Hon Maurice Williamson

Minister for Land Information

22 November 2013       Media Statement

Nautical charts to be more accessible

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson today announced mariners can now access free online navigational charts in a new, and more widely accessible, format as the government continues to make more publicly held information available for reuse.

Land Information New Zealand today made its Raster Navigational Charts available in an unencrypted format that’s more widely supported by software manufacturers.

“This is great news for recreational boaters, who are much more likely to have on board systems that support the new format.  The change also removes the need for special licencing or permits,” Mr Williamson says.

Charts will also be available to software developers to use in creating apps and other types of value added products.

“LINZ maritime information is already being used to create apps for mariners, and this latest initiative only opens up even more possibilities for developers.

“Making Raster Navigational Charts accessible is another example of the work the government is doing to make non-personal data easier for people to discover, use and share,” Mr Williamson says.

ENDS

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