Fresh water passages on the ground whether natural or not, through which water flows whether continuously or intermittently in a defined course. as identified in the Tairawhiti Resource Management PlanWatercourses includes every river, stream, passage, and channel on the ground whether natural or not through which water flows whether continuously or intermittently in a defined course; but does not include any piped water supply, tunnel, conduit, aqueduct, or water race forming part of the reticulation of or for any water supply area or water race district or irrigation district or any water table on a public highway which is for the sole purpose of controlling the run—off from the carriageway. C6.4.2 Maintenance of Watercourses 1. Subject to the provisions of section 143 of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941, these provisions hereof shall apply to all watercourses in the district, including those where control is vested in the Authority pursuant to section 130 of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941 or pursuant to any other Act, but shall not apply in respect of those watercourses included in the First Schedule to this bylaw. 2. Every owner or occupier of land in the district through which a watercourse flows shall at all times keep the watercourse cleansed, maintained, and repaired to the satisfaction of the Authority and if he fails to do so the Authority may, by notice in writing, require such owner or occupier so to do. 3. Where any owner or occupier is required to cleanse, maintain, or repair any watercourse and, after notice in writing requiring him so to do, makes default in complying with the notice within the time specified in the notice in that behalf, or if no such time is specified, then within a reasonable time, does not proceed with the work, then the Authority may, if it thinks fit, either itself or acting by or through its agents cleanse or repair all or any part or parts of such watercourse. 4. The Authority may recover from the owner or occupier the reasonable costs of carrying out any such works as aforesaid as a debt due and payable on demand by the owner or occupier to the Authority and in default of such payment the costs shall be recoverable by the Authority from the owner or occupier in any court of competent jurisdiction. Tairāwhiti Resource Management Plan – Part C (C5-C8) 89 C6.4.3 Obstructions 1. No person shall, without the written consent of the Authority, obstruct or damage any watercourse, or obstruct the flow of flood waters therein, or impede the maintenance of the watercourse or floodway. C6.4.5 Miscellaneous 1. No person shall without the written consent of the Authority take or drive or cause or permit to be taken or driven any livestock, motorized vehicles or machinery on any flood control stopbank or other defence against water where in the opinion of the Authority that action could cause damage to the stopbank or other defence against water. 2. The Authority may from time to time by public notice prohibit any access to or passing over any part of a watercourse under its control for the protection of that part of the watercourse.