Dams Safety Legislative Changes Come into Effect 1 November

Declared dam owners are reminded that new requirements under the Dams Safety Act 2014 and Dams Safety Regulation 2019 come into effect on Monday, 1 November 2021.

The new requirements include:

• establish and implement a dam safety management system
• prepare an operations and maintenance plan that complies with the new requirements
• prepare an emergency plan that complies with the new requirements, and share it with Dams Safety NSW and the SES
• conduct emergency exercises with relevant staff and, where practical, agencies listed in the emergency plan

A range of annual, five-yearly and fifteen-yearly reporting and safety review requirements also come into effect. Of particular note is the Annual Dam Safety Standards Report, which must be published by all declared dam owners by the end of March 2022, and needs to be signed off by the dam owner. This could be a General Manager, two directors, a CEO or another set of individuals depending on your organisation. A copy of the report also needs to be sent to Dams Safety NSW.

Further information can be found through the guidelines, webinars or by contacting Dams Safety NSW on 0418 259 984 with questions or issues.

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