Those involved in dam construction, whether owners, builders or advisers, need to be "vigilant" about their responsibilities under the Building Act, Otago Regional Council chief executive Graeme Martin said.
A recent case where the Otago Regional Council successfully prosecuted three companies in relation to a dam spillway constructed on an Omakau dairy farm highlighted the issue, he said.
He agreed with Judge Stephen O'Driscoll's comments that the prosecution was educative, but the small fines issued were not setting a precedent.
"People in the dam-building industry are now acutely aware they need to take the issue seriously."
It was the first prosecution of its type that the council was aware of under the Building Act.
"This case is illustrative of the need for dam builders, owners and advisers to be aware of their responsibilities under the Building Act."
They needed to be aware the Building Act covered all dams, large or small, to ensure they were safe for all those who lived around them.
It was the only case the regional council had taken to court, although there had been other cases where the council had intervened.
Those usually involved dam failures of a small scale, which mostly affected the owner's property. However, the owners had put the situation right "expeditiously", he said.
The issue was separate to the concerns the council had about the relaxation of dam safety regulations proposed by the Government, he said.
Those regulations propose saving red tape and costs by reducing the size of the dam covered, and were yet to go before Parliament.
