Registerable dams

To provide a regulated utility service in the ACT, you may need a licence or an exemption to having to hold a licence.

The Utilities (Technical Regulation) Act 2014 (Technical Regulation Act) identifies registerable dams as regulated utility services.

If you don’t hold a licence under the Act, but own, lease or sublease a registerable dam, you need an operating certificate.

Read about operating certificates.

A registerable dam is one greater than 5 metres in height and/or with a water storage capacity of more than 250 megalitres.

The Technical Regulator ensures dam operators meet their responsibilities where the community would be significantly affected if the dam failed.

Designing, constructing and modifying dams

If you intend to design, build or alter a registerable dam, contact Access Canberra first to discuss your proposal:

• phone 13 22 81
• email TechRegulator.Utilities@act.gov.au.

You should also read the Dam Safety Checklist for Dam Owners [PDF 3.3 MB].

Register of dams

The Technical Regulator maintains a register of dams.

The Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) guidelines provide a method to assess the potential severity of damages, loss and risk to human life, should a dam fail.

View the ANCOLD website.

A consequence category is applied to registerable dams:

• Very low: where consequences from dam failure would be considered negligible.
• Low, Significant, High A, High B and High C.
• Extreme: where consequences from dam failure would be considered severe.

View the Register of dams.

Listed dams

A listed dam is a dam with a consequence category of ‘significant’ or higher. Factors that would lead the Technical Regulator to determine that a dam is to be listed include:

• If dam failure has the potential to cause loss of life.
• Severity of damage within the community arising from failure of the dam.

All listed dams are identified in the register of dams.