Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency response and flood management
How do Healthy Waters, the Recovery Office and Auckland Emergency Management work together?
Auckland Council teams coordinate across all phases of an emergency: response, recovery, and preparation.
- Response: Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) leads responses to natural hazards like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, severe wind, and major infrastructure failures. In some events, AEM supports other lead agencies like Police, Fire or St John.
- Recovery: For large-scale events, a Recovery Office may be set up to coordinate the region-wide recovery. Smaller incidents are managed by AEM or relevant council teams.
- Preparation and mitigation: Healthy Waters reduces flood risk by maintaining and upgrading stormwater infrastructure, including public waterways, and delivering flood resilience programmes like Making Space for Water, which includes public education and preparedness.
About Flood Viewer
What is the Flood Viewer?
Flood Viewer is a free online tool to check flood risk in Auckland. Accessible on phones, tablets, and computers, it shows whether a property is in a:
- Floodplain
- Flood-prone area
- Overland flow path
- Coastal inundation zone
It also provides:
- Clear explanations of each hazard in the ‘Types of flooding’ section
- Practical advice on what to do before, during, and after a storm via the ‘Get Prepared’ page
How does Flood Viewer work?
Flood Viewer uses data like rainfall, land elevation, and drainage capacity in computer models to predict how water behaves in major storms. These models form the basis of the flood maps in Flood Viewer. They highlight areas most likely to flood, helping Aucklanders, developers, and Council plan ahead and make safer decisions.
Flood maps provide a science-based view of flood risk – valuable when choosing where to live or improving the resilience of your current home in preparation for future storms.
What future development scenarios are used for flood hazard modelling?
Models assume the maximum level allowed under the Auckland Unitary Plan. This ensures potential impacts from urban growth aren’t underestimated.
Is Flood Viewer enough when buying a property?
Flood Viewer is a great starting point, but it should be used alongside:
- LIM reports
- Property files
- Insurance assessments
These provide more detailed, site-specific risk information.
Understanding flood maps
What does a 1% flood risk really mean?
It means there's a 1 in 100 chance of that level of flooding happening in any given year – not once every 100 years. Over a 30-year mortgage, that’s roughly a 1 in 3 chance. Some areas, especially near waterways or in low-lying zones, may flood more often.
Why is a property shown as at-risk if it didn’t flood in 2023?
Flood maps are based on scientifically modelled storm scenarios that use real-world data like rainfall and land elevation. These help us understand where flooding is most likely to happen. But because every storm is different – with changing rainfall patterns, tides, and other conditions – a property might still be at risk, even if it wasn’t affected in 2023.
Do flood maps show flood depth?
Flood maps only show land exposed to flood risk, not how deep the water might be. Some areas may get shallow surface water, while others could experience deeper, more damaging flooding. That’s why individual assessments matter.
Flood maps help with:
- Safer planning and development
- Protecting homes and infrastructure
- Helping people understand their risk and take action
Most flood maps include climate change projections and maximum development allowances. However, some older urban catchments are still being updated.
How often are floodplain maps updated?
Floodplain maps are updated on a rolling basis across Auckland’s 233 stormwater catchments, following central government best-practice modelling guidelines.
Flood risk and insurance
Do flood maps affect insurance?
Flood maps show where land could flood, but not water depth, floor levels, or how water might affect a building – which are key factors for insurance.
To understand how flood risk could impact your insurance, speak to your provider and request a site-specific flood risk assessment.
Planning and development in flood-risk areas
Why is development still allowed in flood-hazard areas?
Under the Resource Management Act (RMA), councils must allow development if risks like flooding can be safely managed.
The Auckland Unitary Plan applies the RMA through rules that require developers to show their proposal avoids or manages flood risk – including impacts on neighbouring properties. Development in flood-hazard areas can only happen with a resource consent.
Following the 2023 floods, Council has asked the Government for stronger powers to restrict development in high-risk areas. We want more housing choice – in the right places.
1What are development contributions?
These are fees paid by developers to cover the cost of new or upgraded infrastructure, including:
- Transport and roads
- Footpaths and intersections
- Parks and sportsgrounds
- Drainage and stormwater systems
- Community facilities
- Learn more at: Development contributions
What is Auckland Council doing to manage flood risk and guide safer development?
We’re taking a climate-aware, risk-based approach by:
- Updating the Unitary Plan to introduce stronger rules in hazard zones
- Using NIWA’s latest climate projections (e.g. 3.8°C rise by 2120)
- Training staff to apply updated data
- Promoting nature-based solutions like Making Space for Water
Helping people make informed decisions through tools like Flood Viewer
Why were some homes built in flood-hazard areas?
Many flood-affected homes were built before modern modelling and flood data was available, so the risks weren’t fully understood at the time.
What rules apply to new developments?
New developments must follow flood-resilient design standards, such as:
- Higher habitable floor levels
- Freeboard (extra height above expected flood levels)
- Site planning to manage surface water
Council is also working on changes to the Natural Hazard Plan, which may introduce stricter rules in high-risk areas. There will be public consultation as part of the process.
Community recovery and redevelopment
How can communities help shape the future use of land bought by Council?
A proposed policy will guide how Category 3 properties (those no longer suitable for housing) are assessed and used, prioritising safety, resilience, and value for Aucklanders.
Council will explore options with communities and mana whenua. These could include parks, walkways, cycleways, wetlands, community gardens, or cultural spaces.
To learn more or suggest ideas, visit ourauckland.nz/futureuse.
Who is responsible for maintaining vacant land?
Once Council owns a Category 3 property, we’ll maintain it to a ‘kept look’, focusing on visible areas like berms and front yards.
Before ownership transfers, we can’t undertake maintenance.
To report issues, email: [email protected].
For suspicious activity, contact the Police.
How is Council balancing fast redevelopment with thoughtful planning?
We’re using a phased approach – acting quickly where needed, while allowing more time for community-led, long-term planning in other areas.
Residents can stay involved by visiting the Auckland Council consultation page for updates and to find opportunities to have their say.
