Image © Graham Boyd
Pre-conference workshop
We have three pre-conference workshops on offer.
Date: Wednesday 19 November 2025
Time: 8.30am - 4.30pm
Venue: Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Cost: $400 per person, for the whole day
How to Register for the Pre-conference workshops
If you’re registering for the full conference, you can simply add a pre-conference workshop ticket as part of your registration.
If you’re only attending the pre-conference workshops and not the main conference, please register by clicking the button below.
Image © Gareth Whittington
ANCOLD Guidelines on Tailings Dams
An update to the proposed ANCOLD Guidelines on Tailings Dams will be presented. These are to be released later this year after the conference.
The revised guidelines will change several of the elements in the current guidance to be more consistent with the broader ANCOLD guidance for dams in Australia, with specific recommendations for tailings dam. As such this will be the first time the key elements of the guidance will be presented to the membership.
Our current planned day would be based on approximately 4 sessions through the day, covering:
Sessions 1 and 2 would describe the changes to the guidance and the reasons why. These would also include how we expect this revised guidance would be applied, with selected examples to demonstrate concepts as necessary.
Session 3 would work through examples of the application of the guidance. Possibly a new greenfield dam design, and then rectification of the same dam example as a brownfield in the future.
Sessions 4 will be an Open Workshop where those in attendance would be involved. This would include open questions, working through the proposed changes and discussions on the revised guidance.
Image © Brook Miller
Stopbanks/Levees Design and Management
This workshop is open to all those involved with or interested in the design and management of stopbanks/levees (river/flood protection).
Topic summary and intended outcomes of the workshop includes:
That the current programme of work underway within New Zealand Regional Councils with regard to Stopbank Design and Construction guidelines, and Asset Management / Risk Assessment tools are shared with engineering consultants and other related experts.
That engineering consultants feel empowered to contribute to Council improvement processes underway, particularly in regard to Asset Management Practices.
To hear from other experiences in this space, particularly from Australia and the USA.
To be involved in a discussion about stopbanks and flood protection system improvements and to influence the direction.
Connect the similarities and differences between stopbank / levee management and large dam management.
Guidance in the use of the USACE levee screening tool. Using an example scheme which is to be analysed as a case study using this tool, and results compared to the current practice
Site visit to a local river and associated with the case study and workshop.
Image © Nick Jowsey
Dam Regulations – Learnings and Perspectives from New Zealand/Australia
Topic summary and intended outcomes of the workshop includes:
An overview of the range of regulations across New Zealand and Australia, and the different challenges, benefits, and dam safety requirements each of these bring.
Overview of the New Zealand Dam Safety Regulations implementation, lessons learnt, and the views of this from the owner, regulator, and Recognised Engineer perspectives.
Discussion and guidance around some of the Regulations topics such as non-compliance, flood-prone, earthquake-prone dams, and dangerous dams.
How the Resource Management Act and Resource Consents now fit into the NZ Dam Safety space with respect to the Regulations.
Legal perspectives, and dams that are outside the current Legislative requirements.
Case studies and examples of Building/Resource Consent/Regulations issues and compliance.
Australian dam regulations perspectives, compliance differences, challenges, and opportunities.
Outcomes are expected to provide guidance to Owners/Regulators/Consultants to navigate Regulations and input into management and interpretation of these, and where there could be areas of consistency across various Regions/Countries.