The development of water treatment facilities is primarily governed by the State Environmental Planning Policy (State and Regional Development) 2011 (SRD SEPP). The aim of the SRD SEPP is to provide development assessment pathways for development and infrastructure that is of social, environmental or economic significance to New South Wales.
The Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment (DPIE) proposes to improve the SRD SEPP to facilitate the efficient delivery of upgrades to existing water treatment facilities in NSW.
Have your say on the Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) which sets out the proposed improvement and seeks community input into the proposal.
The proposed changes will:
- Remove the $30 million capital investment value criteria for upgrades of water treatment facilities associated with an existing facility.
- Fast-track the approval process so drought related water treatment facility upgrades can be delivered quicker.
- Allow Sydney Water to respond to future drought conditions.
The proposed changes will allow facilities unlikely to have a significant environmental impact on the environment to be assessed by water supply public authorities, instead of a longer State Significant Infrastructure assessment process.
Any new water treatment facilities will still be assessed as State Significant infrastructure. The proposed changes won’t apply to desalination plants, new water treatment facilities or water storage facilities.
Sydney Water currently has three water treatment facilities that require urgent upgrades in 2020 to maintain water supply in drought conditions and these changes will help them be assessed faster.
This is part of a whole-of-government approach to fast-tracking drought relief projects to help the people most affected by drought. The proposed fast-tracked approval process for water treatment facility upgrades will help Sydney Water and other water supply authorities to get on with addressing drought conditions.