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  • Improvement Projects
  • National Vertical Datum Changes

Improvement Projects

Council is currently working on improvements in key areas, including (but not limited to):

  • Refreshing several sections of the Engineering Code of Practice.

      - Section 7 - Water Supply - updated August 2025

      - Additional sections are under review, with further updates to follow.

National Vertical Datum Changes

We adopted the official vertical height standard for New Zealand, New Zealand Vertical Datum 2016 (NZVD2016), in our district, following guidance from Toitū Te Whenua - Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) in February 2024. This national standard replaces the previous local vertical datums (LVDs) to ensure consistency, accuracy, and reliability in height measurements across the country.

Most Council datasets containing height information, including water assets, have already been updated to NZVD2016. Historic datasets will be progressively updated.

Key notes regarding the survey datum level changes:

  • Reason for Change: The transition to NZVD2016 is aimed at setting national datum, which is intended to replace various ‘local vertical datums’ used across the country.
  • Effective Date: The survey datum level changes came into effect 1 July 2024. It is important for all stakeholders involved in surveying, construction, and mapping activities to adhere to the new datum level from this date onwards.

Converting Between Datums

You can use tools, such as the Land Information NZ's Datum Conversion Service, to calculate offsets, e.g. converting from Lyttelton 1937 (Lyt37) to NZVD2016.

Adopting the New Standard

By using NZVD2016, we're ensuring Selwyn projects match other examples from around the country to the latest quality levels.

The new standard also makes it easier to exchange height information used in:

  • Geographic products, such as elevation datasets
  • Infrastructure
  • Planning
  • Consents.

Consistency in height standards is essential for:

  • Managing water resources
  • Assessing hazards
  • Completing engineering works

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we implement these important changes. These updates will improve the accuracy, reliability, and consistency of geographic data within our district.

For any further information, you can check out: