NZ Addresses
Addresses are location identifiers, not ownership records. In New Zealand, territorial authorities allocate road names and property numbers and notify LINZ. LINZ maintains the national address record and publishes address information for reuse.
The national NZ Addresses dataset is available through the LINZ Data Service and is a strong starting point for physical-address GIS work.
What an address can contain
Address systems separate components rather than storing only one text string. Useful components can include:
- base address number
- alpha suffix
- unit/sub-address number
- road name
- road type
- suburb/locality
- territorial authority
- full formatted address
- stable address identifier
- geographic point
- modification metadata
LINZ's New Zealand addressing profile is based on ISO 19160-1 and is intended to make address data more consistent across systems.
Who maintains what
District and city councils allocate or change road names and property numbers. LINZ checks supplied information against addressing standards/guidance and maintains the national record. The national address data does not include the name of the resident or owner.
Address point location
An address point is a representation used for finding/geocoding a physical address. It is not necessarily the parcel centroid. LINZ guidance to territorial authorities prefers placement at the centre of the main dwelling where that can be identified because it improves geocoding and map use.
Useful GIS work
- geocode a table of project locations
- validate field-entered addresses
- label buildings or access points
- connect an address to nearby parcel/title research
- prepare offline field maps
- locate council assets or service requests
- search for nearby properties without using owner data
Joining addresses to parcels
A spatial join can be convenient but may fail on apartments, cross-leases, shared access, rural addressing and multi-building sites. Prefer stable source identifiers and explicit relationship tables when the model needs to survive beyond one analysis.
Geocoding and reverse geocoding
The NZ Addresses dataset provides the source data; a geocoder is the service or software that converts text to coordinates. Different geocoders can parse or rank the same address differently. Preserve the original entered address and the matched address separately so mismatches can be reviewed.
Official sources:
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026
Why addresses matter for Māori GIS
For papakāinga, marae, whenua access and field work, an address can be a useful locator while still being different from the parcel, title, rating property or Māori land block. See Property and cadastre, Papakāinga and housing GIS and Investigating whenua.