DSNSW compliance and enforcement activity report: April – June 2026
For the April to June 2026 quarter, Dams Safety NSW (DSNSW) compliance and enforcement activities have focused on:
- Annual Dam Safety Standards Reports
- New works and decommissioning
- Audits of dam safety management systems and emergency preparedness
- Non-compliance follow-ups
- Risk Reports
- Mining and planning matters
Annual Dam Safety Standards Reports
- Following up reports not received
- Addressing technical issues with the online form
- 60 statutory notices issued under s.15 of the Dams Safety Act to provide report
- 8 penalty notices and 5 official cautions issued for non-compliances
New works, commissioning and decommissioning dams
- 5 audits scheduled for new dams in the 2025/26 program. This includes 2 virtual pre-commissioning audits (audit report to be combined with final commissioning audit report) and final commissioning audit for Eurobodalla Southern Storage. All 5 audits were completed by the end of June
- 1 report issued for commissioning audit of a new dam (detention basin), identifying 2 non-compliances
Audits of Dam Safety Management Systems (DSMS) and Emergency Preparedness Exercises (EPE)
- 9 dams were audited against clauses of the regulation relating to emergency preparedness exercises in the 2025/26 program
- 8 dam safety management systems audits completed during the quarter
- 12 audit reports (covering 17 dams) were issued, identifying 40 non-compliances
Non-compliances identified during audits
- Total non-compliances (NCs) recorded in final audit reports issued to dam owners for the April – June quarter are:
- 19 Major NCs
- 21 Moderate NCs.
Note: Dam owners are given 90 days from the issue date of the report to provide evidence of rectification to DSNSW.
- For DSMS audits, non-compliances were issued for:
not establishing and implementing a dam safety management system for the dam
not setting out the content of the DSMS document as required by the regulation
not being able to provide suitable records
not being able to provide documented information as required by AS/ISO 55001
- For EPE audits, non-compliances were issued for:
not being able to set out the requirement stated by the regulation clause 10 (1) (c) – a description of the circumstances that could cause a failure of the dam and the likely consequences of the failure
not being able to provide evidence of a theoretical classroom exercise being conducted for declared dams
not being able to provide evidence of “nonconformity and corrective action” as required by AS/ISO 55001
Risk Reports
DSNSW has received risk reports for 17 dams, 6 of which were assessed as compliant and 11 are under review.
Mining and Planning Matters
- Issued 2 mining consents
- Issued 2 planning submissions
- Processed 4 mining lease applications and amendments.