About state significant developments and infrastructure
State significant developments (SSD) and state significant infrastructure (SSI) refer to projects that are important to the state for economic, environmental, or social reasons defined by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Development or infrastructure is of state significance if:
- it is over a certain size
- it is in a sensitive environmental area
- exceeds a specific capital investment value
- the infrastructure has effects affects beyond a local area.
Examples of state significant development includes:
- new education facilities, hospitals and correctional centres
- manufacturing facilities
- mining and extraction operations
- tourist and recreation facilities
- some port facilities
- waste management facilities
- energy generation and storage facilities
- development on identified sites for example, Sydney Olympic Park and Darling Harbour.
Examples of state significant infrastructure are:
- rail and road infrastructure,
- water storage and treatment plants
- electricity transmission and infrastructure
- wharves
- pipelines
- some developments in national parks
The information on this page is about the role of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the department) in state significant projects.
Find more information on the application and assessment process on the NSW Planning website at: State significant developments and State significant infrastructure.
If your proposed work is not state significant development or infrastructure go to: Licensing and approvals
The role of the department
The department plays an important role in the assessment, management and review of state significant projects in NSW that have an impact on water resources and their dependent ecosystems.
The department is responsible for:
- issuing water access licences and approvals under the Water Management Act 2000 and Water Act 1912 licences required for state significant projects
- water policies that apply to state significant projects, such as the aquifer interference policy.
- advising NSW Government departments and proponents to ensure the proposed development is sustainable.
Find more information about what we do at each stage of the planning process and the information required from the proponent at each of these stages at: Summary table showing our role in state significant projects and requirement
Consultation with the department may be either mandatory or voluntary. It allows for two-way dialogue to ensure appropriate development takes place which supports the sustainable use and management of water resources in NSW.
Companies or consultants may need to consult with the department for several reasons, including:
- conditions of a development consent
- undertaking a development or assessment of a proposal
- understanding detailed water licensing requirements related to a state significant project.
The Consultation with the department on major projects guideline will help consultants and companies working on significant developments with the department.
Contact the department's Water Assessment team to discuss your project at water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
The department stays closely involved with the progress of significant developments after approval is granted. The post-approval process ensures that water resources are effectively managed and monitored.
Significant developments must comply with approval conditions and water licence requirements and have adequate monitoring in place for the department to track and monitor compliance. Applicants may need to consult with the department on post-approval management plans required as a condition of consent.
Do I need to submit a post-approval management plan?
You need to submit a post-approval management plan to the department on the Major Projects Hub if your DA requires you to consult on any of the following:
- groundwater models
- groundwater monitoring and modelling plans
- surface water and groundwater monitoring reports
- specific requests from the department
- water management plans
- extraction management plans
- subsidence management plans
- water licensing under the Water Management Act 2000
- works typically requiring a controlled activity approval under the Water Management Act 2000 (e.g. watercourse realignment, riparian rehabilitation)
- specific requests from the department.
How to submit your post-approval management plan
You can lodge post approval management plans on the NSW Planning Portal.
Submit a post-approval management plan
To lodge your documents, follow the steps below:
- Create a NSW Planning Portal account by visiting the Major Projects Hub and clicking ‘Create Account’.
- Sign in to the Major Projects Hub
- Select ‘Lodge Documents’ from the drop-down menu
For detailed instructions on how to lodge documents, including how to consult with public authorities online see: NSW Planning Portal How to Guides
Requirements, guidelines and exemptions for state significant projects
State significant projects do not require a water supply work or water use approval or controlled activity approval under section 4.41 for State significant development and 5.23 for State significant infrastructure of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 where the works were identified and impacts assessed as a part of the state significant project. In the place of a water supply work approval, a miscellaneous work is issued by the department to allow for a water access licence to nominate an extraction point. You must contact the department to request a miscellaneous work if you are eligible.
A water access licence is required to account for water take unless an exemption under the Water Management (General) Regulation 2025 applies.
Find more information on water access licences and relevant exemptions:
- Specific purpose access licence
- Zero share access licence
- Controlled allocations
- Water access licence exemptions
Although state significant projects may not require certain licences or approvals, relevant policies and guidelines should still be considered. These may include:
- Guidelines for controlled activities
- Groundwater guidelines
- Aquifer Interference Policy
- Water Sharing Plans
- NSW Floodplain management plans
Find information on other water licences and approvals at:
Find information for prospective mining and petroleum exploration activities at: Groundwater Monitoring and Modelling Plans
Renewable Energy Zones
Renewable energy developments within Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) are subject to the same requirements and assessment processes as other state significant or non-state significant developments or infrastructure. However, additional consideration of cumulative impacts is needed due to the concentration of development within REZs. These have been published in Regional Major Infrastructure Studies.
In addition to its usual licensing, approvals and assessment role, the department is responsible for supporting other departments to undertake strategic planning in REZs to ensure development is sustainable with respect to water resources and servicing.
Guidance for proponents of state significant renewable energy developments and infrastructure in REZs is available in these factsheets.
Find information on renewable energy-related state significant developments in REZs at: Renewable Energy Zones
Mining and petroleum exploration activities
At the time of exploration, and before a project becomes a significant development, the NSW Resource Regulator requires the preparation of a Groundwater Monitoring and Modelling Plan (GMMP) as a standard condition of licence for exploration (drilling) under the Mining Act 1992 and Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991. The GMMP is a program to document groundwater settings through data acquisition and monitoring to support the development of a groundwater impact model to be used in the environmental impact statement.
Find more information at: Groundwater Monitoring and Modelling Plans
At the time of exploration, and before a project becomes a significant development, the NSW Resource Regulator requires the preparation of a Groundwater Monitoring and Modelling Plan (GMMP) as a standard condition of licence for exploration (drilling) under the Mining Act 1992 and Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991. The GMMP is a program to document groundwater settings through data acquisition and monitoring to support the development of a groundwater impact model to be used in the environmental impact statement.
Find more information at: Groundwater Monitoring and Modelling Plans - Information for prospective mining and petroleum exploration activities
Australia's national environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, was amended in June 2013 to provide that water resources are a matter of national environmental significance in relation to coal seam gas and large coal mining development. This amendment is known as the water trigger.
The water trigger allows the impacts of proposed coal seam gas and large coal mining developments on water resources to be comprehensively assessed at a national level.
Under the water trigger, any coal seam gas or large coal mining developments that are expected to have a significant impact on water resources must be referred to the Commonwealth Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) for advice. As part of their assessment, the IESC may seek advice from us. Based on the IESC's advice, the Minister can set appropriate conditions as part of the project approval to ensure that any significant impacts on a water resource are acceptable.
The rules for the referral of coal seam gas and large coal mining developments to the IESC by the NSW Government are prescribed under an agreement between the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
Find out more information on managing impacts from coal mining and coal seam gas.
A water allocation trading rule that applies to mines located within the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment Special Areas provides a way for these mines to obtain water allocation to account for their incidental (unintentional and uncontrollable) surface water take under the Water Management Act 2000 (the Act) and pay for this water.
By providing a way for the mines to account and pay for their incidental water take, the trading rule helps to improve the way the NSW Government monitors mining activities and manages water resources in the Special Areas.
It also provides greater equity amongst water users as the mines must account and pay for the water they take in line with what other mining companies and water users are required to do.
What the trading rule allows
The trading rule allows WaterNSW to trade water allocation from water access licences it holds in the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment to unregulated river access licences held in relation to coal mines in the Woronora and Metropolitan Special Areas. The receiving licence must be held for the purpose of accounting for incidental surface water take only (e.g. surface water take being taken due to mining impacts).
What the regulation of incidental surface water take will achieve
This trading rule was introduced in response to recommendations made by the Independent Expert Panel for Mining in the Catchment, to cover the incidental take of surface water by mines located in the Special Areas of the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment. Mining has occurred in the Catchment for over 200 years, and mines in the Special Areas were operating before the Water Management Act 2000 and the relevant water sharing plan were in force, including the requirement to licence all incidental surface water take. This incidental water take cannot be prevented.
Find more information at: Frequently Asked Questions - allocation trading rule for incidental water take by mines in the Special Areas.
Contact us
The department's Water Assessment team coordinates water advice for state significant developments and infrastructure and can be contacted by email at water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au
Find helpful guides, FAQs, and further assistance with state significant projects at: Help with the NSW Planning Portal