Regulating activity

The Sydney Water Catchment Management Regulation 2008 - covers all of the Sydney Catchment Authority's (SCA) area of operations. It enables the SCA to exercise certain powers under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 in relation to pollution sources that impact on water quality in catchment areas. It does not apply to premises and activities covered by an environment protection licence from the Department of Environment and Climate Change. The SCA maintains a public register of all notices issued by the SCA under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.

The regulation also empowers the SCA to prohibit and restrict activities - such as fishing, extracting water, driving vehicles or horse-riding, removing plants and wildlife, removing rocks, swimming, boating, camping and lighting fires - to areas where they will not harm the catchments or impact on water quality.

In addition to this regulation, the SCA has a key role in overseeing oversee development in the catchments by implementing planning and development regulation under the Drinking Water Catchments Regional Environmental Plan No 1.