Chapter 17: Activities in Artificial Watercourses, Beds of Rivers and Lakes, and Damming

17.3 General Conditions for Permitted Activities and Controlled Activities involving the Beds of Rivers and Lakes

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The table below sets out general conditions for activities involving the beds of rivers and lakes. These general conditions are referred to in a number of the permitted activity and controlled activity rules in this chapter. The table sets out general conditions for all rivers and lakes under the Value of Life-supporting Capacity (this Value applies to all rivers and lakes as shown in Schedule B). It then sets out additional conditions for other Values that apply to specific reaches of rivers, as listed in Schedule B. Schedule B must be referred to in order to identify the locations of the Water Management Sub-zones* to which these other Values apply, and whether they are therefore relevant to a particular activity.

The requirements specified in the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations also apply, in addition to the following conditions.  One Plan users must refer to the Regulations and they should be read in conjunction with the following conditions.  Where there is conflict between the provisions of the Regulations and any of the following conditions, the more stringent requirement will apply.

Table 17.2 General conditions^ for permitted activities^ and controlled activities^ involving the beds^ of rivers^ and lakes^
Value Condition
Life-supporting Capacity conditions^ which apply to all water bodies^ and their beds^
  1. The activity must not adversely reduce the ability of the water body^ or its bed^ to convey flood flows, floating debris or sediment, except for a period of not more than 12 consecutive hours during construction.
  2. There must be no discharge^ of contaminants^, other than sediment and other contaminants^ inherent to the water^ or bed^, into the river^ or lake^ except where the discharge^ is explicitly allowed by the activity description of a rule^ in this chapter.
  3. Any discharge^ of sediment into water^ directly caused by the activity, that causes the visual clarity standards in Schedule E to be breached, must not be undertaken for more than 24 hours in total across 5 consecutive days. There must be no more than one activity per river^ per property* in any 12 month period.
  4. Any discharge^ of sediment into water^ under (c) must not, after reasonable mixing*, cause any conspicuous change in the colour of water^ in the receiving water^ or any change in horizontal visibility greater than the target set in the visual clarity % change column of Schedule E, more than 12 hours after completion of the activity.
  5. Any materials used must be necessary for the activity and must not be toxic to aquatic ecosystems.
  6. Any materials no longer required as part of the activity, including any temporary structures^, must not be stored in or on the bed^ of any river^ or lake^ and must be removed after completion of the activity.
  7. Refuelling of machinery must not take place in any area where spills may enter surface water^.
  8. The activity must be undertaken in a manner that provides for the safe passage of fish both upstream and downstream, including past any structure^.
  9. Any diversion of water^ required for works ancillary to a structure^ must be temporary, must be within the bed^ of the river^, must not exceed 100 m in length, must not be between catchments, must not involve a lake^, and the diversion channel must have sufficient capacity to carry the same flow as the original channel.
  10. Upon completion of any channel bank works, the banks must be reinstated to a natural contour and revegetated.
  11. Any straightening or channelling of a river^ must not exceed a length equal to two times the bed^ width of the river^ in any 2 km length of river^ in any 12 month period.
  12. There must be no removal of instream woody debris less than 2 m3 in size unless this is required to reduce the risk of flooding or erosion.
Riparian (applies to all reaches in water bodies^ and their beds^ with a Schedule B Value of Sites of Significance - Riparian)
m. For the purpose of minimising disturbance to nesting dotterels 1 August to 31 December (inclusive), gravel extraction and bed^ disturbance on gravel beaches must only take place:
  1. within 7 days following a flood of the area of beach that is the subject of the activity, or
  2. where the extraction or disturbance commenced at the same location prior to 1 August and has not been interrupted for more than 7 days.
Inanga Spawning (applies to all reaches in water bodies^ and their beds^ with a Schedule B Value of Inanga Spawning) n. The use of mobile machinery in or on the bed^ of a river^ or lake^ in a manner that disturbs the bed^ must not take place 1 February to 1 May (inclusive).
Whitebait* Migration (applies to all reaches in water bodies^ and their beds^ with a Schedule B Value of Whitebait* Migration) o. The use of mobile machinery in or on the bed^ of a river^ or lake^ in a manner that disturbs the bed^ of the active flowing channel must not take place 15 August to 30 November (inclusive).
Trout Spawning (applies to all surface water management zones and their beds^ with a Schedule B reach Value of Trout Spawning for this provision) p. The use of mobile machinery in or on the bed^ of a river^ or lake^ in a manner that disturbs the bed^ of the active flowing channel must not take place 1 May to 30 September (inclusive).
Trout Fishery (applies to all reaches in water bodies^ and their beds^ with a Schedule B Value of Trout Fishery) q. Activities must not result in suspended sediment that causes the visual clarity standards in Schedule E to breached during Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 1 December to 28 February (inclusive).
Contact Recreation (applies to all reaches in water bodies^ and their beds^ with a Schedule B Value of Contact Recreation) r. Existing public access to or along a river^ or lake^ must not be rendered unsafe by the activity.

s. Existing public access to or along a river^ or lake^ may be rendered unavailable where this is necessary for public safety or for the purpose of undertaking the activity, provided the public access is re-opened as soon as practicable.

t. Activities must not result in suspended sediment that causes the visual clarity standards in Schedule E to be breached at reaches with a Schedule B Value of Contact Recreation, during Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 1 December to 28 February (inclusive).
Existing Infrastructure^ u. Excavation, drilling, tunnelling or other disturbance of the bed^ of a river^ must not take place within 500 m upstream or downstream of any flow-recording site.1

v. Excavation, drilling, tunnelling or other disturbance of the bed^ of a river^ must not take place within 20 m upstream or downstream of a high pressure gas transmission pipeline identified by a district plan^ or regional plan^ or by a marker2 on the bank of the river^.

1    Further information on the location of flow-recording sites can be obtained by either visiting the
     Regional Council's website or by contacting the Regional Council's Hydrology Department.  
2    High pressure transmission gas pipelines are normally indicated by white triangle marker posts or yellow pipeline
     warning signs. If you are unsure about a pipeline being present, please contact your Territorial Authority.

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