Sydney Water Catchment Management Amendment Bill 2007

The Hon. PENNY SHARPE (Parliamentary Secretary) [5.16 p.m.], in reply: The Sydney Water Catchment Management Amendment Bill has been introduced so that the Sydney Catchment Authority can continue to deliver excellent quality metropolitan water supplies through a sustained commitment to asset management and catchment protection. The Government has made substantial progress in delivering improvements to the supply of raw water, managing water quality and in improving the health of our catchments. The bill gives further effect to the recommendations flowing from Justice McClellan's 1999 inquiry.

The bill builds on the existing provisions of the Sydney Water Catchment Management Act and strengthens some powers while clarifying others. The proposed amendments also improve the ability of the Sydney Catchment Authority to take appropriate action against those activities that have damaged or are likely to cause damage to or detrimentally affect the quality of water or the health of our catchments. Verbal catchment correction notices must be followed up within 72 hours with a written notice. The Sydney catchment is vast, covering thousands of square kilometres. Issuing a verbal notice will practically only occur in urgent circumstances, where failure to address an issue immediately may lead to an offence being committed that would constitute a threat to the health of the catchment or water supply.

A member raised concerns about the definition of catchment health indicators. The bill transfers the role of compiling indicators on the ecological health of the catchment from the Sydney Catchment Authority to a public authority or other person appointed by the Minister. This shift sees the catchment health indicators being independently compiled and serves to recognise that the Sydney Catchment Authority is one of a number of agencies responsible for reporting on the ecological health of the catchments. The bill describes the process required in terms of developing, approving, publishing and amending indicators to be used by the public authority or person to report on ecological health.

The Hon. Rick Colless made reference to the catchment's interface with the agricultural sector, mentioning routine agricultural management activities, which will not be affected by this bill and will continue. In fact, the relevant Regional Environmental Plan ensures it. The proposed maximum penalties for breaches reflect the seriousness of the offences. We are talking about the supply of water to Sydney-a serious issue that requires serious penalties to be imposed on those who threaten it. The Land and Environment Court would impose the maximum penalties. In addition, powers to enter that are being conferred, as per the Environmental Protection and Assessment Act, are only invoked when a development application has been lodged-a limited use of the power.

Mr Ian Cohen referred to the review process. The five-year statutory review process was extensive and included broad stakeholder consultation. The bill provides for better administrative clarity and stronger statutory powers so that the Sydney Catchment Authority can continue to evolve and better meet its functions. I commend the bill to the House.