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. This policiy applies to dams that are either a high potential impact dam or a medium potential impact dam.
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.
Horizons have been notified of a ‘dangerous dam’, which is located in the Rangitīkei District and is managed by Rangitīkei District Council (RDC). The dangerous dam is officially called the Marton B Dam and is the upper of the two dams within the Tūtaenui Reservoir Reserve. The Marton B Dam is located about 8 km north of Marton township. You can find the location of the dam on Horizons public maps and on RDC’s website. Risk reductions measures have been planned and undertaken by RDC. RDC have an emergency action plan and will be engaging relevant stakeholders. RDC’s engineer has confirmed there is no immediate danger. However, there could be potential impacts in a large rainfall event. All key steps required under legislation have been identified and an action plan has been drafted. For further information please contact Arno.Benadie@rangitikei.govt.nz.
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.
A Dam Safety Assurance Programme (DSAP) is only required for dams with a medium or high PIC. Dams with a low PIC do not require a DSAP. The DSAP provides dam owners with a structured framework of plans and procedures to plan and complete the activities required for the safe operation and management of their dams. Dam owners can prepare the DSAP themselves, or they can arrange for a technical practitioner to prepare it. The DSAP should be appropriate to the nature of the dam, including the design and construction type of the dam, its potential failure modes, its potential and confirmed dam safety deficiencies, as well as its potential impact classification. Find out what information must be included in MBIE’s Dam Safety Guidance. For more information and as a best practice on preparing DSAPs, please refer to the New Zealand Dam Safety Guidelines (2024) published by New Zealand Society on Large Dams (NZSOLD). The DSAP certification is completed on an editable form (Form 2) which can be accessed from Waikato Regional Council website. Once the DSAP form has been prepared and certified by a Recognised Engineer, it must be submitted to the regional authority for their approval. Submit the DSAP form(s) to the Horizons Regional Council District Advice team at dam.safety@horizons.govt.nz . There are administrative charges associated with the dam safety regulations. The dam safety fees are listed in the Horizons Long-term Plan (LTP) under Annual Administrative Charges. The fixed minimum charge for each dam classification certificate is $400 (including GST). This will be invoiced to the payee once the certificate is received by Horizons. For dams with a high PIC, it must be submitted up to 12 months after the regional authority approves the PIC. For dams with a medium PIC, the DSAP form must be submitted up to 2 years after the regional authority approves the PIC. Dam owners should ensure that the procedures outlined in the DSAP are followed to ensure the dam is operated, maintained and managed safely. For more information about complying with the regulations, visit MBIE’s website and/or read MBIE's Dam Safety Guidance.
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: