Official Council Document
LIM Report
LIM Report Fairlie | Land Information Memorandum for Fairlie Properties
Quick Answer
A Land Information Memorandum for a Fairlie address is the formal release of the property file held by Mackenzie District Council. It shows what has been consented and closed out, how the land is zoned, and what the council records about river flooding and other hazards affecting the site.
Buying in Fairlie means buying whatever is on the council file along with the land. official records the consent history, the district plan position and any hazards it is aware of — for this district commonly river flooding. Those obligations transfer to the new owner regardless of who created them. With a local market of village housing, high-country holdings and tourism accommodation, a LIM is how you find out what you are inheriting while you can still act on it.
Key Facts
Location
Fairlie
Online Delivery
Delivered online via email
What Is This Document
A Land Information Memorandum is a formal statement issued under section 44A of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. For a Fairlie property the records are those held on the official council file. The report draws together what the authority holds on its property file: consent records, rating information, drainage and services data, district plan zoning, and any hazard information it is aware of. It is a disclosure at a point in time — not an inspection, and not a valuation.
Which Document Do I Need
They answer different questions and most buyers need both.
| Situation | Recommended Document |
|---|---|
| What the council knows. | LIM |
| Who owns the land and what legal interests are registered against it — easements, covenants, mortgages, cross-lease or unit title structures. | Record of title |
| If you are assessing physical condition | Building inspection |
to commission; a LIM records what was consented, not whether the work was done well or has since deteriorated.
What Information Is Included
A Fairlie LIM typically covers
building consents, permits and code compliance certificates held on the property file
the district plan zoning and any overlays or designations affecting the site
rates information and any outstanding amounts
stormwater, wastewater and water supply connections, including drainage plans where held
hazards known to the council — for Fairlie commonly river flooding, alpine weather exposure and seismic activity
and any requisitions, notices or orders issued against the property
Why People Order
Buyers in Fairlie order a LIM to find out what has been consented before they commit.
Unconsented work is the most common discovery, and it transfers to the new owner along with the obligation to resolve it.
Lenders and insurers increasingly ask about hazard exposure before confirming terms, and since the natural hazard provisions came into force in October 2025 councils record that information more fully than they once did.
Real World Use Cases
A buyer in Fairlie finds a deck and a carport on the property file with no code compliance certificate, and the vendor is asked to close out the consent before settlement.
A purchaser discovers the site sits in an area affected by river flooding, which changes both the insurance quote and the lending conversation.
An owner planning a subdivision checks the zoning and services position before committing to survey costs.
Council & Property Context
It maintains the property file, processes building and resource consents, and issues the LIM. A high-country market with significant tourism and pastoral activity. That local context shapes what appears on a Fairlie LIM: river flooding, alpine weather exposure and seismic activity are the hazard categories most likely to be recorded, and the district's housing stock — village housing, high-country holdings and tourism accommodation — determines the kind of consent history you should expect to see. A Fairlie LIM reflects that district's records specifically; it does not carry information held for any other district.
Common Mistakes
Assuming a LIM covers physical condition — it records what's on the official file, not what a builder would find.
Assuming that because a structure exists it was consented.
Relying on a LIM the vendor obtained months earlier, when council records have since changed.
Leaving the order until the final days of a due diligence period.
reading a clear LIM as a guarantee, when it confirms only that the council holds no record of a problem.
When Not Sufficient
A LIM is not enough on its own. It will not tell you who owns the property or what is registered against the title — that requires a record of title. It will not identify defects, weathertightness issues or structural problems; that is a building inspection. It does not value the property. For a full picture of a Fairlie property, a LIM sits alongside a title search and an independent building report.
How To Order
Two things are needed: the Fairlie address and the report type. Everything after that is handled — we obtain the complete official record and deliver it electronically. Most buyers forward the report straight to their solicitor, so it is delivered in a form that can be passed on directly.
Turnaround & Delivery
Standard delivery for a Fairlie LIM Report is within 15 working days of order confirmation. If your deadline is closer than that, Fast Track Processing (NZ$299) puts your order at the front of the queue with delivery targeted inside 10 working days. Allow extra margin for complex property files, and if settlement or auction dates are fixed, Fast Track is the safer choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a flood notation on a Fairlie LIM affect insurance?
It can. Insurers increasingly price flood exposure directly, and a notation on the official record is the kind of information an underwriter will ask about. Obtain the LIM before your finance and insurance conditions expire, so a revised premium is something you can act on rather than absorb.
Will a Fairlie LIM tell me if a building is earthquake-prone?
It discloses what's on the official file, which can include an earthquake-prone building notice issued under the Building Act 2004. That matters for older commercial and multi-unit buildings in particular, because a notice carries a statutory deadline for strengthening work that passes to the new owner.
What happens if a Fairlie LIM shows unconsented work?
The obligation to resolve it passes to you on settlement. The council can require regularisation or removal, regularisation is not always achievable, and unconsented work affects insurance and future resale. While your offer is still conditional you have options; afterwards you do not.
What is the difference between a Fairlie LIM and a title search?
The LIM is the council's record — consents, zoning, rates, hazards. A record of title, held by Land Information New Zealand, shows legal ownership and registered interests such as easements and covenants. Different bodies, different information, and most buyers need both.
Can I make a conditional offer while waiting for a Fairlie LIM?
That is the usual approach, and your solicitor will draft the condition. It gives you a contractual right to act on what the report discloses — which is the whole value of ordering it before going unconditional.
Does the absence of hazard information on a Fairlie LIM mean there is no risk?
No. A LIM discloses what's on the official file. Absence of a recorded hazard means the council has no record of one, which is not the same as confirming the property is unaffected.
Order Your Fairlie LIM Report
Enter the Fairlie address and we will obtain the full Mackenzie District Council record for the property. Residential NZ$1,299. Commercial NZ$2,499. Fast Track Processing NZ$299.
Get Your LIM Report - FairlieProperty Records Team
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