Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Resource Management Act 1991

Declarations, enforcement, and ancillary powers - Water shortage

329: Water shortage direction

You could also call this:

“A rule that lets local authorities limit water use and pollution when there's not enough water”

If your regional council thinks there’s a serious temporary water shortage in your area, they can give a special instruction. This instruction can change how people use water or put things into water.

The council can tell you to share, limit, or stop taking water, using water, blocking water, or moving water around. They can also tell you to share, limit, or stop putting things that might make the water dirty.

This instruction can be about any specific water, water in a certain area, or water in a particular water body. It can only last for 14 days, but the council can change it, cancel it, or make it last longer if they need to.

The instruction starts working as soon as the council gives it, and it keeps working until it ends or the council cancels it.

The council can tell people about this instruction in any way they think is best. They need to let everyone who has to follow the instruction know about it as soon as they can.

To tell people about the instruction, the council can either give it to them directly or put it in newspapers that people in the area read every day.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM239001.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
Environment and resources > Climate and energy
Government and voting > Local councils
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“This part explains important words and places related to big storms and floods that happened in New Zealand”

Part 12 Declarations, enforcement, and ancillary powers
Water shortage

329Water shortage direction

  1. Where a regional council considers that at any time there is a serious temporary shortage of water in its region or any part of its region, the regional council may issue a direction for either or both of the following:

  2. that the taking, use, damming, or diversion of water:
    1. that the discharge of any contaminant into water,—
        1. is to be apportioned, restricted, or suspended to the extent and in the manner set out in the direction.

      1. A direction may relate to any specified water, to water in any specified area, or to water in any specified water body.

      2. A direction may not last for more than 14 days but may be amended, revoked, or renewed by the regional council by a subsequent direction.

      3. A direction comes into force on its issue and continues in force until it expires or is revoked.

      4. A direction may be issued by any means the regional council thinks appropriate, but notice of the particulars of the direction shall be given to all persons required to apportion, restrict, or suspend—

      5. the taking, use, damming, or diversion of water; or
        1. the discharge of any contaminant into water,—
            1. as far as they can be ascertained, as soon as practicable after its issue.

          1. For the purpose of this section, notice may be given to a person by serving it on the person or by publishing the notice in 1 or more daily newspapers circulating in the area where the person takes, uses, dams, or diverts the water, or discharges a contaminant into water.