The below article was published in the October 2025 edition of Contractor, New Zealand’s civil contracting industry magazine.
It’s 4 a.m. on site, and it’s drizzling. You’ve opened the ground to inspect a telecommunications cable, but there’s an unexpected, unmarked pipe in the way. It’s outside office hours, and your permit to dig is quickly expiring. There’s no official channel to log your find, and any delays will be costly.
This scenario is all too common for contractors across Aotearoa. Beneath our feet lies a complex, often undocumented, web of pipes and cables. Accessing accurate, up-to-date information, especially after hours or in remote locations, has long been a barrier to safe, efficient project delivery.
In Wellington alone, a 2024 city council survey of the infrastructure sector quantified these issues as costing over $50 million annually, causing 10,000 workforce days of avoidable delays and more than 3,500 safety incidents or near misses. The annual estimation, nationally, sits around $1 billion.
What if records were available at any time? What if everyone involved in excavations could access a single, authoritative federated map of underground assets on their phones, anytime of day or night, and log unexpected findings instantly?
PHOTO CREDIT: WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL
Introducing the NZ Underground Asset Register (NZUAR)
Developed in partnership by Wellington City Council (WCC) and Digital Built Aotearoa (DBAF) – a charitable foundation focused on infrastructure resilience – the NZ Underground Asset Register is a free, open-source, map-based tool of underground assets, designed with input from the industry, for the industry.
The tool was born out of necessity, after the 2024 survey of infrastructure professionals found that over 70% of respondents faced issues with underground data, from insufficient detail to missing records. Nearly half of road corridor dig requests were affected by asset strikes, near misses, or unexpected finds. As one Wellington excavator put it: “It’s always good to have good records. If you haven’t got good records on a service plan, then you’re pretty much digging blind […] At the moment it’s a lot of guessing games.”
NZUAR changes the game by federating lifelines data from multiple utilities, in multiple formats, into one user-friendly, online, colour-coded map. You can instantly view water, power, gas and telecoms – identify asset owners, and their contact details – with new functionality being developed continuously. Soon you’ll be able to easily check which utilities are active within your regional boundary, print an area of interest, or direct message an asset owner through the tool.
The NZ Infrastructure Commission has recognised the issue NZUAR seeks to address as a problem of national importance – and now included on their Infrastructure Priorities Programme for further investigation.
The platform has been piloted in Wellington, with a wider rollout set to get underway. If you’re based outside of Wellington watch this space – the NZUAR is set to transform the way we excavate.
A living tool, built on your feedback
The first of its kind in New Zealand, NZUAR is a shared, living tool, that improves with every use. The ‘site record’ function lets you log any unexpected finds, with photos and notes, directly from your mobile phone. This helps contractors for two key reasons:
- Easy compliance: The National Code of Practice requires excavators to notify asset owners of any discrepancies underground. NZUAR removes a huge barrier to compliance by simplifying this process – even outside business hours.
- Improved accuracy for everyone: You can instantly log your findings to alert asset owners and future excavators, helping to prevent delays and safety incidents.
There are also wider benefits that stack up quickly; better planning, fewer asset strikes over time, reduced rework, cost savings. A move toward more accurate record-keeping also means reduced risk of striking dangerous assets like gas lines or electrical cables.
Data sharing – from everyday to emergencies
NZUAR is part of a broader ecosystem of public-good, open-source tools stewarded by DBAF, including the National Forward Works Viewer. Having more tools that allow data-sharing allows for greater collaboration, which is better for daily operations – and vital for rapid response in emergencies.
Free access
NZUAR is free to use for contractors, with no complex licensing. Its mobile-friendly design was shaped by feedback from contractors who needed a tool that works on site, in real time. It’s intuitive, with minimal training required, making it easy to adopt.
How can contractors contribute?
If you’re Wellington-based or do work in Wellington, you can get involved by:
- Signing up for free: Visit nzuar.org.nz to create a free account.
- Uploading site records: Use the ‘site record’ function to log findings and photos, creating a feedback loop that improves data accuracy for everyone.
- Providing feedback: If you have any feedback or questions, get in touch at support@nzuar.org.
NZUAR marks a movement toward safer and smarter excavation practice for New Zealand, and by contributing your experiences, you can be part of helping build resilience for the wider infrastructure sector.