Minutes: Will the minutes of every CLG meeting be publicly accessible on a website for all residents to see, or are these sessions intended to be confidential? 

This is something that the CLG will need to form a view on.   The consent does not require the minutes of the CLG meetings to be publicly available.  Some CLG members may have a view on whether the minutes or parts of the minutes should be kept confidential.  BHSL has no views on this at this time and in good faith is happy to consider other CLG member views.

 

Reporting: How frequently will the 'Advisory Reports' be sent to residents, and will they include raw data on seepage and movement? 

Resource consent RC135478 requires advisories to be provided annually.  The purpose of the advisories is as per the consent "the presence of the Waimakariri Irrigation storage ponds, the existence of the CLG and the availability of assistance for preparing and updating Household Emergency Plans (as part of the Emergency Evacuation Plan, including updates to account for transient or temporary residents at any property."  The consent conditions do not contemplate the advisory reports including information on raw data and seepage.

 

Insurance: Will the CLG be given a seat at the table during BHSL's annual insurance renewal negotiations to ensure that resident liability is actually being covered? 

Insurance is dealt with through separate and detailed consent conditions, including a formal certification process in relation to cover with the Councils.  The resource consents require that BHSL provide "a copy of the certificate and an overview of the extent of cover and how it has been derived is publicly available on a website maintained by the Consent Holder".  This will provide insight into how the extent of cover has been determined.  Insurance negotiations are not within the scope of the CLG.

 

Transparency: Will the CLG have the power to order an independent technical audit of the dam's safety at BHSL’s expense? 

The CLG is not a decision-making body (or a body with the "power" to order matters such as those set out).    Its role is as set out in the resource consents. 

 

Real-Time Data Access: If the dam is as safe as you claim, will you provide the CLG with a live dashboard link to the seepage and movement sensors so they can see the data in real-time themselves? 

The resource consents contemplate inter alia the consent holder providing inter alia the "results of monitoring" through to the CLG.   The obligation under the resource consents is to provide the CLG with the reporting and monitoring information as required under the resource consents (which don't extend to real-time reporting).  BHSL has not formed a view on this at this time but is happy to discuss this further as a part of the CLG process.

 

Mandated Purpose of the CLG: According to the consent conditions, the CLG is not just for "updates"; it is a mandatory mechanism to inform people and address community concerns before construction starts. If construction begins in May/June 2026 but the CLG has only met once (March), how are you actually meeting the "spirit" of the law, which requires genuine consultation on construction management plans? 

This question is not clear.  It appears to be a combination of querying the timing of the first CLG meeting and the approval process for the construction management plan.  The timing of the first meeting for the CLG is set by the consent conditions. The detailed process for the development, required contents and certification of the construction management plan (including a Quality Assurance and Quality Control Plan) is set out in conditions 6 to 18 of resource consent CRC263186 (with other consents also referring to this plan).  These conditions do not contemplate the CLG having a role in relation to the development and approval of the Construction Management Plan.

Regardless, BHSL is open to, in good faith, considering any feedback provided.

 

Pre-Construction Site Meetings: Consent [xxx] requires a pre-construction site meeting at least 10 working days before work begins. Will BHSL invite representatives from the CLG to this mandatory site meeting to ensure our safety concerns are part of the 'expectations regarding communication'? 

This question doesn't appear to relate to any obligation in the BHSL consents.

 

Compliance and Monitoring Reports: I understand BHSL must submit annual logs to Environment Canterbury by 30 June each year detailing inspections and maintenance. Will these same reports be provided simultaneously to the CLG for independent review? 

As per question (5) above the resource consents contemplate the results of monitoring being provided through to the CLG.  The CLG does not have a formal review or approval function under the resource consents.

BHSL is open to, in good faith, considering any feedback provided.

 

"Certification of Safety" before Filling: Condition [xxx] states that a Chartered Professional Engineer must certify the dam as safe before the first filling. Will the CLG be given the right to cross-examine that engineer before the first drop of water enters the pond? 

The requirements for certification in relation to Burnt Hill Storage are set out in CRC263186.  The BHSL resource consents do not provide for a process for "cross-examination" by the CLG.

 

Management Plan Approval: Under consent [xxx], BHSL must submit management plans for approval that detail how environmental and land use conditions will be met. Can BHSL confirm that the CLG will be given draft copies of these plans for feedback before they are sent to the Council for final sign-off? 

This consent is held by Waimakariri Irrigation Limited and not BHSL.  This consent is not relevant to the CLG's role under the BHSL consents. In terms of more general comment on the BHSL proposal, the detailed process for the development, required contents and certification of the various plans is set out in the resource consents.  This does not include a review or approval function for the CLG.

Regardless, BHSL is open to, in good faith, considering any feedback provided.

 

Legal Power: If the CLG identifies a critical safety flaw or insurance gap during construction, does this group have the legal power to stop work, or are they just there to 'chat' while you keep building and just 'suggestions' you can choose to ignore? 

The CLG does not have a formal review or approval function under the resource consents.  The consent conditions have various requirements for quality assurance and also expressly acknowledge the role of both the Canterbury Regional Council and Waimakariri District Council in relation to compliance matters under the consent.

As per the above, BHSL is open to, in good faith, considering any feedback provided.

 

Independent Funding: Will BHSL provide a guaranteed annual budget for the CLG to hire its own independent engineers and lawyers, so they don't have to rely on trusting your internal reports? 

Under the resource consents, the consent holder is responsible for "arranging an appropriate venue in the area for the meetings of the CLG and meeting any other reasonable costs of the meetings".  This extends to administrative related type costs.  It does not extend to separate legal and engineering representation.