Water and groundwater impacts
State significant projects have the potential to impact on water quantity by using water from existing water resources, water quality through risk of contamination, pollution or sedimentation, and the health of aquifers, catchments, and waterways. These potential impacts are an important consideration in the assessment of State significant projects.
Groundwater Policies and Guidelines
Groundwater is an important natural resource of drinking water for many towns and rural properties and is essential for several major industries, especially agriculture. It also supports ecosystems such as wetlands, springs or vegetation communities, referred to as groundwater dependent ecosystems. Groundwater can also be providing baseflow to numerous creek systems and contributing to their healthy aquatic ecosystems.
Many of our current and past activities affect the availability and quality of our groundwater. The following policies and guidance should be considered in the assessment of State significant projects for potential groundwater impacts.
NSW Aquifer Interference Policy (AIP)
NSW Aquifer Interference Policy (AIP)
The AIP is the tool under the Water Management Act which establishes the limits of an activity to interfere with an aquifer and its impact on water users including the environment. The Policy defines minimal impact considerations for water availability and groundwater quality changes. This includes assessment of cumulative impacts. The AIP considerations apply during the whole lifetime of the project, i.e. including when the activity has ceased.
The Policy defines the minimum documentation and obligations to meet various levels of activity interferences and licencing for water take.
The Aquifer Interference Assessment Framework is a basic framework which the NSW Office of Water uses to assess project proposals against the NSW Aquifer Interference Policy (AIP).
Major Projects Groundwater Toolkit and Guidelines
Major Projects Groundwater Toolkit and Guidelines
Groundwater resources must be protected and remain a secure and sustainable water source for communities. For this reason, state significant developments and state significant infrastructure (SSD and SSI) projects related to groundwater must meet specific requirements and provide evidence that the proposed activity follows the Water Management Act 2000 and other NSW groundwater policies.
The Groundwater Toolkit includes guidelines and documents to guide the preparation of impact assessments. The overarching guideline and three technical documents address documentation requirements, groundwater modelling reporting requirements and generally guidance on how to approach the characterisation of groundwater impacts and risks, along with any water licencing requirements.
View the Toolkit and Guidelines
View the Guideline for Groundwater Documentation for SSD/SSI Projects- Technical guideline
Guidelines for Groundwater Protection in Australia (Commonwealth)
Guidelines for Groundwater Protection in Australia (Commonwealth)
The guidelines provide a national framework for groundwater protection. The aim of the guidelines is to provide a national vision for the protection of groundwater and consistent strategies to be implemented in each State and Territory.
Code of Practice for Coal Seam Gas Well Integrity
Code of Practice for Coal Seam Gas Well Integrity
The code provides a practical guide for coal seam gas (CSG) titleholders to comply with conditions of title for CSG exploration, extraction or production under the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 (PO Act) and the Petroleum (Onshore) Regulation 2007 to ensure that well operations are carried out without risk to health or detriment to the environment.
Code of Practice for Coal Seam Gas Fracture Simulation
Code of Practice for Coal Seam Gas Fracture Simulation
The code applies to the conduct of CSG fracture simulation activities. It sets out the rules of behaviour that guide the decisions, procedures and systems of an organisation to achieve desired outcomes.
Water quantity
Water is a valuable and scarce resource with competing demands from various users placing a strain on the State’s existing resources. The NSW Government uses a range of policies and legislation to promote the efficient use and extraction of water and its conservation by all users. The following documents should be considered when assessing the use and extraction of water resources in State significant projects.
NSW Water Strategy
NSW Water Strategy
The NSW Water Strategy is part of a suite of long-term strategies being developed by the NSW Government to maintain the resilience of the state’s water services and resources over the coming decades. They aim to balance different and changing water needs and make sure that households, businesses, towns and cities, communities and the environment have access to the right amount of water for the right purpose at the right times.
NSW Water Sharing Plans
NSW Water Sharing Plans
Water Sharing Plans set rules for water trading including the buying and selling of water licences and annual water allocations.
Water quality
Good water quality is crucial for the health of aquatic ecosystems and domestic and industrial uses. The community's values and uses for our marine environments, rivers, creeks, estuaries and lakes should be considered when assessing the merits of State significant projects. The following policies help to assess whether a State significant project proposal supports these values and uses.
Guidelines for Controlled Activities on Waterfront Land
Guidelines for Controlled Activities on Waterfront Land
These guidelines introduce new rules to amend the riparian corridor widths that apply to watercourses, providing more flexibility in how riparian corridors can be used and making it easier for applicants to determine the NRAR-controlled activity approval requirements.
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality
These guidelines provide water managers with tools and guidance to assess, manage and monitor the water quality and is a cornerstone of the National Water Quality Management Strategy.
Implementation & Transitional Arrangements for the Approved Methods for Air, Water & Noise
Implementation & Transitional Arrangements for the Approved Methods for Air, Water & Noise
Information about the implementation and transitional arrangements for the Approved Methods for air, water and noise.
NSW Water and River Flow Objectives
NSW Water and River Flow Objectives
These objectives are intended mainly for river, water and groundwater committees to consider and include in their river management plans.
Marine Quality Objectives for NSW Ocean waters
Marine Quality Objectives for NSW Ocean waters
These objectives are part of the NSW Government's program to set water quality objectives for all its major waterways. The aim of the Marine Water Quality Objectives is to simplify and streamline the consideration of water quality in coastal planning and management.
Using the ANZECC Guidelines and Water Quality Objectives in NSW
Using the ANZECC Guidelines and Water Quality Objectives in NSW
The objectives provide stakeholders (government regulators, industry, consultants, community and catchment and water managers) with a framework for conserving ambient water quality in our rivers, lakes, estuaries and marine waters.
Managing Urban Stormwater: Soils and Construction- Blue Book
Managing Urban Stormwater: Soils and Construction- Blue Book
These guidelines, commonly known as the 'Blue Book', provide guidance on how to reduce the impacts of land disturbance activities on waterways by better management of soil erosion and sediment control.
Use of Effluent by Irrigation Guideline
Use of Effluent by Irrigation Guideline
This guideline aims to encourage and optimise the safe reuse of water. This Guideline provides a framework to help meet these goals and promote the wise use of our limited water resources.
Use and Disposal of Biosolids Guideline
Use and Disposal of Biosolids Guideline
The guideline sets out recommended management practices for the surface land disposal of biosolids (excluding those products classified as Unrestricted Use). These actions are aimed at protecting amenity, human health and water quality outside the biosolid disposal area.
Development requirements in the Sydney drinking water catchment
Development requirements in the Sydney drinking water catchment
These requirements guide development applications in the Sydney drinking water catchment to include a water cycle management study (WCMS) to help council and the Department assess whether developments will have a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality.
Health Impact Assessment Guidelines
Health Impact Assessment Guidelines
These guidelines apply to new development projects or upgrades to existing developments, in sectors such as transport, environment, mining and resources, agriculture, energy, waste, housing and planning. A Health Impact Assessment will provide a systematic approach to address the potential health costs and benefits of a project.
Land and soil impacts
The Land and Soil Capability Scheme
The Land and Soil Capability Scheme
The scheme uses the biophysical features of the land and soil to derive detailed rating tables for varied land and soil hazards. These support a range of sustainable land uses and management practices.
Acid Sulfate Soils Manual
Acid Sulfate Soils Manual
The manual outlines best practice in assessing and managing the impacts of proposed works in areas likely to contain acid sulfate soils (ASS) and provides guidance for on-site management and disposal.
Soil and Land Survey Handbooks
Soil and Land Survey Handbooks
The handbooks set standards for all aspects of land resource survey in Australia. Individual volumes address field procedures and terminology, guidelines for conducting surveys, soil chemical and physical measurement methods, and soil classification.
Agricultural Land Use Mapping Resources in NSW
Agricultural Land Use Mapping Resources in NSW
These resources are designed to assist proponents and landholders understand what is required in NSW to identify the existence of biophysical strategic agricultural land (BSAL) for land use planning purposes. Included are the technical requirements for the on-site identification and mapping of BSAL, current datasets and terminology used to map agricultural lands and resources that support agriculture.
Interim Protocol for Site Verification & Mapping of Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land
Interim Protocol for Site Verification & Mapping of Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land
The interim protocol outlines the process for seeking verification of whether land mapped as BSAL meets the criteria.
Large Scale Solar Energy Guideline
Large Scale Solar Energy Guideline
The Large-Scale Solar Energy Guideline gives the community, industry and regulators certainty about the planning framework for the assessment and approval of such projects.
The guideline gives advice on a range of assessment matters including the impacts on agricultural land use.