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Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Provision of water services: operational matters - Accessing land to carry out water services infrastructure work - Urgent work

177: Urgent work permitted

You could also call this:

"Urgent water work can be done without notice in emergencies or to fix serious risks"

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

If you work for a water service provider, you can do urgent work without notice in certain situations. You can take immediate action if there is an emergency declared under the Water Services Act 2021, the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, or the Biosecurity Act 1993 and you need to respond quickly. You can also take action if you believe there is a serious risk that needs to be fixed right away.

When you do urgent work, you do not need to give notice or get consent first, but you must give information about what you did and why as soon as possible. This information is required by section 162(2)(c) or section 173(2). You must provide this information after you start the work.

If you are doing urgent work on someone's land, you must carry proof of who you are and why you are allowed to be there. You must show this proof if someone asks to see it. This is so people know you have the right to be doing the work.

A specified serious risk is defined in section 256, which explains what kind of risk requires urgent action.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1004521.

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176: Power to enter level crossing and carry out work, or

"Water providers can enter level crossings to do work, like fixing pipes, with permission or a court order."

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178: Appeal about conditions relating to work on roads and level crossings, or

"Appealing road and level crossing work conditions for water service providers"

Part 3Provision of water services: operational matters
Accessing land to carry out water services infrastructure work: Urgent work

177Urgent work permitted

  1. This section applies if—

  2. an emergency has been declared under the Water Services Act 2021, the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, or the Biosecurity Act 1993 and immediate action is necessary to respond to the emergency; or
    1. any officer, employee, or agent of a water service provider believes, on reasonable grounds, that a specified serious risk exists.

      1. An officer, employee, or agent of a water service provider—

      2. may take immediate action to carry out any work described in section 161(1) (including work on Māori-owned land) or section 172 without complying with any requirement to give notice or obtain consent; and
        1. must give the information required by section 162(2)(c) or 173(2) as soon as practicable after commencing the work, including by providing information about the action taken and the reasons for taking the action.

          1. An officer, employee, or agent of the water service provider, while exercising powers under this section in respect of the land, road, or level crossing must—

          2. carry evidence of their authority and identity; and
            1. produce the evidence on request.

              1. In this section, specified serious risk has the meaning set out in section 256.

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