11 June 2019
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has opened consultation on proposed safety regulations for
New Zealand’s large dams, to ensure dam safety regulation is robust and in line with internationally recognised best
practice.
“The regulations will introduce a nationally consistent approach to dam safety that will protect people, property and
the environment from the potential impact of a failure of a large dam,” says Katrina Quickenden, Manager of Building
Policy at MBIE.
The Building Act regulates the construction of a dam structure and a building consent is required for all large dams but
Ms Quickenden says “There is currently no national level dam safety scheme in force in New Zealand to ensure that dams
are well maintained, regularly monitored and that the potential risks of dam failure are reduced.”
“Currently, any inspection and maintenance carried out by dam owners after construction is done voluntarily, unless
there are resource consent conditions, which means practice is inconsistent.
“The regulatory proposals in the discussion paper are based on internationally reviewed guidelines written by the New
Zealand Society on Large Dams (NZSOLD) and will be administered by regional authorities.
“Owners of large dams and anyone with an interest in dam safety should ensure they have a say on the proposed dam safety
regulations,” Ms Quickenden says.
More information on the proposed regulations and how a submission can be made is available here.
The consultation will close on 6 August 2019.
ends