EVENTS IN JUNE 2002
The Water Directorate is a voluntary association of councils and county councils that operate water and/or sewer businesses in regional NSW. Our monthly newsletter seeks to inform member councils and all sectors of the NSW Local Government Water Industry of the developments that have taken place regarding technical issues and networking during June 2002 and of coming events. This newsletter is mailed out to General Managers and to Water and Sewer Managers in 121 regional councils in NSW and also to approximately 100 contacts in government departments, councils and private industry across Australia.

VICTORY FOR WATER DIRECTORATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT POWER OF ENTRY
The Executive Committee is very proud to announce that the campaign over the past three years to amend the NSW Local Government Act, 1993 has finally been won. An amendment to the Act, assented to on Tuesday 25 June 2002, is estimated conservatively to save $1.3 billion for NSW councils and ratepayers in potential easement creation costs. The commencement of the amendment is now a formality and is subject to publication in the Government Gazette which is expected to be in early July 2002. The amendment restores NSW councils' power to enter private property to repair, replace and maintain damaged water, sewer and stormwater pipes and infrastructure. The amendment gives NSW councils the same power as all other water authorities in Australia.

NSW councils had this power taken away in 1993 thereby leaving no option but to create easements at significant cost to ensure the right to access councils' pipe networks. Since 1993, NSW councils had been forced to spend millions of dollars creating easements with funds that could have otherwise been spent on further infrastructure to protect the environment and improve public health.

The Water Directorate's report in 2001 confirmed that NSW Local Government was the only water authority sector in Australia that could not legally perform its maintenance functions without resorting to creation of easements at the cost of thousands of dollars per property. The cost of creating easements over the entire council owned pipe network in NSW instead of having a sensible legislative power of entry was not only a waste of ratepayer's money but when added to maintenance costs made NSW councils appear inefficient.

The successful outcome is the result of a concerted campaign by the Water Directorate with the LGSA's support over the past three years. The campaign has united the respective technical and political advisory skills to finally convince the NSW state government to make the necessary legislative changes to the benefit of all councils and ratepayers in NSW. The Water Directorate has sent letters to General Managers of all NSW Local Government water authorities advising them of the above breakthrough and the Executive Committee recommends that they report this important outcome to Council and staff.

MEMBERSHIP FEES DUE
Members are advised that membership fees are now due for the 12 month period from 1/7/02 to 30/6/03 and invoices will be sent out in early July. Please make cheques payable to IPWEA - Water Directorate. The Power of Entry campaign and successful result is the best example of many, of the benefits of membership of the Water Directorate whereby membership fees can be concentrated on strategic issues of concern for the advantage of all councils and county councils in the NSW Local Government Water Industry. The Water Directorate can be of particular benefit to small councils by providing documents of far higher value than the membership fee in addition to technical support and networking opportunities with 90 other member councils.

O&M MANUAL TRAINING WORKSHOPS
The third of four training workshops across NSW was held in Coffs Harbour in June 2002 with the 24 attendees in agreement that they have a much better understanding of using the O&M Manuals and the development of Work Method Statements. The fourth workshop will be held on 11 and 12 July in Tamworth and no vacancies exist. Depending on numbers, it is possible that a further workshop could be held in about August in Sydney for those that missed the four regional workshops.

The workshops are designed to assist staff to develop O&M Manuals for the types of infrastructure covered by the O&M Manuals produced so far. However more importantly, the workshops are also particularly useful for the development of all WMSs which are very topical given Workcover's 1 September 2002 deadline.

IPWEA ANNUAL CONFERENCE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FOR INNOVATION IN WATER SUPPLY & WASTEWATER
General Managers, Water and Sewer Managers and staff are advised that the deadline for nominations and project submissions in the IPWEA Annual Conference Excellence Awards in Category 3, Innovation in Water Supply & Wastewater has been extended to 14 July 2002. The Executive Committee is committed to recognising and rewarding innovation and this award is an ideal opportunity to showcase your council's staff, projects and achievements. Call for Nomination forms and Criteria for Awards are included in the mailout to General Managers with this newsletter. For more information and nomination forms, please contact Conference Coordinator Janice Parker on 9983 1474, 0411 103 069, pco@optushome.com.au. Please ignore the closing date of 1 July 2002 on the forms.

CUTTING AND DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS CEMENT PIPE
It was pleasing to receive and forward a range of comments, procedures, and policies from 12 councils, at short notice in response to Gunnedah Shire Council's request for information. Many thanks to those councils that responded and it is possible that if there is sufficient need, then the Water Directorate may combine the information received to produce a best practice document in the future.

INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF RAINWATER TANK SYSTEMS IN URBAN AREAS
The Committee on Uniformity of Plumbing & Drainage Regulations in NSW (CUPDR) has released Interim Guidelines for the Installation of Rainwater Tank Systems in Urban Areas where a reticulated potable water supply is installed. The Interim Guidelines sets out the installation requirements including the 'topping up' water from the potable supply, installation of tank, and associated pipe work from the tank to the toilet trap and outlets for garden watering only.

The rainwater tank installation is to be maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Interim Guidelines as well as the NSW Health Department's Circular No2002/1 'Use of Rainwater Tanks where a Reticulated Potable Supply is Available' and any other local water utility requirement.

EPA LICENCE REVIEW
At the most recent meeting of the EPA's Peak Local Government Groups Forum, Mark Gifford, A/ Director Regulation & Audit presented on the EPA's Licence Review process. It was explained that the EPA's Licence Review is a statutory process that has been underway for approximately 18 months. The EPA has received only about 20 submissions from the public on the approximately 1,500 licences that have so far been reviewed. In addition to this formal process, the EPA undertakes day-to-day licensing activities to administer the EPA's 2,500 to 3,000 environment protection licences.

Information about EPA licences is available electronically via the Public Register at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/prpoeo/index as is a link to the National Pollutant Inventory at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/licensing/lbl/npi.htm. As a result of lessons learnt, the EPA is consulting on a proposal for a new integrated approach to licence review that will include the comprehensive review of an industry sector, pollutant or geographical location. The key issues being considered as part of the licence review process are whether to extend the review period from 3 to 5 years and how to most effectively convey contextual information to the public.

The EPA welcomes and encourages any views on the proposal as outlined so far and there will be further opportunities for consultation including during the review of POEO which we must complete by December 2003. It was also explained that the EPA's compliance audit program is used to estimate a benchmark for a particular industry sector and to see where it sits. Audits look for overlaps, commonalities, and gaps within sectors and the primary objective is to improve an industry's environmental compliance and performance.

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