Read our Dams factsheet
The Building Act 2004 introduced legislation for managing the safety of existing and new dams in New Zealand. Under this Act, regional councils must have a policy on how they will deal with dangerous dams, earthquake-prone dams and flood-prone dams in their region.
The Manawatū-Whanganui Region has a number of large dams that are used for a variety of purposes including hydroelectric generation, water supply, flood control, irrigation, farm stock supply and recreation. This policy was developed to help reduce the risk of dam failure in Manawatū-Whanganui Region.
Dam owners have the primary responsibility for identifying, monitoring and reporting on dangerous, earthquake-prone and flood-prone dams and for reducing or removing the risk of harm to people, property and the environment in a timely and effective manner.
An engineer engaged (by the owner) will notify the Council and the owner of the dam if he or she or they believe that the dam is dangerous.
The policy was reviewed to ensure it aligned with the new dam safety regulations. The revised policy was adopted by Council on 28 May 2024. You can view a copy of the Dangerous Dams Policy here.
As expected the Ministry of Business and Employment announced new regulations around dam safety. The regulations have commenced from 13 May 2024, requiring the first step in the regulatory process to be completed by 13 August 2024. The regulations aim to protect people, property and the environment from the potential impacts of dam failures and set a minimum requirement for dam safety. They also promote regular monitoring and surveillance practices, as dam owners will be responsible for maintaining them to acceptable safety levels. Detailed information and resources to support dam owners, technical practitioners and regional authorities with their responsibilities are available on MBIE’s website. MBIE have produced a helpful dam safety guidance document which Horizons District Advice highly recommend you read. Dam safety frequently asked questions are available on Waikato Regional Council's website. The editable Dam Classification Certificate can be accessed from Waikato Regional Council's website. If you own a classifiable dam, this certificate must be certified by a recognised engineer and submitted to Horizons Regional Council by 13 August 2024. To find the list of recognised engineers please visit Engineering New Zealand's website.
If you have any dam related questions, contact our District Advice team via our online enquiry form or email dam.safety@horizons.govt.nz Tips for completing the online form: