Dangerous Dams Policy

This policy was developed to assist the Council reduce the risk of dam failure in the region.

The Bay of Plenty region houses a number of large dams that are used for a variety of purposes including hydro electric generation, water supply, flood control, irrigation, farm stock supply and recreation. The policy covers the identification of at risk sites and their management.

Key priorities

• Public safety
• Economic wellbeing 
• Heritage values

Building (Dam Safety) Regulations 2022

On 13 May 2024, new regulations (Building (Dam Safety) Regulations 2022) to improve the safety and resilience of Aotearoa /New Zealand's dams come into force.

Only classifiable dams are impacted by the new regulations. A dam is classifiable if it has a height of 4 or more metres and stores 20,000 or more cubic metres volume of water or other fluid. This threshold has recently been increased which means fewer smaller dams are now impacted by the regulations.

The regulations ensure that classifiable dams are well operated, maintained and regularly monitored. They also ensure that potential impacts of dam incidents and failures are reduced, protecting people, property, and the environment.

To find out whether you own or have a dam on your property impacted by the regulations, and to inform you of your obligations as the owner of a classifiable dam, the following web links contain information to assist your assessment and actions moving forward.

Further information

• Please visit: building.govt.nz for:
  • Background to the regulations
  • Implementation timeframes
  • Complying with the regulations
  • Roles and responsibilities
• A full guide to complying with the new regulations can be found at: Guide to complying with the Dam Safety Regulations (building.govt.nz)
• How to measure and calculate the height and volume of an agricultural dam: Measuring and calculating the height and volume of agricultural dams (building.govt.nz)
• Waikato Regional Council has developed a full resource on their website:
  • Dams safety requirements and building consents
  • Ongoing responsibilities of dam owners
• Develop a Potential Impact Classification for your dam using prescribed forms available at:
  • Dam classification certificate
  • Dam safety assurance programme

The key aspects of the new regulations to address are:

• Determine if you own a classifiable dam that is 4m or more in height and impounds 20,000m3 of water or fluids
• Undertake a Potential Impact Classification (PIC) on your dam
• Have the PIC audited and approved by a Recognised Engineer
• Lodge the PIC with your Regional Authority by 13 August 2024
• If the PIC assesses your dam as Medium or High Risk, undertake to develop a Dam Safety Assurance Programme for your dam to be lodged with your Regional Authority