IPART has today released a Draft Report laying out a design for a levy to fund the regulation of dams safety in NSW.
IPART Tribunal Member Jonathan Coppel said IPART is seeking views on the levy design from all stakeholders, including the owners of ‘declared dams,’ who would be subject to pay the levy should the Government decide to implement it.
“Dams play an essential role in NSW, both in the economy and the environment. Dams Safety NSW does important work regulating the safety of these dams,” he said.
“IPART has been tasked with working out how the efficient costs of Dams Safety NSW could be paid for in future by a levy on the owners of dams it regulates. Today we have released our design, and we are seeking feedback from stakeholders, including on any improvements we could make.”
The Draft Report suggests $4.34 million of the $4.6 million Dams Safety NSW 2023-24 budget could be recovered through the levy.
“In the interests of efficiency and fairness, we have made sure to only include costs that are directly related to the regulation of declared dams and propose that Government would continue to pay the remainder of the Dams Safety NSW budget,” said Mr Coppel.
”We designed the levy to vary according to each dam’s consequence rating, which is the largest driver of regulatory effort (and cost).”
Under IPART’s design, an owner of a ‘low’ consequence dam would be levied $7,639 per year; a ‘significant’ consequence dam $10,574; a ‘high’ consequence dam $12,613; and an ‘extreme’ consequence dam $15,264.
The IPART report also makes recommendations regarding the future of the levy, including specific improvements Dams Safety NSW should make to improve record keeping, efficiency and transparency, and a recommendation that the levy be reviewed in 3 years.
Mr Coppel called for all interested parties to have their say on the design of the levy, either by making a submission on the IPART website or through the Government’s ‘Have Your Say’ website, or by attending a virtual Public Hearing that IPART will be hosting on 5 August.
The closing date for submissions on the Draft Report is Monday 19 August 2024. IPART will consider all feedback and comments before publishing a Final Report and making recommendations to the Minister for Water in September 2024.
More information can be found on IPART’s website.
Media Contact: Mark O’Brien
0427 105 865