Coordinate systems in New Zealand
Three horizontal CRS values appear constantly in MāoriGIS.nz workflows.
| CRS | EPSG | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| NZGD2000 / NZTM2000 | 2193 | national/local desktop GIS, metres, area/distance |
| WGS 84 geographic | 4326 | longitude/latitude exchange, GPS/web APIs |
| WGS 84 / Pseudo-Mercator | 3857 | global web map tiles |
CRS does three jobs
A coordinate reference system defines the datum/reference frame, coordinate axes and, for projected systems, the projection. Assigning the wrong CRS does not reproject coordinates; it tells GIS to interpret the same numbers differently.
When a layer is in the wrong place
Check:
- are values longitude/latitude degrees or metre eastings/northings?
- was the source CRS missing rather than wrong?
- did the software assign EPSG:4326 to NZTM coordinates?
- is WFS axis order reversed?
- is the error vertical rather than horizontal?
Do not use Set CRS as a random fix until you know what the stored coordinates are.
For heights see NZVD2016.
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026