New South Wales Consolidated Acts

SYDNEY WATER ACT 1994 - SECT 23

23 Pollution reduction targets

(1) The Corporation must adopt targets (as developed and determined in accordance with this section) to effect significant reductions, by 30 June 2000, of Schedule 10 substances present in waters as a result of the conduct of the Corporation’s sewerage services under an operating licence.

(2) The targets are to be developed as follows:

(a) The Corporation is to publish in the Gazette a statement, in a form approved by the Environment Protection Authority, showing:

(i) the range of concentrations and total load of those Schedule 10 substances that were monitored at the Corporation’s sewage treatment plants, and

(ii) the total volumes of sewage discharged from its sewage treatment plants to waters as monitored by the Corporation,

for the year ended 30 June 1994.

(b) The statement is to be published within 14 days after the initial operating licence is granted to the Corporation.

(c) The Corporation is to conduct ecological risk assessments in relation to Schedule 10 substances discharged into waters from each of the Corporation’s sewage treatment plants.

(d) Ecological risk assessments are to be carried out in accordance with a methodology for the time being approved by the Environment Protection Authority in accordance with section 24.

(e) Reports on ecological risk assessments are to be provided to the Environment Protection Authority as follows:

(i) reports on assessments for the ocean are to be provided by 31 December 1995, and

(ii) reports on assessments for the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment are to be provided by 30 June 1996, and

(iii) reports on the remaining assessments are to be provided by 30 June 1997.

(f) Copies of the reports on ecological risk assessments are to be placed on display for public comment by the Corporation in accordance with section 25.

(3) The Environment Protection Authority is, within 3 months after the expiration of the period for public comment referred to in section 25 (2), to determine the targets for the Corporation that are referred to in subsections (1) and (2), having regard to the following:

(a) the reports on ecological risk assessments,

(b) any public comments on the reports that have been provided to the Authority by the Corporation in accordance with section 25 (3),

(c) such other factors as appear relevant to the Authority, taking into account the statutory obligations of the Authority under any Act.

(4) The Corporation must adopt the targets as determined by the Environment Protection Authority.

(5) The Environment Protection Authority must ensure that the licence conditions imposed by it on the Corporation, and any directions given by it to the Corporation under section 12 of the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 , are consistent with and are conducive to the meeting, or exceeding, by the Corporation of its targets, as determined in accordance with this section, by 30 June 2000.

(6) As and when the targets, licence conditions and directions are determined, imposed or given and take effect, the Corporation and the Environment Protection Authority are each to enter details of the targets, licence conditions and directions in a register kept at their respective principal offices and are to make the register available for public inspection, free of charge.

(7) The Corporation is to monitor its performance against the targets and publish the results on an annual basis in accordance with the requirements of an operating licence.

(8) By 30 June 1999, the Corporation is to determine the bases for setting targets to effect further reductions, after 30 June 2000, of Schedule 10 substances present in waters as a result of the conduct of the Corporation’s sewerage services under an operating licence. However, the targets are not to be set until the Environment Protection Authority approves of the bases determined.

(9) In this section, "Schedule 10 substances" means the substances listed in Schedule 10.