These guidelines provide information on Dams Safety NSW requirements for dam owners. Although we try to make all documents plain English, some of these documents contain technical information that may benefit from specialist advice to interpret.
Guidelines
Operations and maintenance plans
Guidance Notes
Reducing dam safety risks So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable (SFAIRP)
The Dams Safety Regulation 2019 refers to methodologies that must be used to calculate societal and individual risk ratings for a declared dam, and to assess and determine a declared dam’s consequence category. Although we try to make all documents plain English, some of these documents contain technical information that may benefit from specialist advice to interpret.
Societal and individual risk rating methodology for Dams Safety Act 2015
Declared dams consequence category assessment and determination methodology for Dams Safety Act 2015
Our Fact Sheets and publications provide useful information on key topics.
Risk Reports
- Preparing a risk report for a declared dam
- Engaging a competent person or panel to review my dam reports and assessments
- Finding a consultant to help prepare dam safety reports
- Safety threshold - operational definition
Annual Dams Safety Standards Reports
Emergency plans and emergency exercises
- Conducting a dam emergency exercise
- New dam emergency plan summary information sheet: what you need to know
Operations and maintenance plans
Dam safety management systems
Dam safety levy
Education and training
Community consultation
Publications
General information on declared dams
- Defining dams for declaration
- Should your dam be declared?
- Decommissioning and revoking a declared dam
- Documents at a glance for declared dam owners
- List of declared dams in NSW
Mining and declared dams
Dams Safety NSW has collaborated with TAFE NSW to deliver two three-hour online courses. They are both available on TAFE NSW's online learning platform.
Surveillance of EMBANKMENT dams - routine inspections
The course will help NSW dam owners understand the activities involved in conducting routine visual inspections of embankment dams.
Surveillance of CONCRETE dams - routine inspections
This course will help NSW dam owners understand the activities involved in conducting routine visual inspections of concrete dams.
PLEASE NOTE: successfully completing these courses does not mean you are a 'competent person'. You can choose to be assessed for competency against the National Water Training Package unit of competency 'NWPCAD011 - inspect and report on embankment dam safety' or NWPCAD010 – Inspect and report on concrete dam safety, for an additional fee.
Competency assessment program
To help declared dam owners, DSNSW also offers a competency assessment program for people who have successfully completed the online course and work for an organisation with a declared dam in NSW.
These policies and plans set out how Dams Safety NSW operates.
As part of our statutory reporting requirement, we prepare an annual report to the Minister and NSW Parliament detailing activities and outcomes for the financial year.
Dams Safety NSW Annual Report 2023-2024 (PDF, 1.99 MB)
Dams Safety NSW Annual Report 2022-2023 (PDF, 2.02 MB)
Dams Safety NSW Annual Report 2021-2022 (PDF, 7551 KB)
Dams Safety NSW webinars and information sessions run year-round. Sessions include information and insights from Dams Safety NSW officers, engineers and auditors about the challenges involved with owning a declared dam.
Dam Safety Insights is a series of podcasts designed to help declared dam owners, and their consultants, comply with the dam safety laws in NSW.
Dams Safety NSW comprises of six members. Five independent part-time appointed members including a Chair and Deputy Chair and the Chief Executive (CEO) of Dams Safety NSW.
It is referred to as the Board for administrative purposes.
Dams Safety Focus is our eNewsletter for declared dam owners and anyone with an interest in dam safety. If you'd like to subscribe, please email us at info@damsafety.nsw.gov.au.
Dams Safety Focus - October 2025
Dams Safety Focus - February 2025
Dams Safety Focus - October 2024
Dams Safety Focus - February 2024
Dams Safety Focus - October 2023
Dams Safety Focus - February 2023
Dams Safety Focus - October 2022
Dams Safety Focus - February 2022
Dams Safety Focus - October 2021
Dams Safety Focus - February 2021