Water Race Actions

Application Forms

Please submit fully completed applications and include all relevant supporting documentation to waterraces@selwyn.govt.nz.

Reporting poor water race supply

• If you are experiencing a poor supply from a water race please report the issue via our customer request form.
• Our contractor will investigate and where possible remedy the issue. We cannot guarantee supply to the races and sometimes it can take a long time for the problem to be resolved (e.g. due to lack of water in the river). Council’s policy W109 enables a rebate of water race rates to be made for the duration of the prolonged outage (provided it was reported to Council in writing).

Building a culvert

• Submit an Application - New entranceway culvert [PDF, 2628 KB]
• The property owner owns the entrance-way culvert over the water race, and therefore is responsible for its maintenance and replacement, if needed.
• Approval from Council is required prior to any structure being placed in a water race.
• Drawing - Water race entranceway culvert [PDF, 211 KB]

Closing a water race

With the change of land use in Selwyn there are now water races that are surplus to requirements.

If you would like to close a water race on or adjacent to your property please visit the Water Race Closure page and follow the specified process.

Relocating a water race

• Land owners can apply for permission to move a section of water race. To gain approval there must be no impact on other water race users. Relocations are required to be undertaken in line with policy W106 in the Water Races Bylaw [PDF, 105 KB].
• In addition to making an application to Council, it is the applicant's responsibility to consult with Environment Canterbury prior to excavation works being undertaken in or adjacent to a water race to determine whether resource consent is required (earthworks adjacent to a surface water body).
• Please refer to the Drawing - Water race lining, New and Relocated Channels [PDF, 473 KB] to prepare your application.

Fill in an Application for a water race relocation / new water race [PDF, 360 KB]

Building set back

• To ensure that water races can continue to be maintained, our standard building setback from the top of a water race bank is five metres, as outlined in the Water Race Bylaw [PDF, 105 KB] Section 8.21.
• Reduced Building Setback  [PDF, 121 KB] can be applied for using the form and submitting to Council.

Building a pond

• Submit an Application to construct a new pond [PDF, 60 KB]
• Water race ponds can be applied for, in line with the requirements of Policy W102. Applicants should contact Council to be directed to Council’s Network Management Contractor SICON for further advice and to make an application.
• Drawing - Water race connection requirements for ponds [PDF, 95 KB]

Extracting water to irrigate

• Use of water races for any purpose other than stock water requires an application to Council.
• Please see the extracting water to irrigate page