Dams Safety NSW

Compliance and enforcement activity report Oct-Dec 2024

DSNSW compliance and enforcement activity report: October - December 2024

For the October to December 2024 quarter, Dams Safety NSW (DSNSW) compliance and enforcement activities have focused on:

  • Operations and Maintenance plans audits
  • Risk Reports
  • Following up on non-compliances
  • Consequence category assessments

During the October to December quarter, DSNSW staff have completed the following:

Operations and Maintenance Plans 

Audited compliance with requirements relating to Operations and Maintenance Plans for 15 dams with 15 different dam owners. These were carried out as virtual meetings.

Document audits

  • Audited Annual Dams Safety Standards Reports for 9 dams in the local government and State Owned Corporation sectors.
  • Audited Risk Reports for 11 dams.

Non-compliance follow-ups

  • Assessed evidence to determine whether 18 non-compliances detected through audits have been rectified. Most of these non-compliances relate to Operations & Maintenance Plans.

Compliance reminders

  • Sent 4 reminder letters to dam owners with Risk Reports due in December 2024
  • Sent 154 reminder letters regarding submission of 2024 Annual Dams Safety Standards Report - due 31 March 2025

Consequence Category Assessments

  • Sent 17 letters to dam owners to verify consequence category assessments.

Planning Matters

  • Issued one mining consent application relating to mining activities within an declared dam notification area
  • Issued submissions to the Department of Planning on two development applications involving declared dams or proposed activities in declared dam notification areas.