Puninga pāmu

Building a farm dam

Freshwater plan fact sheet

Gisborne District Council's Tairawhiti Resource Management Plan (TRMP) includes rules for building a farm dam.

Dams are important on farms for storing water.

The TRMP allows you to build a new dam without a resource consent if the:

  • Dam is in an intermittent or temporary stream, or a dry gully.
  • Water depth is less than 3 metres.
  • Amount of water held by the dam is less than 20, 000m3.
  • Catchment area above the dam is less than 5 hectares.

If you can't meet all these requirements - then you will need to apply for a resource consent.

Building a farm dam

Make sure the dam is well designed – get the design checked by a technical expert.

  • Include a spillway to allow for floods and overflows.
  • Don’t contaminate the water with chemicals or loose dirt during construction.
  • Regularly inspect the dam and carry out regular maintenance.