LINZ Data Service (LDS) Land Information New Zealand Geospatial Datasets

Overview

The LINZ Data Service (LDS) is the primary open geospatial data portal of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ; Māori: Toitū Te Whenua), a New Zealand government department. The LDS provides free online access to more than 1,900 nationally significant land and seabed datasets, enabling users to search, preview, download, and integrate data via API into their own applications.

History and Founding

LINZ was established in 1996 following the restructure of the Department of Survey and Land Information (DOSLI). The LINZ Data Service was developed to modernize how the agency shares its geospatial holdings, moving away from restrictive data-access arrangements toward open, reusable formats. The LDS has won the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Award and is regarded as one of the most impactful open data projects in the world.

Collections and Holdings

Datasets available on the LDS include topographic data, aerial and satellite imagery, hydrographic charts, geodetic data, property ownership and boundary information (cadastre), LiDAR-based elevation data, road and address data, and historical scanned aerial photography. All datasets are published under open Creative Commons licenses, with a more restrictive license applied to layers containing personal information such as property ownership data.

Access and Usage

The LDS is freely accessible online without registration for most datasets. APIs including OGC WFS, WCS, WMS, and WMTS are supported, enabling direct integration into GIS platforms, web applications, and government systems. The service is used by local councils, central government agencies, commercial enterprises, and researchers. LINZ also publishes basemaps at linz.govt.nz and provides data to Amazon's Open Data Registry for cloud-native access.