The geology under your whenua will have an impact on several attributes of your whenua. This includes the:
- landform
- slopes and contours
- stability of your whenua
- risk of erosion.
The rock type on your whenua can also influence the:
- make-up of the soil
- different chemical composition of your soil
- overall capability of your whenua for different uses.
Surface rock is the uppermost layer of rock or soil on the land surface. It is often altered by the surrounding environment. It is also the layer that provides nutrients and a soil structure to support plant growth.
Base rock is the solid rock layer that provides structural support to the layers of soil and rock above it. It is usually more stable and less weathered and can have an impact of drainage patterns on your whenua.
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How to use this data safely
The rock type information provided on Matarau is broad (1:50,000) scale, so it is only indicative of what is likely to be found on your whenua. More detailed mapping is required before embarking on a change in land use.
This data is sourced from the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research NZLRI Rock dataset. Data reproduced with the permission of Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
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New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) slope
New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) explains the angles of the hills on your whenua.
Understanding the contours of your whenua helps you identify things like areas prone to erosion, directions that water is likely to naturally drain/ flow, or where points of access to your whenua are likely to be better suited.
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How to use this data safely
The slope information provided in Matarau is broad scale. Depending on the land use, higher resolution or different groupings of slope classes may be more appropriate, so case specific mapping is advised before embarking on a change in land use.
New Zealand Land and Resource Inventory (NZLRI) maps like the slope map are of a regional scale (i.e. blocks of 10-hectare units). This means while they are good for catchment-level decision-making. More detailed mapping is required at the farm scale to support accurate decision making. You can read more about mapping scales through the Land Resources Portal at Manaaki Whenua.
This data is sourced from the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research NZLRI Slope dataset. Data reproduced with the permission of Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
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This information helps to identify erosion and sediment contribution to waterways.
It can help you calculate potential soil loss or identify areas at risk of landslide.
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How to use this data safely
The Highly Erodible Land map does not take into account how wet the soil was prior to a high intensity rainfall event, or the occurrence of high intensity rainfall events. The model behind this layer is based on rock composition, slope angle and slope length along with proximity of the slope to a waterway. It is mapped at a scale of 1:50,000. Read more about map scales.
The data is sourced from Ministry for the Environment and reflects estimated erosion in 2012. It is reproduced here under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
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Gain an understanding of the potential vegetation that exists on your whenua. This map shows your whenua’s ecological potential. It offers chances to restore native plants. You can also use it to see how land cover change affects your native wildlife.
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