Imagine a single view of the pipes, cables and networks underneath your city. One big digital map showing multiple different lifelines’ data – as well as site observations from contractors when their underground findings don’t match their plans. One shared contact book and log to help people view and record their underground findings, creating a continuous feedback loop to improve the maintenance and delivery of our infrastructure.
And that’s the NZ Underground Asset Register.
There’s so many benefits, including:
– Reduced rework through access to a single, unified view of underground utility data
– Improved delays and disruption through instant, around the clock access to asset information
– Continuous improvement of utility records
We currently show asset data from the following organisations:
WELLINGTON CITY REGION
WELLINGTON CBD
If you’ve got data you’d like to supply to the UAR map, feel free to reach out to us: info@nzuar.org
We work with councils and utilities in a region to identify and load the relevant underground asset data, with the right access levels and security.
We’ll help to onboard relevant organisations in your region – including the local council, utilities, and contractors to get the most out of the tool.
Once you’re all set up, you’ll have unlimited access to the NZUAR around the clock, and ongoing support from our technical services helpdesk.
Free, easy, around-the-clock access
If you’re involved in planning, delivering or maintaining infrastructure – you can log in to access a free, user-friendly, integrated map of underground assets. The platform is available 24/7 on both desktop and mobile, so you can access what you need instantly, whether you’re in the office, or out on site.
View the detail beneath your feet
Simply draw an ‘Area of Interest’ query on the map to instantly see what assets exist in your project footprint – who owns them, how to contact them, and any specific working conditions.
Improve records by logging your observations
If you discover something underground that doesn’t match the plans – you can log a site record directly to the map. This creates a feedback channel to the asset owner, helping them improve their data records over time. These also provide a record of existing hazards for future excavators.
Share, export or print your queries
You can save your custom ‘Area of Interest’ queries to return to later, share them with others digitally, or export them as PDFs to print out and take to site.
Understand who’s operating in your corridor
See which utilities have active networks in your region, as well as any operators who have not yet supplied data – giving you better visibility of your local landscape.
About the project
The Underground Asset Register was launched as a beta pilot in Wellington, in partnership with Wellington City Council.
By beta pilot, we mean the tool underwent a discovery phase where we delivered the software quickly to build value for anyone needing to do subsurface works – and refining the tool in subsequent iterations based on our findings and from our user feedback. The first stage of this project was fully funded by the Department of Internal Affairs.
The tool has now moved out of beta pilot mode and into ‘business as usual’ in Wellington – and we’re looking to start rolling it out nationally to benefit the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The project stemmed from the need to improve access to underground asset data to infrastructure stakeholders in the Wellington region. The infrastructure sector has told Wellington City that having access to this information on a single platform is vital, not just for knowing where underground lifeline assets are located, but for understanding other risks of working in the environment. Over time, having a trusted source of underground information in one place enables better strategic planning, helps mitigate the impact of construction on communities, improves the assessment of risk and improves access to critical information.
The UAR has been built in collaboration with Digital Built Aotearoa, a charitable foundation formed to provide a national, neutral home for tools such as the NZ Forward Works Viewer and the UAR, and encourage collaboration to improve infrastructure resilience throughout the country.
Also involved in the project has been a Technical Reference Group who are representatives of the wider infrastructure sector in Wellington, including civil contractors, surveyors, network utility operators, locators, developers, archaeologists and engineers. Having this knowledgeable group of people has been invaluable in understanding the needs of end users and the associated processes policy and regulatory change.
Resolving ownership of an unidentified buried object:
During a major wasterwater renewal project, an underground chamber not identified in any utility records was discovered. Repairs were made and the site observation provided a record highlighting the confused ownership for utilities to resolve.
A critical safety risk was exposed in the Wakefield Street wastewater renewal project, when shallow, orange-coded electricity ducts were struck. It was found they were previously repaired with wrongly coded ducts, including a telecoms duct disguising an electricity cable within. The ducts were correctly repaired but could not be buried lower, remaining a strike risk. The record forewarns future excavators.
Smoother weekend and out of hours work:
“Our team deals with callouts to fix water, wastewater or stormwater issues and that can mean working at night or weekends. The online UAR [gives’ us access 24/7 to all plans combined in one map. We [don’t] have to wait around for anyone else to get the information to us.”
– Sean de Roo, Wellington Water
If you’re from a local Road Controlling Authority (RCA) and you’re interested in implementing the register in your region, contact us at support@nzuar.org.nz to understand what’s involved and get the ball rolling.
Just want to view what’s in the register to help with your project work? You can access this by signing up here and selecting ‘General User’. Please note you must work for a company related to projects or infrastructure.
