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Electricity Act 1992

Powers and duties of electricity operators and other owners of electrical works

22A: Owners of land not responsible for maintenance

You could also call this:

“Landowners don't have to look after power lines on their property”

If you own or live on land where existing electrical works are located, you don’t have to maintain these works. You also don’t have to maintain tracks that allow the owner of the works to access them.

However, if you have already agreed to be responsible for maintenance in a legally binding agreement, you still have to follow that agreement. This law doesn’t change or override any such agreements.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM282453.

Topics:
Housing and property > Land use Business > Industry rules
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22: Protection of existing works, or

"Electrical equipment on someone else's land stays there until removed"

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23: Rights of entry in respect of existing works, or

"You can go onto land to check or fix electrical equipment that's already there"

Part 3 Powers and duties of electricity operators and other owners of electrical works

22AOwners of land not responsible for maintenance

  1. An owner or occupier of land on which any existing works are situated is not required by this Act to maintain existing works, or to maintain tracks for the purpose of providing the owner of the works with access to the existing works.

  2. This section does not limit or override any new or existing legally binding agreement that provides for an owner or occupier of the land to be responsible for any maintenance.

Notes
  • Section 22A: inserted, on , by section 9 of the Electricity Amendment Act 2001 (2001 No 40).