Neutral or Beneficial Effect on Water Quality Assessment
The State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Drinking Water Catchment) 2011 (the SEPP) requires all proposed development in the Sydney drinking water catchment to have a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality (NorBE).
For development proposals relating to Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, all consent authorities (councils) must now use the SCA’s NorBE Assessment Tool when making NorBE assessments. This will help provide a consistent and transparent approach to NorBE assessments across the catchment.
The Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) works in partnership with councils in the catchment area and provides training to help councils deliver their responsibilities under the SEPP.
The SCA has prepared the 'Neutral or Beneficial Effect on Water Quality Assessment Guideline 2011' to explain the requirements for development approval.
The guideline provides clear directions about:
- the meaning of a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality
- how to demonstrate it
- how to assess an application against the neutral or beneficial effect test
- how it will assist councils, applicants and consultants.
Appropriate use of current recommended practices and standards is an important part of NorBE assessment and the conditions of consent / concurrence.
The SEPP also requires public authorities to consider whether any activity that Part 5 of the Act applies to will have a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality. To help public authorities consider NorBE for a proposed activity, the SCA has developed a Part 5 NorBE Assessment Template and a Part 5 NorBE Assessment Explanatory Note.
