GeoNet was founded in 2001 by GNS Science, the Earthquake Commission and Land Information New Zealand.

GeoNet monitors earthquakes, large landslides, volcanoes, tsunami, and movement of land.

[1][2] This monitoring is done using over 1,000 instruments across the country,[1] with data being transmitted from its sensors to GNS Science's computers in Wellington and Wairākei.

[5] GeoNet was founded in 2001 by GNS Science, the Earthquake Commission and Land Information New Zealand.

[1][5][4] GeoNet was "relatively [obscure]" until the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes occurred, when people started paying attention to the monitoring system.

[5] In December 2016 GeoNet got a funding boost of up to $3 million to improve its monitoring of and responses to natural hazards.