Glossary

A guide to acronyms (and abbreviations), words and phrases used throughout the Environment Canterbury website. Look in the 'By Subject' tab to find groups of terms relevant to a specific topic.

Some terms might have definitions in addition to those in this glossary.

Use the online Māori Dictionary to help with translating words between Te Reo Māori/English.

Lake snow
a mucus-like material that appears in lakes as a result of algae called Lindavia. The term lake snow comes from that it can look like snow particles. As it ages, it turns a reddish-brown colour.
Land transport
means: (a) transport on land by any means, (b) the infrastructure, goods and services facilitating that transport. The definition also includes coastal shipping.
Land transport system
all infrastructure, services, mechanisms and institutions that contribute to providing for land transport.
Land Use Recovery Plan
sets a policy and planning framework necessary for Greater Christchurch to rebuild its metropolitan communities following the Canterbury earthquakes.
Landfill
an area that has been used for the disposal of a variety of wastes from household, industrial, agricultural or hazardous sources.
Large dam
a dam that has a height of 4 or more metres and holds 20,000 or more cubic metres of water or other fluid.
Lateral spreading
during an earthquake, liquefied soils can sometimes move sideways, usually towards streams or rivers, but also if the surrounding land is lower than the liquefied land. This is called lateral spreading. Lateral spreading can cause cracking of the ground surface as the soil underneath it moves sideways.
Levels of service
these are the defined service parameters for a particular group of activities. They are described in Long-Term Plans in terms of measures and targets.
Limited notification
if your activity has relatively localised effects but you are unable to obtain the written approval of all the affected persons, then only these people will be given an opportunity to lodge a submission on your resource consent application.
Liquefaction
is the process where, during earthquake shaking, sand and silt grains in wet soil are rearranged and the water in the spaces between the grains is squeezed.
Listed Land Use Register
the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) is a publicly available database that identifies sites where hazardous activities and industries have been located throughout Canterbury.
Living Here
is sent to all households in the Canterbury region to give residents an overview of what is happening in the region, and a look at the work of Environment Canterbury.
Long earthquake
an earthquake that shakes for longer than one minute.
Long-Term Plan
sets out our service priorities, work programmes and resource requirements, such as expenditure and funding.
Lyttelton Port Recovery Plan
provides for the repair, rebuild and reconfiguration of Lyttelton Port following the Canterbury earthquakes, as well as the redevelopment of Dampier Bay.
L
litre(s)
labs
laboratories
LakeSPI
Lake Submerged Plant Indicators
LandSAR
New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Incorporated
LAT
Latitude
LATRs
Living Arrangement Type Rates
LAWA
Land, Air, Water Aotearoa
Ldn
Day-Night sound level
LEA
Local Electoral Act 2001
LEOTC
Learning Experiences Outside The Classroom
LGA
Local Government Act(s)
LGNZ
Local Government New Zealand
LGOIMA
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
LHIG
Lyttelton Harbour Issues Group
LIA
Land Improvement Agreement
LIC
Livestock Improvement Corporation
LIM
Land Information Memorandum
LINZ
Land Information New Zealand
LIR
Land Information Report / Land Information Request
LLUR
Listed Land Use Register
Long.
Longitude
LPC
Lyttelton Port Company
LPG
Liquid Petroleum Gas
LPIS
Levels Plain Irrigation Scheme
LPRP
Lyttelton Port Recovery Plan
LSR
Land-surface recharge
LTCCP
Long Term Council Community Plan
Ltd
Limited Company
LTMA
Land Transport Management Act 2003
LTNZ
Land Transport New Zealand
LTRP
Lake Tekapo Regional Park
LUC
Land Use Capability
LURP
Land Use Recovery Plan
LWIC
Lower Waitaki Irrigation Company
LWRMS
Lower Waitaki River Management Society
LWRP
Land and Water Regional Plan