1001 Smart Cities

Permanent project revision

Auckland Flood Viewer: Address-Level Flood Hazard Maps After the 2023 Floods

Revision 2026-10-15-baseline · effective 2026-10-15

Current revision. This is the snapshot used by the live entity page.

unreviewed

Created the first structured Evidence Passport with 15 claims and 9 source dossiers.

sha256:5e0f5d884164980cab5689423ad9c396a47180500301b1dde10cc38ac3b116d6
All revisions → Current entity page →

Change set

  • add /evidencePassport — Added claim-level evidence mapping and source dossiers.
  • add /revisionHistory — Established a permanent, hash-addressed baseline revision.
15
of 15 claims mapped
9
source dossiers
6
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Claims, one by one

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-297fdffa68ec3949 quantitative
Auckland Council launched Flood Viewer in August 2023, after that January's floods
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
RNZ reported the launch on 6 August 2023 and the developer dates it to August 2023; 1News dates the floods to 27 January 2023.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. RNZ (via Newstalk ZB) — Auckland Council launches tool for residents to check flood risk (6 Aug 2023)
  2. Stantec — Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Flood Viewer (project page)
  3. 1News — Auckland floods: Damning report finds officials acted 'too late' (12 Apr 2023)
Claim 2 clm-986faf53415593f9 descriptive
Developed by its Healthy Waters department with the consultancy Stantec, the free map in English and te reo Māori lets anyone search an address for flood plains, flood-prone areas, overland flow paths and coastal inundation areas
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The developer says Auckland Council built the tool in collaboration with Stantec, fully bilingual, with address search over flood plains, overland flow paths and coastal inundation; Healthy Waters staff describe it as their tool, and RNZ lists low-lying (flood-prone) areas among its layers.
Caveat
The developer's account is its own project marketing.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Stantec — Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Flood Viewer (project page)
  2. RNZ (via Newstalk ZB) — Auckland Council launches tool for residents to check flood risk (6 Aug 2023)
  3. The Spinoff, partner content with Auckland Council — Auckland floods: how to find out if your home is at risk (14 Apr 2025)
Claim 3 clm-08679c45a4579245 descriptive
The layers come from computer models of a design storm and do not account for a home's floor height, so neighbours can fare differently
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Council flood-risk staff explain that the tool is modelled on a designed storm for regional consistency, ignores the number of floors or how raised a house is, and that two neighbouring houses can have completely different experiences.
Caveat
Published as partner content with Auckland Council, so it is the operator's own explanation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Spinoff, partner content with Auckland Council — Auckland floods: how to find out if your home is at risk (14 Apr 2025)
Claim 4 clm-2eb125a74ee40cf4 descriptive
The Viewer shows modelled hazard, not live readings, and the council offers it as advice
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Council staff describe the layers as computer models, not a perfect predictor of future flooding, and say that for most flood-prone properties the practical thing the council can do is give advice through tools like the Viewer.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Spinoff, partner content with Auckland Council — Auckland floods: how to find out if your home is at risk (14 Apr 2025)
Claim 5 clm-8bd6a1b7b886cecb quantitative
until stricter consent rules took effect on 3 November 2025, Newstalk ZB reported, the council had been unable to prevent about 4000 new builds in hazard zones since the 2023 floods
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Newstalk ZB reported on 3 November 2025 that, after being unable to prevent about 4000 new builds in hazard zones since the 2023 floods, the council gained the power to restrict development from that day.
Caveat
The broadcaster does not name the source of the 4000 figure.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Newstalk ZB — 'Stronger hazard rules will apply': Auckland Council tightens flood-zone building (3 Nov 2025)
Claim 6 clm-9ec5521cc6c121a1 quantitative
the only usage figure is the developer's own, over 500,000 views since launch
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The developer's project page states over 500,000 views since the August 2023 launch; it is a page-view count, not a measured change in behaviour, and the page carries no date.
Caveat
Vendor figure, undated, unaudited.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Stantec — Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Flood Viewer (project page)
Claim 7 clm-d1ad2e777abe43f7 quantitative
Plan Change 120, notified on 3 November 2025, gave its natural-hazard rules immediate legal effect: development in high-risk areas became a non-complying activity
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Both sources date the notification to 3 November 2025; Newstalk ZB explains that natural-hazard rules take effect as soon as a plan change is notified and that non-complying status now applies to development in high-risk areas.
Caveat
The plan change was still before an independent hearings panel; the rules can be amended after submissions.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Newstalk ZB — 'Stronger hazard rules will apply': Auckland Council tightens flood-zone building (3 Nov 2025)
  2. Buddle Findlay — 1,000 days on from the Auckland floods: how will Plan Change 120 achieve growth while still protecting Auckland's people and properties? (3 Nov 2025)
Claim 8 clm-0612ca351329dece quantitative
about 12,000 properties most at risk from natural hazards were downzoned, 2000 of them in floodplains, with only single houses allowed in the worst-affected flood areas such as parts of Henderson, Milford and Māngere
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Newstalk ZB reports about 12,000 properties most at risk from natural hazards being downzoned, of which 2000 are in floodplains, and single houses only in the worst flood areas, naming parts of Henderson, Milford and Māngere.
Caveat
Most of the 12,000 are coastal-erosion properties, which the same report puts at about 10,000.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Newstalk ZB — 'Stronger hazard rules will apply': Auckland Council tightens flood-zone building (3 Nov 2025)
Claim 9 clm-77fd9034fb999ed1 descriptive
A law firm's summary of the plan change lists the updated flood maps, made accessible through Flood Viewer, among its hazard measures
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Buddle Findlay's summary of Plan Change 120 lists 'updated flood mapping' among the hazard measures, noting the council has updated its flood maps and made the data easier to access through Flood Viewer.
Caveat
The firm does not say whether the consent maps are identical to the Viewer layers at any later date.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Buddle Findlay — 1,000 days on from the Auckland floods: how will Plan Change 120 achieve growth while still protecting Auckland's people and properties? (3 Nov 2025)
Claim 10 clm-ce5fb815f08bb57a quantitative
Healthy Waters says that for 95% of people with flooding there is no viable infrastructural solution that would not cost more than the property, so advice was its practical tool
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Healthy Waters' head of network planning is quoted saying that for 95% of people with flooding there are no viable infrastructural solutions that won't cost more than the property, and that advice through the Viewer is the most practical thing the council can do.
Caveat
An operator statement in partner content, not an assessment.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The Spinoff, partner content with Auckland Council — Auckland floods: how to find out if your home is at risk (14 Apr 2025)
Claim 11 clm-795595c8a596c86d descriptive
while building went on in mapped hazard zones until floodplains and overland flow paths became protected in the consent rules
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Newstalk ZB reports about 4000 new builds in hazard zones the council could not prevent, and lists among the November 2025 changes that floodplains and overland flow paths are protected from being built over.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Newstalk ZB — 'Stronger hazard rules will apply': Auckland Council tightens flood-zone building (3 Nov 2025)
Claim 12 clm-0e4083868b4ced1f quantitative
The independent review of the January 2023 response found that weaknesses in the council's emergency management tools led to inadequate early intelligence for public safety information
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
1News quotes the Bush International Consulting review: the crisis exposed weaknesses in the council's emergency management systems and tools, which slowed the response, reduced situational awareness and led to inadequate early intelligence to support public safety information and decision making.
Caveat
The review was commissioned by the mayor and covered the first 48 hours of the response; it assessed the emergency response, not Flood Viewer.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. 1News — Auckland floods: Damning report finds officials acted 'too late' (12 Apr 2023)
Claim 13 clm-20e84a757af8b0a4 quantitative
by September 2024 the Auditor-General counted 38 of the 51 recommendations of three reviews as fully addressed
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
The Auditor-General's September 2024 follow-up examined the 51 recommendations of the Bush review, its own 2023 audit and the Toa review, and considered 38 of them fully addressed, with work under way on the rest.
Caveat
The follow-up audits emergency management as a whole; it does not evaluate flood data or warning systems specifically.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Office of the Auditor-General — Improving Auckland Council's emergency preparedness: A follow-up report (Sep 2024)
Claim 14 clm-d2dce9605a679a7b descriptive
The only automatic flood trigger these sources describe is Auckland Transport's pilot of sensor-driven road signs at three flood-prone rural roads
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
Auckland Transport's pilot page describes signage and water, radar and camera-based sensors at three locations that flood regularly, which activate electronic road signs once water reaches a set level and notify registered users.
Caveat
A pilot run by the transport agency, not part of Flood Viewer; the page says a wider rollout depends on the pilot proving reliable.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Auckland Transport — Electronic flood alert pilot
Claim 15 clm-cc46271ceadc17a0 quantitative
which activated at Falls Road near Warkworth in August 2026
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this file
What the mapping says
1News reported on 29 August 2026 that the flood alert system on the Mahurangi River at Falls Road near Warkworth was activated, with Auckland Emergency Management asking motorists to avoid the area.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. 1News — Flood alert system activated in north Auckland as downpours persist (29 Aug 2026)

Source dossiers and revision state

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-10-15-baseline effective 2026-10-15 · created 2026-10-15

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:5e0f5d884164980cab5689423ad9c396a47180500301b1dde10cc38ac3b116d6
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
15
of 15 claims mapped
9
source dossiers
6
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
Auckland Council — Healthy Waters
Actor types
city-government
Funding model
public
Funding description
Auckland Council (Healthy Waters); built with the consultancy Stantec on Esri ArcGIS Experience Builder; no cost published
Cost
Not recorded
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

9 source dossiers

RNZ (via Newstalk ZB) — Auckland Council launches tool for residents to check flood risk (6 Aug 2023) newstalkzb.co.nz · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-d0adacfa3e68224f
Publisher
Name not classified · newstalkzb.co.nz
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2023-08-06
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

RNZ report carried by Newstalk ZB on the launch: the council has launched an online tool, Flood Viewer, that highlights flood plains, low-lying areas, overland flow paths and coastal areas, searchable by address; Healthy Waters' head of planning Nick Vigar describes it as an awareness and preparedness tool, also for people buying or renting.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Stantec — Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Flood Viewer (project page) stantec.com · 3 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-c5bc79c9bcdab030
Publisher
Name not classified · stantec.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The developer's project page: Auckland Council and Stantec built Flood Viewer on ArcGIS Experience Builder; fully bilingual in English and te reo Māori; launched in August 2023; over 500,000 views (the developer's own figure, undated).

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
The Spinoff, partner content with Auckland Council — Auckland floods: how to find out if your home is at risk (14 Apr 2025) thespinoff.co.nz · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-e826b94b082f6092
Publisher
Name not classified · thespinoff.co.nz
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-04-14
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Partner content published with Auckland Council, quoting Healthy Waters staff: the layers are computer models of a designed storm, do not account for floor height, and are not a perfect predictor; the data was public before but hard to read; for 95% of people with flooding there is no viable infrastructural solution, so the council gives advice through the Viewer.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Newstalk ZB — 'Stronger hazard rules will apply': Auckland Council tightens flood-zone building (3 Nov 2025) newstalkzb.co.nz · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-63c9dbb49480caf6
Publisher
Name not classified · newstalkzb.co.nz
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-11-03
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Reports that from 3 November 2025 the Plan Change 120 hazard rules took effect: the council had been unable to prevent about 4000 new builds in hazard zones since 2023; about 12,000 properties downzoned, 2000 of them in floodplains; non-complying status in high-risk areas; single houses only in the worst flood areas; floodplains and overland flow paths protected from being built over.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Buddle Findlay — 1,000 days on from the Auckland floods: how will Plan Change 120 achieve growth while still protecting Auckland's people and properties? (3 Nov 2025) buddlefindlay.com · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-c6917e612799d9e8
Publisher
Name not classified · buddlefindlay.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2025-11-03
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

A law firm's summary of Plan Change 120 on its notification day; lists among the hazard measures that the council has updated its flood maps and made flood data accessible through Flood Viewer, with regular updates expected.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
1News — Auckland floods: Damning report finds officials acted 'too late' (12 Apr 2023) 1news.co.nz · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-9fadcc45c92aeb4c
Publisher
Name not classified · 1news.co.nz
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2023-04-12
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Reports the Bush International Consulting review of the council's response to the floods of 27 January 2023: four people died; system failure in the first hours; weaknesses in emergency management systems and tools led to inadequate early intelligence to support public safety information and decision making.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Office of the Auditor-General — Improving Auckland Council's emergency preparedness: A follow-up report (Sep 2024) oag.parliament.nz · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-f1036ff1f81de7ee
Publisher
Name not classified · oag.parliament.nz
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The Auditor-General's follow-up on the 51 recommendations of three reviews of the council's emergency management (Bush, the Auditor-General's own 2023 audit, Toa); finds significant progress and 38 of the 51 fully addressed, with more work needed to implement and test the changes.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Auckland Transport — Electronic flood alert pilot at.govt.nz · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-805c917b87d3dc92
Publisher
Name not classified · at.govt.nz
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
2026-09-28
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Auckland Transport's pilot page: signage and sensors installed at three locations that flood regularly (Sunnyside Road, Coatesville; Falls Road and Kaipara Flats Road, Warkworth); water, radar and camera-based sensors activate electronic road signs at a set level and notify registered users; wider rollout only if the pilot proves reliable.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
1News — Flood alert system activated in north Auckland as downpours persist (29 Aug 2026) 1news.co.nz · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-91f672c799c3177f
Publisher
Name not classified · 1news.co.nz
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2026-08-29
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-10-15
Dossier created
2026-10-15
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Reports that the flood alert system on the Mahurangi River at Falls Road near Warkworth was activated during heavy rain, with Auckland Emergency Management asking motorists to avoid the area; notes a fatal incident on the same river in January 2026.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Known limits of this file
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.