eFlash #559
Date: 08-Dec-2022
In this edition: Water Supply Regulation e-Alert | Invitation to provide comment on Major and Minor Amendments Guideline | WSAA/qldwater/NSW water directorate webinar - US EPA climate resilient water utilities | DES Seeking input on the guideline for major and minor amendments to EAs
Information for Water Industry Managers and Practitioners in the Queensland Water Industry
(Issue #559 - 08 December 2022) |
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NEW / HOT TOPICS 1. Water Supply Regulation e-Alert
2. Invitation to provide comment on Major and Minor Amendments Guideline
3. WSAA/qldwater/NSW water directorate webinar - US EPA climate resilient water utilities
4. DES Seeking input on the guideline for major and minor amendments to EAs
REMINDERS / OTHER NEWS |
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| 1.Water Supply Regulation e-Alert |
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QWSR have recently released their latest Water Supply Regulations e-Alert.
Important key message are:- Summer Preparedness and Incident Reporting
- Key dates in December and Office Closures
Monday 19/12/2022- Drinking Water Quality Management Plan Report 2021 - 2022 due by 19 December 2022 (Annual Report)
Monday 19/12/2022- Annual Report 2021-2022 (Recycled Water Scheme) due by 19 December 2022 - relevant entity ONLY
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| 2. Invitation to provide comment on Major and Minor Amendments Guideline |
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During public consultation on the Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment (EPOLA) Bill 2022, the Department of Environment and Science (the department) committed to review the non-statutory guideline Major and minor amendments (ESR/2015/1684) to provide further rigour and certainty around assessment level decisions for environmental authority amendment processes.
To inform this review, we are seeking your feedback on the aspects of the guideline that you consider unclear and may be leading to inconsistencies in departmental decision-making. We also encourage you to provide examples or scenarios to support your comments.
The focus of the guideline review will be on section 3 of the guideline which talks to assessment level decisions. However, there may be other sections of the guideline that may benefit from clarification, and you are invited to provide comments on these matters for consideration as part of this, or future potential review processes.
Should you wish to provide comments on the guideline, please email your written submissions to RRS.Consultation@des.qld.gov.au by 5pm on Monday 23rd January 2023.
The department will consider the feedback provided within the submission period before proposing edits to the guideline. You will then be provided with an opportunity to comment on the revised guideline once edits are drafted in early 2023.
We know that the end of the year can be a busy time and we appreciate your early input into this review process. If there is another contact within your organisation that the department should contact about this matter, please let us know. We also encourage you to forward this information onto your members as relevant.
If you have any questions regarding the guideline review or feedback process, please contact me by email RRS.Consultation@des.qld.gov.au or phone 0477 375 705.
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| 3. WSAA/qldwater/NSW water directorate webinar - US EPA climate resilient water utilities |
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Upcoming webinar in January 2023 focused on building climate resilience in small water utilities. This event will be co-hosted by WSAA, qldwater and NSW water directorate.
The webinar promotes tools aimed specifically at small-medium sized water utilities.
Presented by the USA EPA sharing lessons learnt from the US water sector. |
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| 4. DES Seeking input on the guideline for major and minor amendments to EAs |
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The Department of Environment and Science is seeking feedback on the non-statutory guideline Major and minor amendments (ESR/2015/1684) ahead of a review of the guideline that is scheduled for 2023.
The Department is specifically seeking input on aspects of the guideline that are unclear or may otherwise be causing inconsistencies with departmental decision making.
The planned review seems to be focussed on Section 3 of the guideline. This section describes how to determine the threshold of an amendment, or if an amendment is to be considered minor or major, and the principles to apply in working out whether a proposed amendment is “significant”.
The consultation period on this guideline ends on Monday 23 January 2022. If you want to comment, you can send submission through directly to RRS.Consultation@des.qld.gov.au, or you can contact lreeves@qldwater.com.au.
Further consultation will take place on the edits to the guideline once they have been drafted.
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Kind Regards,
qldwater
qldwater is a business unit of IPWEAQ |
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