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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 - Protection of water services infrastructure

182: Owners of land not responsible for maintenance

You could also call this:

"Landowners don't have to fix water pipes on their land"

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

If you own land with water services infrastructure on, over, or under it, you do not have to maintain it. You also do not have to keep tracks clear for the water service provider to access the infrastructure. This rule does not change any agreements you may have that say you are responsible for maintenance. You can find similar information in the 1986 legislation.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1004528.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Food and water safetyGovernment and voting > Local councils
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181: Protection of water services infrastructure, or

"Keeping your water pipes and equipment safe on someone else's land"

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183: Purchase of Crown land, or

"Buying Crown land for water services: following special rules"

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

182Owners of land not responsible for maintenance

  1. An owner of land on, over, or under which any existing water services infrastructure owned by a water service provider is placed is not required by this Act to maintain the infrastructure, or to maintain tracks for the purpose of providing the water service provider with access to the infrastructure.

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

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