Hon Gerry Brownlee
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister
Hon Maurice Williamson
Minister for Land Information

15 November 2012 Media Statement

Important boost for Canterbury rebuild

Land Information New Zealand is to lead a programme of work to accelerate recovery and rebuild efforts in Canterbury, the Government announced today.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the programme will address barriers to data sharing, provides solutions to harnessing web technology and facilitates 3D visualisation.

Agencies in Canterbury have made great progress since September 2010 to work collaboratively and positively for the region, but their progress has been hampered by challenges they face in sharing information between their different computer systems.

“Reliable location-based information, including maps, property and utilities data, engineering and geotechnical reports, and demolition assessments, already play a key role in recovery decision-making,” Mr Brownlee says.

“The work will allow people in Canterbury to see and interact with future developments, and gives them the opportunity to interact more inclusively in planning processes, or through generating innovative products and solutions.”

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson says these projects are a further demonstration of the Government’s commitment to rebuilding Canterbury, and to ensuring the availability and accessibility of important spatial information.

“The work will generate significant time savings, and I’m particularly excited to see how it can be applied across New Zealand. It is a logical step to developing a spatial data infrastructure for the country,” Mr Williamson says.

ENDS

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