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New regulations to keep dams safe

Mar 16, 2023

New regulations for dam safety come into effect from 13 May 2024.

While it is expected that most deer farming and irrigation dams won’t be impacted by the regulations, as they won’t meet the height or volume thresholds, deer farmers still need to determine if dams on their properties are impacted.

The regulations provide a nationally consistent approach to ensuring dams are kept safe, and removes risks to livelihoods, property, livestock and the community, if the dam fails, the Ministry of Business, innovation and Employment (MBIE) says. The focus is on keeping a dam safe once it is built, meaning they are separate to any requirements under the Building Consent and Resource Consent processes.

Before 13 May 2024, deer farmers will be determining two key things:

  1. Does the water retention structure meet the definition of a dams, as per the building Act 2004? See here >> 
  2. Is the dam big enough to be impacted by the regulations? Yes, it is: If it is four or more metres, storing 20,000 or more cubic metres volume of water or other liquid, OR one or more metres, storing 40,000 m3 volume of water or other liquid. If not, it is not impacted by the new regulations.

 

More information at the MBIE website >>

 

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