A policy to prevent potentially catastrophic failures of dangerous Otago dams is about eight years overdue for a review, the Otago Regional Council says.
Consents team leader Rebecca Jackson will ask councillors this week to approve a consultation process for a proposed dangerous dams policy 2023.
Her report for Wednesday’s council meeting said under the Building Act, every regional council was required to "develop, maintain and review a policy" on dangerous, earthquake-prone and flood-prone dams within the region.
"The purpose of the policy is to help prevent the catastrophic failure of a potentially dangerous dam, and to ensure deficiencies in an earthquake-prone or flood-prone dam are addressed."
The policy must be reviewed every five years.
However, the council’s last review of its dangerous dams policy was 2011.
Without an up-to-date policy the council would not only continue to be in breach of its statutory obligations, but if a dam were to be found to be dangerous an out-of-date policy could limit the steps the council could take to address the matter, she said.
While in the past each council had been left to develop its own policy on the matter, recent work at a national level had been done to ensure there was a "fit-for-purpose" model.
The council policy to be consulted on was based on that work, she said.
Whether a dam was dangerous, earthquake or flood-prone was set out in the Building Act 2004, Ms Jackson said.
It was up to a dam’s owner to notify the council.
The draft policy outlined the council’s requirements to keep a register of dams which would record any that were dangerous, earthquake-prone or flood-prone, she said.
It outlined powers the council had should issues come to light.
There was also a list of priorities for the council based on potential risks, she said.
A draft policy summary appended to her report said upon learning of a dangerous dam the council would notify the relevant local council and the Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group.
If appropriate, the council would also notify potentially affected communities downstream of the dam.
The council would work with owners of dams to develop a plan, including timeframes, to improve the safety of the structure, it said.
In the case of any immediate danger, the council could erect fences to keep people away from a dam and issue written notices to owners indicating the work required.
"In a situation where the chief executive of the council considers that, because of the state of the dam, immediate danger to the safety of persons, property, or the environment is likely, the chief executive may cause any action necessary to remove the danger, and recover costs of taking any action from the dam owner," it said.
