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.