MUGNZ Conference

The annual MapInfo Users Group of New Zealand conference is fast approaching and Napier City will be there having used MapInfo software products for many many years.

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Napier Google Street View

Google have recently released Street View for New Zealand. With Street View you can take virtual walks, pan, rotate and zoom around cityscapes, landmarks, and points of interest!


The coverage of Street View imagery for Napier City is excellent, so we have added links within GIS.Napier to Google Street View from our Property Info (available from the Info tab when you have a property selected on the GIS.Napier interactive map)...

So now not only can you get comprehensive property information from GIS.Napier, but also street level imagery of the property via Google Street View.

Success for the GIS Team

At the Annual MapInfo User Group of New Zealand (MUGNZ) Conference held in Wellington in September, Napier City Council won two awards.

"The Critchlow Trophy for Outstanding Implementation of a Geographic Information Systems Project" was awarded for the Council's new graffiti mapping solution. The application combines sophisticated mapping, council resources and community input to achieve practical management of a common urban problem.

The MUGNZ Trophy for Excellence in Cartography was awarded for its mapping of walking tracks and cycleways within the Napier region .

Read the press articles here

• Pitney Bowes Mapinfo Press Release
  
• The Dominion Post Article

GIS.Napier Vista Sidebar Gadget

Google Chrome Browser

Google have released their very own Web Browser, Google Chrome!

Find your Napier Property in Google Earth

Well, young Hayleigh is putting this old dog to shame with this new fangled blogging!

So to catch up a little, here's some info on a very exciting new feature on our GIS website - you are now able to search for an address in Napier and view the results in Google Earth!

So what do you need to access this service? For starters you will need an internet connection (if your reading this youv'e already got that!). Next you will need Google Earth installed on your computer - you can download from Google for free!

The address searching is activated via our "Online Services", or more specifically the "KML Services" page (KML is the technology that allows you to retrieve GIS data direct from us over the internet, and display the data in Google Earth).


Once on the KML Service page, simple type in your address and click the Find button...

Tip - You don't need to type in the address suffix (e.g. Road, Avenue, Street, etc)

The address will be displayed as a yellow push pin in Google Earth.

Clicking the Yellow Push Pin will display information about that address as well as provide links to Rates Information, Building Consents and Resource Consents.

Web Map Services (WMS)

A Web Map Service (WMS) is a technology that allows you to retrieve GIS data direct from us over the internet, and display the data as a raster image in your own GIS applications.

This innovation is based on a specification from the Open GIS Consortium (OGC)

WMS-produced maps are generally rendered in a raster format such as PNG, GIF or JPEG.

When requesting a map the WMS URL indicates what information is to be shown on the map, what portion of the earth is to be mapped, the desired coordinate reference system, and the output image width and height.

WMS allows the creation of a network of distributed map servers from which clients can build customised maps.

Most main stream GIS software packages are able to display Web Map Services. Some CAD software packages are also able to take advantage of Web Map Services, either directly or via third party add-ons.

Napier City provides WMS services for select data we hold using the following URL within your GIS application:

http://www.gis.napier.govt.nz/geoserver/wms?
service=WMS&request=GetCapabilities

Over time, we hope to add more data to this service.

If you would like further information on our WMS services give me a call on (06) 834 4151

Online Services

We have finally added a variety of online services to supplement the existing Interactive Maps application that has been available since 2003. The new services include a Metadata Application, a WMS Service, WFS Service and a KML Service for Google Earth.

Property drop-down

In many instances within Napier City, more than one property record sits on one piece of land, especially where there are properties with unit titles (e.g. apartments). Just because one property information pops up, doesn't mean you cannot view the other properties associated with the piece of land.

To do so search the address or identify the piece of land you are interested in (using the info tool). Above where the property info is displayed are two drop down menus. The bottom one indicates the number of selected records and you are able to drop down the menu and select the property you are interested in. The numbers in brackets indicate how many records, and which record you are looking at.

Property Details Explained

Ever wondered what all the property info details mean? Well I am here to help, here's a quick overview of the details in the Property Info tab when you have selected a property.

Every property you search will have some Property Info associated with it, most of it is straightforward, but some may mean nothing to you.

The first on the list is UPI - this is a unique number, associated with every record. If you have a data problem or a query about a property, you can use this number as a reference.

Property Key is another unique number associated with the storage of data within the database the information is stored in.

Status - Properties will have one of three status, 'M', 'L', 'H'.
'M' is a main record, a current property, 'L' is a link record, a property that is in shared title or ownership, 'H' is a historic record, which is not current.

Property address is the official property address for that property as set by Council (and how it should appear in the real world).

Valuation address is the address the valuation number is associated with (this may not match the property address).

Valuation is the valuation number associated with the property.
You may come across some unusual valuation numbers, a valuation number of X111111113, is a property undergoing subdivision or development, that is yet to be assigned a valuation number.
An X111111112, is a record that is a reserve or road reserve.
An X111111111, is a historical record with no known valuation number associated with it.

Legal is the legal description associated with the property.

CT is the certificate of title for the property.

Area is the as per the certificate of title, it is in hectares.

Property Name, will only appear if this is available. This contains names of commercial properties operating from the location.

Rate is the annual rate charge for the property in $.

Improved, Capital and Land Value are the rateable values associated with the property ($).

More Info - clicking on this allows a new window to be opened up with a more detailed view of the rates charged for the property.

Street View takes you to the nearest Google Street View Image, allowing you to view from street level.


Hopefully this explains a few things, and remember if you think something is wrong let us know, and we can look into it.

Zoning Info

Are you after a zone for your properties, a property you are interested in purchasing or a zoning map?

Easy in GIS.Napier

You can find a zone a property is in, by simply searching the address, when the property is found, there are two important tabs.

The first "District Plan Zone" provides you simply with which zone it belongs, in this case "Fringe Commercial".

You can also search by planning map, using the reference at the bottom right of the Map Sheet. Instead of searching by address, change the search to Find District Plan Map Sheet, simply enter the Map Sheet number, (This is case sensitive, e.g. 'G8' not 'g8') this provides you with an overview of the area the Map Sheet covers and a link to the Map sheet pdf. You can do this in either the entry window or from within the map window.

Art Deco Buildings

Napier is known as the Art Deco Capital of the world. Nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s - Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission, and above all Art Deco, the style of the 20th Century. Napier's Art Deco is unique, with Maori motifs and the buildings of Louis Hay, admirer of the great Frank Lloyd Wright.

Within GIS.Napier, you can explore these buildings, and the associated information. There are two ways to do this.

1. Follow this link to the Napier City Councils Art Deco Inventory.
From here you can select any one of the 123 buildings in the art deco inventory, and click Find

This opens a GIS.Napier window, click AGREE

This opens a Map window, with the record you selected, including photos, building information, completion dates amongst other things

2. The second way to do this is to browse the Art Deco Buildings from within GIS.Napier

• Enter the site as usual,


• If you know the buildings Art Deco Register you can search that, (number between 1 - 123) by selecting 'Find Art Deco' in Step 3 of opening a Map.


• Or you can skip options, open map and navigate to the CBD, Ahuriri or Taradale, where the majority of Art Deco Buildings are.


• Select those you are interested in, using the information tool.

Happy Browsing

Tips and Tricks

After some ways to make your browsing experience easier?

Here are some Tips and Tricks to help.

Search - Enter the address, press TAB, Press Enter

After an road overview? - Find Road, Allows you to search for Road Name, all of which are pre-entered, so no need to worry about spelling. Find Road, takes you to the Road, allowing you to see an over view.

Want an easy way to zoom in and out? Use the preset zooms on the Top left - Click on any one of the four, Address, Street, Suburb, City, in order from closest to furthest to zoom quickly around your location.

Want more or less info on your map? Click on the 'Maps' button, just under the City of Napier Logo, a drop down menu appears allowing you to Turn on or off info quickly, or search quickly.

Don't want to print, but want to keep a copy? Save to PDF. On the top toolbar 3rd from the right, is a round purple PDF button, click on this. At the bottom of the window in the status bar, you can enter a title, select a size and orientation, click 'Save to PDF', click on the link, and if you want to keep it, save a copy.

Found a Problem? Or an error, let us know. Expand the Data Feedback in the right hand menu and click on the round purple icon, a pop up appears, where you can let us know whats incorrect, missing, additional or other, and we can look into it.

Printing at Home

• Find the location you want in your map window and select the print tab
• There you can select what size map (A4 or A3), the orientation (Portrait or Landscape).
• The zoom of you map, you can get an indication from the top of the print tab, which tells you the scale for the different pages, select these or input your own
• Enter a title
• Decide if you want a legend, or the overview (or both!)
• Click print

Tip 3: Make sure you allow pop-ups from gis.Napier

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Napier Statistics

After Statistics for Napier and can't seem to find them anywhere?

Statistics NZ produce community profiles which are available online, with both quick facts and detailed facts.

The links are provided from www.napier.govt.nz

Just a few facts to wet your appetite;

Did you know that Napier..

• Has a population of 55,359 people
• A median age of 38.6 years
• A median income of $22,700
• Nearly 50% of the Napier City Population is Married
• 56.5% have access to the internet

GIS Day 2008

Map Downloads

Not only can you create your own Maps online, but there are also a number of Maps available for downloading under the Downloads Tab

They include;

• CBD Parking


• 2008 Index of Deprivation


• Postcodes


• Ward Boundary


• Napier City Council Boundary


• 1865 Napier Map


• Property Number Maps


• District Plan Maps

If the map you are after isn't available, please contact me and we can create a customised Map to your specifications

Searching

GIS.Napier has the standard search functions, like its predecessor, such as find property address, valuation or legal description, but it also has some new functions, like find nearby resource consents.

To search for a property, click on the Find Tab at the top right of the browser. This should bring up a list of options, select the one you want to use.

All the options prefixed with 'Find' select one location, but potentially many properties, e.g. 150 Church is one of 5 properties, which can navigate through, using the drop down menu .

A selected property is identified by a thick black line and can be selected by 'Find' or clicking on a parcel with the Info tool . Once a parcel is selected you can then use the find tools to search for nearby properties, resource consents or the surrounding properties. Simply select one of the options and if required enter the desired distance away and select the submit button (Hint: remember to click submit, enter does not work)

Measuring Area

A new function has been added to GIS.napier, you are now able to measure length and area, using the two of the tools above the map (see right).

Offline Services

To compliment our online services we also offer a range of offline services. We can create for you a specialised custom map to your specified instructions up to A0 size for a minimal cost. Click this link to request a map or give me a call on (06) 834 4199 ext 8606