Regulating activity

Two regulations and an amending regulation enable the SCA to exercise powers under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 to protect water quality and catchment areas.

The Sydney Water Catchment Management (Environment Protection) Regulation 2000

The Sydney Water Catchment Management (Environment Protection) Regulation 2000 - covers all of the SCA's 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 Sydney Water Catchment Management (General) Regulation 2000

The SCA also exercises powers under the Sydney Water Catchment Management (General) Regulation 2000. This applies to Special Areas (immediately surrounding dams) and controlled areas (the lands containing the SCA's canals and pipelines).

The general regulation 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.

Protection of the Environment Operations (Penalty Notices) Amendment (Sydney Catchment Authority) Regulation 2000

This regulation enables the SCA to issue penalty notices for alleged offences against the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 that involve polluting water in catchment areas. It is an amending regulation for which a regulatory impact statement is not required to be prepared by the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989. The SCA maintains a public register of all notices issued by the SCA under the POEO Act.

In addition to these regulations, the SCA has a key role to oversee development in the catchments by implementing planning and development regulation under the Regional Environmental Plan No.1 (REP).