Last reviewed: 16 August 2026
Starting an iwi or hapū GIS from nothing
You do not need an enterprise platform, a data warehouse or a GIS team to begin useful Māori GIS mahi.
A common starting point is much less tidy:
- one ordinary laptop
- a few spreadsheets
- several KMZ files
- PDFs from councils
- maps in reports
- photographs on shared drives
- somebody who knows QGIS a little
- people with important local knowledge who do not want to become database administrators
- no permanent GIS budget
That is enough to start.
The first objective is not to build a system. It is to create a small, trustworthy working practice that answers real questions and can grow without losing control of the data.
Before the first map
Agree three things.
The kaupapa
Choose one or two useful tasks.
Examples:
- find whenua and surrounding planning information
- make maps for a hui
- understand flooding around marae
- organise restoration sites
- prepare a submission
- identify old imagery for a whenua block
Avoid starting with build an iwi GIS. That is too broad to guide the first decisions.
The people
Identify:
- who is doing the mapping
- who can approve use of local information
- who needs to see outputs
- who can help check names and interpretation
- who will still understand the files if the current mapper leaves
The rules
Write a one-page note covering:
- what information is public
- what is internal
- what is restricted
- where files will be stored
- who can publish
- how important source information will be recorded
Do not wait for a 40-page policy.
First 30 days
The goal is to get one dependable workflow working.
Install a simple toolset
A sensible low-cost starting set is:
- QGIS for desktop mapping and analysis
- a browser for public data portals
- Google Earth Pro or ArcGIS Earth for quick viewing where useful
- one shared organisational storage location
- one external backup under organisational control
Use the Matawhenua Māori GIS Starter Kit if you want an existing QGIS project and public Aotearoa datasets rather than an empty screen.
Create one folder structure
For example:
GIS
00_README
01_SOURCE_DATA
02_WORKING_DATA
03_PROJECTS
04_MAP_OUTPUTS
05_RESTRICTED
06_ARCHIVE
Do not create 80 folders on day one.
Choose one working data format
For a small QGIS setup, GeoPackage is a strong default for vector data.
It lets you keep several related layers in one file and avoids many of the problems of loose shapefiles.
Keep downloaded source data unchanged in 01_SOURCE_DATA. Create working copies for editing.
Make one useful map
Pick a familiar place and a real question.
Add only what is needed. Include:
- a clear title
- date
- source note
- appropriate place names
- a short statement if a boundary or layer is indicative
Take the map to the people who will use it. Ask what is missing and what should not be there.
By 90 days
Once the basic workflow is being used, add structure only where experience shows it is needed.
Build a small local data kete
Useful starting layers may include:
- marae
- whenua Māori context
- locally approved ingoa wāhi
- awa and catchments
- imagery
- hazards
- council planning layers
- environmental context
- project sites
Do not copy every public dataset in Aotearoa into your environment.
Create a source register
For each maintained layer, record:
- name
- source organisation
- source URL or record
- date obtained
- purpose
- known limitations
- sensitivity
- who checks it
- how often it might need refreshing
A spreadsheet is enough at first.
Separate public and restricted information
Do not store restricted cultural information in the same general working layer as public reference data just because it is convenient.
Separate it physically or logically and apply appropriate access controls.
See Māori Data Sovereignty for GIS.
Create two or three reusable layouts
Useful templates include:
- A4 or A3 hui map
- governance/report map
- field map
Templates save more time than elaborate automation at this stage.
By one year
A year of real use will tell you what the organisation actually needs.
At that point consider:
- whether several people need simultaneous editing
- whether web maps would genuinely improve access
- whether field collection needs a formal mobile workflow
- whether larger imagery or LiDAR storage is becoming difficult
- whether a database such as PostgreSQL/PostGIS is justified
- whether cloud, local or hybrid hosting fits the data and capability
- whether a dedicated GIS role is warranted
Do not buy enterprise architecture to solve a problem you do not yet have.
Capability before platform
A resilient GIS has more than software.
It needs:
- people who understand the kaupapa
- more than one person who can open the projects
- documented account ownership
- known storage locations
- backups that have actually been tested
- source and provenance notes
- simple repeatable workflows
- enough time for people to learn
A platform can support these things. It cannot create them.
What not to do in year one
Avoid:
- collecting sensitive information because it might be useful later
- buying software before defining the work
- building a custom app before the underlying data is maintained
- letting a consultant be the only administrator
- storing everything in one person's cloud drive
- copying owner names and personal details into general GIS layers
- publishing an internal working layer as a public map
- trying to clean every historic file before doing any useful mapping
A simple maturity path
Stage 1
One mapper, local files, QGIS, clear folders, basic backups, useful maps.
Stage 2
Shared standards, source register, a few maintained local datasets, several trained users, controlled publishing.
Stage 3
Shared database or managed platform where justified, field workflows, stronger metadata, formal backup and recovery, clear governance.
Stage 4
Sustainable organisational capability with succession, funding, reusable services, controlled integrations and long-term stewardship.
There is no requirement to reach Stage 4. A small hapū may be better served by an excellent Stage 1 or Stage 2 setup than a complex platform it cannot sustain.