GeoNames Forum

Geonames has now included the place name dataset from "Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)".

If you plan to use the new zealand data from geonames, don't forget to give credit to LINZ.
LINZ writes :
In circumstances where this data or derivatives of this data have been used to generate information dissemination products such as maps, digital database products, internet databases, gazetteer books or similar, a clear and prominent reference should be made to Land Information New Zealand as the source of the data. If the data has been downloaded and translated or imported into another format or computer program Land Information New Zealand will not be responsible for any problems arising from the use of the data. The spelling or composition of the place names must not be altered unless the change is made to keep the name in line with a New Zealand Geographic Board Nga Pou Taunaha Aotearoa decision or to correct a known error as detailed by Land Information New Zealand. This data may be freely distributed provided that these conditions are distributed with the data and adhered to by all recipients.
http://www.linz.govt.nz/rcs/linz/pub/web/root/core/Placenames/SearchPlaceNames/downloaddataset/index.jsp

Despite of coming from an offical source the data is far from perfect. LINZ writes : The co-ordinates were digitised at the bottom left corner of the text labels that appear on the printed map. The co-ordinates are not a GPS position for the geographic location of the feature.

We have used the following table to convert LINZ features to geonames featue classes and feature codes :

Code:

 AIR = S.AIRP
 BAY = H.BAY
 BCH = T.BCH
 BDGE = S.BDG
 BLDG = S.BLDG
 BNK = H.BNK
 BSN = T.PAN
 CAVE = S.CAVE
 CEM = S.CMTY
 CGND = S.CMP
 CLIF = T.CLF
 CRTR = T.CRTR
 DAM = s.DAM
 ESTY = H.ESTY
 FALL = H.FLLS
 FARM = S.FRM
 FLAT = T.PLN
 FORD = T.FORD
 FRST = V.FRST
 GLCR = H.GLCR
 GLKS = S.RECG
 GORG = T.GRGE
 HILL = T.HLL
 HIST = S.HSTS
 HOSP = S.HSP
 HSTD = S.FRMT
 HUT = S.HUT
 ISLD = T.ISL
 ISTH = T.ISTH
 LAKE = H.LK
 LOC= L.LCTY
 LTH = S.LTHSE
 METR = P.PPL
 MINE = S.MN
 NAVB = S.BCN 
 NLR = L.RESV
 PA = L.RESV
 PARK = L.PRK
 PASS = T.PASS
 PEN = T.PEN
 PNT = T.PT
 POPL = P.PPL
 RC = S.RECR
 RDGE = T.RDGE
 RDRF = R.RD
 RLYF = R.RR
 RNGE = T.MTS
 ROCK = T.RK
 RSTN = S.RSTN
 SBRB = P.PPLX
 SCH = S.SCH
 SEA = H.SEA
 SKI = S.RSRT
 SPR = H.SPNG
 STRA = H.STRT
 STRM = H.STM
 SWMP = H.SWMP
 TOWN = P.PPL
 TRCK = R.TRL
 TREE = V.TREE
 TRIG = S.BLDG
 TUNL = R.TNL
 TWAY = R.RR
 UNIV = s.SCH
 USAT = P.PPL
 WELL = H.WLL
 WHF = S.WHRF
 WILD = L.RESN
 WRCK = s.WRCK
 WWAY = H.CNL
 
 No conversion :
 GEO`GEOTHERMAL AREA: Area of geothermal activity
 MNAT`MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL FEATURE:
 MPLA`MISCELLANEOUS PLACE:Misc named place or area
 MRFM`MARINE ROCK FORMATION
 PPLN`PIPELINE: Conduit for carriage of liquids or gas
 SLIP`SLIP: Area of unstable hillside

We have inserted around 50'000 new records, and matched ca 6'000 records to existings nga records. For the conversion of the NZGD49 datum we have used the GD2000it utility.

Based under the same license is the BDE (Bulk Data Extract)
http://www.linz.govt.nz/survey-titles/landonline-data/landonline-bde/ordering-and-resellers/index.aspx

This contains data on all 60,000+ surveyed public roads in NZ.

From this can be extracted a list of road centrepoints, which could be added as R.RD codes. Are you interested in adding this dataset?

Zenbu

Thanks a lot for the link.

There are no plans to include streets comprehensively in the main data base. It would blow up the data volume by order of magnitudes and make it much more complex for the large majority of users who are not interested in street names.
It is possible that in the future we will offer reverse geocoding services for other countries: http://www.geonames.org/maps/reverse-geocoder.html

Best

Marc