Marae and hapū emergency mapping
A hazard layer shows where a modelled event may occur. An emergency map answers a more immediate question: what do we need to know when access, power, water or communications are disrupted?
For a marae or hapū, useful GIS can connect hazards with the practical things needed to respond.
Build around practical questions
Examples include:
- Which roads and bridges are the main access routes?
- What alternative access exists if one route closes?
- Where are water, generators, first-aid equipment and communications assets?
- Which buildings or areas sit inside current flood or tsunami information?
- What map will still be useful when the internet is unavailable?
- Which information belongs on the public map and which belongs on an operational copy?
A simple data model
Create separate layers for:
- marae buildings and facilities
- access points and routes
- water assets
- power and generators
- medical and first-aid resources
- communications
- storage and supplies
- assembly or operational areas
- nearby roads and bridges
- public hazard information
The Marae emergency map worked example provides the asset fields, access structure and checking approach directly on the page. There is no separate synthetic emergency-template download.
Use public hazard layers as context
Regional and local councils publish flood, coastal and planning information. GeoNet publishes earthquake and volcanic information. Civil Defence and councils provide tsunami evacuation information for relevant coastal areas.
Keep the original model or source visible. A flood extent, tsunami zone and road closure are different kinds of information and should not be combined into one undifferentiated risk layer.
See Disaster and hazard mapping for iwi.
Make an offline version
A useful emergency map should not depend entirely on a live web service. Prepare at least one printable PDF and, where practical, an offline field copy.
A practical output set can be:
- A3 overview map
- A4 access and route map
- operational asset map
- field/offline map on a phone or tablet
- web map for ordinary planning and updates
Field GIS covers QField, Field Maps, Survey123 and KoboToolbox options.
Keep maps legible
Emergency maps are not the place for twenty transparent overlays. Use strong labels, a small number of symbols and clear source dates. If a person has to decode a complex legend during a power outage, the map has failed.
Use Cartography and map communication for practical layout guidance.
Worked example
The Marae emergency map example uses a fictional marae and synthetic assets. It demonstrates the workflow without publishing operational information about a real place.
Related pages
Last reviewed: 3 September 2026