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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Resource Management Act 1991

Water conservation orders

200: Meaning of water conservation order

You could also call this:

“A water conservation order is a rule that limits how regional councils can use and manage water bodies to protect them.”

A water conservation order is a special rule made to protect water. It’s created using section 214 for the reasons listed in section 199. This order limits what regional councils can do with water under section 30(1).

The order can control different things about water. It can set rules about how much water there is, how clean it is, how fast it flows, or how high it is. It can also decide the highest and lowest levels or flows that are allowed, or how quickly these can change.

The order might also say how much water people can take out or how much pollution can go in. It can even set rules about how hot or cold the water can be, and how much pressure it can have.

These rules are made to keep the water safe and healthy for everyone to use and enjoy.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM236753.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
Government and voting > Local councils
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199: Purpose of water conservation orders, or

“Water conservation orders help protect special waters and the amazing things about them”

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201: Application for water conservation order, or

“ Anyone can ask the government to protect a special water area by explaining why it's important and how they want to protect it. ”

Part 9 Water conservation orders

200Meaning of water conservation order

  1. In this Act, the term water conservation order means an order made under section 214 for any of the purposes set out in section 199 and that imposes restrictions or prohibitions on the exercise of regional councils' powers under paragraphs (e) and (f) of section 30(1) (as they relate to water) including, in particular, restrictions or prohibitions relating to—

  2. the quantity, quality, rate of flow, or level of the water body; and
    1. the maximum and minimum levels or flow or range of levels or flows, or the rate of change of levels or flows to be sought or permitted for the water body; and
      1. the maximum allocation for abstraction or maximum contaminant loading consistent with the purposes of the order; and
        1. the ranges of temperature and pressure in a water body.