Pipelines Amendment Bill H.B. 3 2025
This Bill proposes raising the penalty for building, digging or planting in a pipeline reserve from a level 4 fine or 3 months to a level 10 fine or 6 years, and banning mining or blasting within 125 metres of a pipeline.
This is a Bill — H.B. 3 of 2025 — not law. It proposes amendments to the Pipelines Act, and takes effect only if passed and brought into operation.
The Bill's stated purpose is maximum protection of the pipelines: prohibiting activities within the pipeline reserve, imposing stiffer penalties, and providing for inspection and maintenance.
The prohibitions would be specific. Nobody could erect a building or structure or plant a tree within the pipeline reserve, or sink a well or borehole, dig a trench more than 375 millimetres deep, or lay a pipe there. Separately, no mining or blasting could be conducted within 125 metres of either side of the centre of the pipeline. Regulations would prescribe the extent to which buildings, wells, boreholes, pipes, trenches, grazing, digging, ploughing, cultivating and other agricultural or pastoral activities may be carried on within the reserve — though the Bill then states, for the avoidance of doubt, that that subsection applies to agriculture-related activities only.
The penalties are where the Bill bites hardest. Contravening the prohibitions currently attracts a level 4 fine or three months' imprisonment; the Bill would make it a level 10 fine or up to six years, or both. Causing or attempting to cause damage to a pipeline, pumping station, storage tank or ancillary works would rise from a level 9 fine or four years to a level 14 fine or up to ten years, or both. On conviction a court could additionally order removal of the building, structure, plant or pipe, the filling in of the well, borehole or trench, or the cessation of digging and ploughing.
A new inspection regime would follow. The grantee could authorise employees or agents to inspect and maintain the pipeline reserve, issuing each an identification document that must be produced on demand. Those employees or agents, and police officers, could enter the pipeline servitude at all reasonable times, including where it lies within private property or where there is reasonable cause to suspect an offence. Entry onto private property would need the consent of the person in charge unless there are reasonable grounds to believe entry is necessary to prevent, investigate or detect an offence, obtain evidence, or prevent or curtail conditions adverse to the pipeline. They could seize equipment likely to afford evidence and retain it as long as necessary, and order a person to cease an activity pending investigation. Obstructing or refusing to comply with them would be an offence carrying a level 10 fine or up to six years.
The Bill would also define "Minister" as the Minister responsible for Energy, and give that Minister power to make regulations on safeguarding the pipeline and reserve, inspections and maintenance, and facilitating registration of servitudes where pipelines cross land used as a unit by an occupier.
Two drafting points: clauses 4 and 5 both insert a new section "after section 9", one numbered 9A and the other numbered 10, and the "for the avoidance of doubt" subsection limiting the regulation-making subsection to agricultural activities sits awkwardly against that subsection's own references to buildings, wells and boreholes.
What changed
- Erecting buildings or structures, planting trees, sinking wells or boreholes, digging trenches deeper than 375mm and laying pipes in the pipeline reserve would be prohibited.
- Mining and blasting would be prohibited within 125 metres of either side of the pipeline centre.
- The penalty for prohibited activities would rise from a level 4 fine or three months to a level 10 fine or up to six years.
- The penalty for causing or attempting to cause damage to a pipeline or its works would rise from a level 9 fine or four years to a level 14 fine or up to ten years.
- Courts could order removal of offending structures or the filling in of wells, boreholes and trenches on conviction.
- Grantees could authorise identified employees or agents to inspect and maintain the reserve, with powers of entry, seizure and stop orders.
- Entry onto private property would require consent unless needed to prevent, investigate or detect an offence or curtail conditions adverse to the pipeline.
- Obstructing an authorised employee or agent would carry a level 10 fine or up to six years.
- The Minister responsible for Energy would gain power to make regulations on pipeline safeguarding, inspection and servitude registration.
Who this affects
- landowners and occupiers whose land carries a pipeline servitude
- farmers grazing, ploughing or cultivating near a pipeline reserve
- miners and blasting contractors operating within 125 metres of a pipeline
- builders and drillers sinking wells or boreholes near pipelines
- pipeline grantees and their inspection staff
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.