Natural hazards are a topical issue, and big changes are on the horizon for how hazard information is communicated in Land Information Memoranda (LIMs).
From 1 July 2025, the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Act 2023 (LGOIMA) will come into force, introducing changes to the LIM provisions that are specifically tailored to the presentation and communication of natural hazard information. Some changes will take effect from 1 July 2025, but the rubber will really hit the road when the Local Government (Natural Hazard Information in Land Information Memoranda) Regulations 2025 come into force on 14 October 2025.
The amendments will necessitate changes to existing LIM templates – with a requirement for a new natural hazards section – and will also significantly reshape how regional and territorial authorities work together to ensure that the public are appropriately informed about natural hazards affecting their land.
What’s Changing?
At the heart of the amendments is a shift in how hazard information is presented to owners and prospective purchasers in LIMs. While it will remain the responsibility of territorial authorities to issue LIMs and include the relevant hazard information, regional councils – who often hold the underlying data, reports, or models – will also have obligations to ensure that territorial authorities have what they need, in the form that they need it in.
From 1 July 2025: A Bigger Role for Regional Councils
Under the new s 44C of LGOIMA, regional councils must provide certain natural hazard information to territorial authorities, including known information as well as information about potential natural hazards. To be clear, regional councils aren’t being directed to carry out new modelling or assessments – this is about the sharing of information that they already know.
From 14 October 2025: New Regulations Kick In
When they come into effect in October 2025, the Regulations will provide further structure as to how this information is provided by regional councils to territorial authorities.
One of the standout changes is the requirement for regional councils to provide territorial authorities with a plain language summary of information commissioned or produced by the regional council, if it considers it will assist recipients to understand the hazard. How often summaries will be provided is of course yet to be seen – but, given the complexities of hazard information, this seems a useful addition to the Regulations that, if used, will assist LIM recipients to understand exactly what this means for their land.
A positive step towards making LIMs more understandable and useful to everyday readers.
A Timely Reform
As New Zealand continues to look closely at how we manage our natural hazard risks — particularly those impacted by climate change—this reform arrives at an important time and will assist territorial authorities to ensure that the right information gets to the public in a consistent and understandable manner.
If you need assistance with changes to your LIM template, get in touch with our regulatory team via laura.bielby@ricespeir.co.nz
