A search for “Site” under the resources section of the NZACS website brings up several articles highlighting the necessity of getting a firm grip on site information before pencil hits paper (or mouse is engaged).  A couple of recent claims has prompted a list of some (not all-inclusive!) things to think about:

• Overhead power lines including Transpower lines
• Internal legal boundaries subdividing a site
• Boundaries which may be in doubt or ill-defined
• Flood plains and overland flow paths – is your site vulnerable to flooding?  Where is surface water coming from, where does it go, what affect will your building have on it?
• Underground services, including unmapped and unregistered public SS and SW lines, gas pipes, electrical cables, private services.
• Regional overlays on your site – Check with regional authority.  May override local council requirements.
• Set-backs due to specific regional/local conditions such as railway lines, power lines or transmission towers
• Possible redundant offal pits and/or aquifers on site, or other ground contamination.
• Cross-lease, ROW restrictions and easements
• Check site coverage, HIRTB, etc. Recent changes may have affected your site.
• Unstable land – by definition if sloping.  Do the trees on site look unusual?  Does the vegetation suggest dampness or recent re-establishment?
• Localised or site-specific vegetation/subgrade/wind/rain/drainage issues which may or may not be recorded on publicly available information.
• Protected or notable trees.
• Covenants on the land protecting views etc. 
• Nearby properties or activities which may require specific design in relation to privacy or environmental issues (smells, noise, irregular activities, animals, and others not necessarily subject to regulatory control)
• Coastal land instability.  For example, Auckland Council has mapped the coastline that could be affected by coastal erosion and instability under a range of climate change (sea-level rise) scenarios and timeframes (2050, 2080, 2130).  This Area Susceptible to Coastal Instability and Erosion (ASCIE) mapping has been done at a regional-scale but is refined depending on site-specific assessments.  This will have significant implications on coastal properties.  Other regions will have similar issues.

• Some of the things members can do to ensure a successful project:
• Visit the site in person and record everything you can
• Be satisfied that the site setout is as designed (or if not, is as it should be!)
• Have a survey done showing all legal boundaries, topo levels, easements, services
• If justified, have a GRP survey done for all underground services.  Map LL and ILs
• Check local council GIS maps for all property information including any encumbrances or local council requirements which are outside the legal boundary but which might affect your site.  
• Download the local council Property File
• View all official or historical information with a critical eye, and reconcile it with your observations and common sense.  Information at a macro level may not provide the detailed information required for the specific site.
• Obtain the Certificate of Title to confirm any legal constraints, and if necessary seek legal interpretation of them.
• If appropriate, check with any architect or fellow professional who may have worked on the site previously.
• If appropriate, have a geotech assessment completed.