Wetlands
No single national wetland layer should be assumed to contain every current or historical wetland. Use several evidence types.
National starting points
The MfE Data Service holds national wetland extent/reporting layers and Freshwater Ecosystems of New Zealand (FENZ) material. Manaaki Whenua's Our Environment/LRIS resources also provide wetland and land-cover information. LCDB v6.0 added/retained attributes specifically intended to improve wetland change monitoring.
Regional/local sources
Councils can have more detailed mapped wetlands for plan schedules, biodiversity programmes, restoration or consent work. Check date and mapping purpose before comparing them to a national layer.
Historical wetland investigation
Combine:
- current wetland inventory
- LCDB time steps
- historical aerial photography
- LiDAR terrain/flow accumulation
- soil/land-resource data
- drains/river networks
- documentary maps and reports
Dark vegetation or a flat hollow on imagery is evidence to investigate, not enough to label a wetland by itself.
Start at MfE Data Service and Our Environment, then use historical imagery.
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026