Simplified API access to data
The LINZ Data Importer plugin allows you to easily explore and connect to any LINZ Data Service (LDS) and LINZ Basemaps web service from QGIS. Make a one-time connection to any data portal from Toitū Te Whenua or other participating agencies to get access to all available WFS and WMTS services from your QGIS project.
Once the connection is set up, any new datasets supported by WFS or WMTS will be immediately available to you in QGIS.
Visit the QGIS Project website for more help and to download the application.
Available data
Data which is available through WFS or WMTS from the agency data portals and services below are available through the LINZ Data Importer.
Open data portals
- Toitū Te Whenua – Land Information New Zealand
- Manatū Mō Te Taiao – Ministry for the Environment
- Tatauranga Aotearoa – Statistics New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
LINZ Basemap service
Get an API key
The first step in using the LINZ Data Importer is to get an API key. You need an API key for each service you want to access data from.
LINZ Data Service and other agency data portal API key
Our guide to creating an API key for the LINZ Data Service will step you through this process. The same general process will generate an API key from the agency data portals above.
You must log in and create an API key for each individual data source you want to access data from.
LINZ Basemaps API key
Visit LINZ Basemaps to get an API Key. Open the menu on the right, then copy the pre-populated API key from the full WMTS URL.
Note: these keys are rotated every 90 days so you will need to keep them up to date. Contact basemaps@linz.govt.nz if you want an unlimited developer API key.
Installing the plugin
The following process for viewing and importing data using the LINZ Data Importer in QGIS is performed using QGIS version 3.10.
- From the QGIS application, Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins… the Plugins dialogue box will open, search LINZ Data Importer, and click Install Plugin.
- Once the plugin is installed the LINZ logo will be added above the Browser window. Click the logo to open the LINZ Data Importer dialogue box.
- Access the 'Settings' tab to configure each service’s domain and API key. Click the dropdown menu under the 'API Keys' heading and select the domain of the data service which you are interested in (such as data.linz.govt.nz).
- Click the '+' symbol. This will confirm the selected domain and provide a text box to insert the relevant API key. Copy and paste the API key that you created earlier (see above) in the text box and click Save.
- This will trigger the plugin to request the domain’s dataset information, allowing you to view and import the data in QGIS via WMTS and WFS web services.
- Select the layer of interest and click “Add”. The corresponding dataset will be added to the map display.
- Another open data portal can then be added by changing the domain and repeating steps 4 to 7.
See the LINZ Data Importer page on GitHub for more information on caching, coordinate reference systems and filtering.