Parcel ≠ title ≠ property ≠ address
These terms often appear together in council viewers and GIS layers, which makes them look more interchangeable than they are.
| Concept | Main question | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| cadastral parcel | what spatial unit exists in the cadastre for this intent? | LINZ cadastre / LDS |
| Record of Title | what registered ownership, legal description and interests apply? | LINZ land-title record |
| property | how are several property components related for a business/administrative purpose? | depends on system; Property Spine is one national model |
| rating / valuation unit | what unit is valued/rated? | territorial authority / District Valuation Roll |
| address | what structured physical address identifies this location? | council allocation, LINZ national address record |
| Māori land block | what block/record exists in Māori Land Court jurisdiction? | Pātaka Whenua |
Why joins fail
A simple one-to-one join can break because:
- one title can involve several parcels
- a parcel can be associated with several title interests
- a multi-unit site can have many addresses
- one rating unit can group land differently from titles
- an address point can sit inside one parcel while referring to a unit in a larger development
- a Māori land block can intersect a cadastral framework with a different historical lineage
When the relationship matters, preserve stable identifiers and use a relationship table rather than manufacturing a single property_id yourself.
Boundary is another overloaded word
A cadastral boundary is a legal survey concept. A property viewer polygon may be a derived representation. A fence or hedge is occupation. A Māori land block representation comes from another record system. A rohe is another concept again.
Label each geometry by what it actually represents.
Useful next pages
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026