Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Local Government Act 2002

Offences, penalties, infringement offences, and legal proceedings - Offences - Offences relating to property damage

232: Damage to local authority works or property

You could also call this:

“Rules about not breaking or messing up things that belong to your local council”

This law is about protecting things that belong to or are controlled by your local council. These things include protective works, waterworks, water races, drainage works, and anything connected to these works.

You are not allowed to damage these things on purpose. If you do, you are breaking the law. This includes destroying them, damaging them, stopping them from working, blocking them, or messing with them in any way. If you do this on purpose, you can be punished. The punishment for this is explained in section 242(3).

Even if you don’t mean to damage these things, but you do it by accident because you’re not being careful enough, you’re still breaking the law. This is called being negligent. If you damage council property by being careless, you can also be punished. The punishment for this is explained in section 242(1).

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM174026.

Topics:
Government and voting > Local councils
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Previous

231: Offences in relation to notices sent to occupiers or owners, or

“Breaking rules about notices sent to people who live in or own property”

Next

233: Offence relating to advertising, or

“Breaking rules about advertising can get you in trouble with the law”

Part 9 Offences, penalties, infringement offences, and legal proceedings
Offences: Offences relating to property damage

232Damage to local authority works or property

  1. This section applies in relation to the following works or property that are vested in, or under the control of, the local authority:

  2. a protective work; or
    1. a waterwork; or
      1. a water race; or
        1. a drainage work; or
          1. anything forming part of, or connected with, any works or property not referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d).

            1. Every person commits an offence who wilfully or maliciously destroys, damages, stops, obstructs, or interferes with the works or property referred to in subsection (1) and is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 242(3).

            2. Every person commits an offence who negligently destroys, damages, stops, obstructs, or interferes with the works or property referred to in subsection (1) and is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 242(1).

            Compare
            Notes
            • Section 232(1)(d): substituted, on , by section 24 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 26).
            • Section 232(1)(e): added, on , by section 24 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 26).
            • Section 232(2): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).
            • Section 232(3): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).