27 June 2024

Message from the CEO

Welcome to the latest issue of Dams Safety Focus, our eNewsletter providing up-to-date information to help declared dam owners manage their dams' safety. Dams Safety NSW recently hosted a webinar by Professor Rory Nathan from the University of Melbourne on contemporary climate science and its implications for rainfall, flooding, and dam safety. The webinar highlighted a concerning trend: the increasing magnitude of 'unprecedented' flood events posing significant risks to dam safety. This emerging data, alongside ongoing climate research, underscores the necessity for continual risk assessments, safety reviews, and evaluations of our dams.

I also had the opportunity to take part in a workshop organised by the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer, along with the NSW State Emergency Services. The focus was on developing a natural hazard detection system for floods, a pivotal initiative outlined in the recently released NSW State Disaster Mitigation Plan. Keep an eye out for ground-breaking smart-sensing technologies being trialled over the next 18 months as part of this initiative. More details on this technology program and options to subscribe for updates on activities and participation opportunities can be found here.

Finally, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal's (IPART) draft report on their review of the dam safety levy is expected to be released in July 2024. For more information on the review and to engage in the upcoming public hearing and submission process, please visit IPART's website. Your involvement in, and feedback as part of, this review are highly valued.

Chris Salkovic
CEO, Dams Safety NSW

Are new developments planned downstream of your declared dam?

It's important for declared dam owners to know if a new development – such as housing or major infrastructure – is being planned downstream of their dams.

An increase in the number of people living or working downstream may influence the consequence category of a dam, and therefore change your requirements under dam safety legislation.

You can use NSW Government’s planning portal to help find new and/or proposed developments downstream of a dam. There are two ways to do this:

• Subscribe to alerts on Planning Proposals for notifications of any planning proposals in local government areas.
• Use the application tracker to identify applications in an area within a specific time period.

For help with the NSW Government planning portal call 1300 305 695.

LISTEN to our webinar: Dams and floods: current and future risks - Prof. Rory Nathan

CLICK HERE to view the webinar recording.

Dams Safety NSW recently hosted a presentation by Rory Nathan, Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Melbourne. We heard about Professor Nathan’s recent research on the impact of climate change on flood estimation and flood risks, and updates to the federal government’s Australian rainfall and run-off flood estimation guidelines.

To comply with dam safety legislation in NSW, declared dam owners must incorporate foreseeable flood events within the risk management framework for their dams.

Professor Nathan’s collaborative research has identified that existing models for potential maximum rainfall are out of date, and suggests existing dams are at greater risk under climate change due to spillway inadequacy (see Fig 10 in Visser et al, 2022). This work forms part of the large body of evidence (see here) that was used to prepare the update to the climate change flood guidelines.

Professor Rory Nathan is a hydrologist with 40 years of experience largely in the consulting and public sectors. He is recognised as one of Australia’s most influential engineers eminent in the field of water resources.

Update your dam emergency plan with the new NSW SES summary information sheet

In an emergency, the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) needs to find information about a dam quickly, including key contact details. Searching through an emergency plan wastes precious time.

The NSW SES has developed a summary information sheet to provide the information in a consistent format, at the front of your dam emergency plan.

Declared dam owners must use this summary information sheet template and place it at the front of their dam's emergency plan when the plan is next due for its annual review.

Where do you send your updated dam emergency plan?

Email your updated dam emergency plan to Dams Safety NSW at info@damsafety.nsw.gov.au AND to the NSW SES at nswses.communityplanning@ses.nsw.gov.au

How to find a consultant to help prepare your dam safety reports

Dams Safety NSW receives many calls from declared dam owners asking for recommendations for consultants to prepare dam-related safety reports. While Dams Safety NSW is unable to provide recommendations, the information below will help you make your own decision.

We have also compiled a list of consultants involved with dam safety work who requested to be put on this list.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Dams Safety NSW does not assess or endorse any consultant on this list. It is the responsibility of the declared dam owner to undertake their own due diligence and confirm that the consultant is suitable to undertake the requested work.

How do I find a consultant?

You can search online for consultant engineers or other specialists who may be able to help with the preparation of dam safety reports.

Ask your local council

Your local council may have a list of engineering consultants or specialists who work in your area.

Professional associations

Professional associations may be able to help you choose a suitable consultant by providing contact details for their members. Organisations that may be able to help include:

Australian Water Association
Engineers Australia
Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD)

Ask other dam owners

Ask for a recommendation from declared dam owners you know who have
previously used a consultant to prepare their reports.

What to look for in a consultant

Depending on how complex your dam is, the person preparing your dam safety
report may need a variety of skills. You should look for a person who has previous experience working on dam safety reports or studies for a similar dam. You may need to employ a range of specialists to cover all the requirements.

When you are choosing a consultant, it is important to consider:

• Do they have experience preparing dam safety reports that meet Dams Safety NSW requirements (eg. Operations and Maintenance Plans, Emergency Plans, Risk Reports, Consequence Category Assessments, and Safety Reviews)? Ask for examples of previous reports they have prepared and ask for references or contact details of previous clients.

• What relevant qualifications or accreditation do they have?

• Do they have appropriate insurance cover?

• Do they have a professional and ethical reputation? Check if they are a member of a professional organisation and ask for references.

• Can they complete projects on budget and on schedule? Ask for references from other clients.

Ask to be added to our dam consultants list

If you're a consultant who conducts dam-related safety work within Australia, you can request to be added to our list of dam consultants.

Send an email to info@damsafety.nsw.gov.au with the name of the organisation/consultant, street address/PO Box, phone number, email address and website.

Do you have a new contact person for your dam? Notify DSNSW - it's the law

If you have a new contact person for your declared dam, or their details have changed, you are legally required to notify Dams Safety NSW within 14 days. 

Maintaining up-to-date details for a contact person for DSNSW ensures that the Dams Safety Act and regulation can be administered efficiently and safely.

Dam owners need to notify Dams Safety NSW of changes to contact details within 14 days by completing this online form, emailing us at info@damsafety.nsw.gov.au, or calling (02) 9842 8073. 

Serious incidents or injuries that occur at, or in relation to, a declared dam must be reported to Dams Safety NSW as soon as possible after the incident by calling 0403 681 645 (24 hours/7 days a week). 

A written report of an incident in a form approved by Dams Safety NSW must be given to Dams Safety NSW no later than 72 hours after the incident, even if an oral report of the incident has already been given. Click here to complete the online incident report form.

Examples of the types of incidents you should report to DSNSW include:

• Risk of or actual failure of the dam
• Death or serious injury of persons related to the dam and its operations
• A security incident that has or may affect the safety of the dam
• An incident related to dam safety that is reasonably likely to cause concern to members of the public

If you are not sure if an incident meets the reporting requirements in clause 19 of the Dams Safety Regulation, it is recommended that declared dam owners report the incident.

Even if you have already made an oral report, email any additional information to
incident@damsafety.nsw.gov.au

Reporting incidents to DSNSW is required by law. The information helps us monitor action taken by dam owners to resolve issues at dams. It also helps us track issues related to dam safety to inform our policies and programs.

Contact us

Dams Safety Focus is our newsletter on dam safety in NSW. If you have any questions or feedback contact us at:

Dams Safety NSW
Phone: (02) 9842 8073

Email: info@damsafety.nsw.gov.au