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Dam safety

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Home / Dam safety

On 13 May 2024, new regulations (Building (Dam Safety) Regulations 2022) came into force that should be applied to dams that are four or more metres in height and store 20,000 or more cubic metres of water or other fluid. Use these forms to apply for a dam classification certificate, dam safety assurance programme and annual dam compliance certificate.

If you have any questions or need assistance, talk to us.

 0800 324 636

 damsafety@ecan.govt.nz

Dam safety regulations and requirements

Find out more about the new regulations and your requirements.

Dangerous dams policy

Our dangerous dam policy ensures risks from dangerous, earthquake-prone, and flood-prone dams are managed to protect people, property, and the environment.

Dam safety forms

Use these forms to apply for a dam classification certificate, dam safety assurance programme and an annual dam compliance certificate.

Building consent for large dams

Find out more about the building consent process for large dams.

Regulations and guidelines

  • Download the dangerous dams, earthquake-prone dams and flood-prone dams policy 2024 (PDF file, 456KB)
  • Building (Dam Safety) Regulations 2022 | Legislation.govt.nz
  • Dam Safety Guidelines (2024)|New Zealand Society On Large Dams 
  • Managing dams to ensure they are safe|Ministry for Business, Employment and Innovation (MBIE) 
Dam safety

Secondary Navigation

  • Dam safety regulations and requirements
  • Dangerous dams policy
  • Dam safety forms
  • Building consent for large dams

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Environment Canterbury © 2025
Retrieved: 2:50pm, Sat 29 Nov 2025
ecan.govt.nz/do-it-online/dams