NSW builders are ‘getting the site right’ with more than half successfully implementing erosion and sediment controls to protect local environments, but councils and regulators still had to hand out $376,789 in fines in May.
Twenty-two councils across Greater Sydney and regional NSW joined forces for the latest campaign with support from NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).
NSW EPA A/Executive Director, Operations Steve Orr said this year’s campaign aimed to encourage builders to manage their litter and waste as well as maintaining proper sediment and erosion controls.
“We’ve seen some great improvements this year, but we know builders and site managers can still do better,” Mr Orr said.
“Our officers observed poorly maintained stockpiles, trip hazards on footpaths and concrete slurry runoff at some sites, which poses a threat to workers and the environment.
“We’re also looking at whether construction sites are correctly containing loose litter and other waste which could blow or wash off site, impacting local waterways.
“NSW has a lot of construction projects in the pipeline, so we don’t want to see overflowing bins, poorly contained waste or sediment run-off as we build.”
Regulatory staff conducted 1,177 inspections of 825 building and construction sites, with around 30 per cent of inspections conducted on 18 May ‘blitz day’.
Of all the sites inspected, 61 per cent were found to be compliant, up six per cent from inspections in October 2022. For sites inspected more than once, 75 per cent were found to be compliant on the second visit, highlighting the importance of repeat inspections and ongoing education.
EPA officers attended 168 site inspections, supporting council staff to ensure builders had appropriate erosion and sediment controls and litter prevention strategies in place.
EPA and DPE officers also jointly inspected several large infrastructure projects, including six schools and one hospital under construction.
Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) Chair, Councilor Mark Drury, said the improvement in compliance rate was encouraging as we look to expand our efforts to minimise the effects of stormwater runoff on local water quality over the next few years.
“The recent funding provided by the NSW Government for the Parramatta River Masterplan projects will build on the considerable work achieved to date around improving stormwater compliance and education,” Cr Drury said.
Get the Site Right is a joint taskforce between the Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper, DPE, EPA, Parramatta River Catchment Group, Sydney Coastal Councils Group, WaterNSW, and local councils.
Members of the public are encouraged to report pollution incidents, including poor sediment control, to their local council or via the NSW EPA’s 24-hour Environment Line on 131 555. A follow-up inspection blitz week will be held in October.
Get the Site Right Campaign kicks off for May 2024
/in Media Announcement, SCCG News /by SCCG AdminMEDIA RELEASE
1 May 2024
Builders urged to ‘get the site right’ to avoid wasting costly building supplies and protect our waterways
Builders and developers are being urged to safeguard their construction materials from high wind and other strong weather events to prevent pollution of local waterways as this year’s Get the Site Right campaign kicks off on Wednesday 1 May.
Now in its eighth year, Get the Site Right is a joint taskforce between the Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper, NSW Dept of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Parramatta River Catchment Group, Sydney Coastal Councils Group, WaterNSW, and councils across NSW.
As part of the month-long campaign, officers from the NSW EPA, DPHI, and more than 20 councils will participate in inspections for a one-day compliance blitz on Thursday 16 May.
The 2024 campaign’s focus is on pollution prevention through securing construction materials.
2023’s Get the Site Right blitz saw a 6% increase in compliance between the May and October campaigns and the taskforce is aiming for even higher levels of compliance this year.
To read the full media release, click the link below:
SCCG Media Release Get the Site Right May 2024.
SIMS Project Restore Socio-economic Survey
/in Partner News /by SCCG AdminProject Restore, led by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) is a significant multi-habitat restoration project taking place right here in Sydney Harbour! Read more about the project here.
The team at SIMS are interested in the social and economic benefits which may come from this restoration project. To understand this they are surveying locals, visitors and businesses about their experience of using and visiting locations around Sydney Harbour. The locations listed in the survey are specific to our Project Restore restoration sites.
We know Sydney Harbour is an incredibly diverse playground – whether you’re swimming, kayaking, boating, commuting or diving, tell us about your experience!
Fill in the survey here and share how you enjoy and interact with the harbour!
NSW waterways benefit from continued improvement in building site compliance
/in Media Announcement /by SCCG AdminGet the Site Right October 2023 Campaign
More NSW builders are ‘getting the site right’ according to results from the latest inspection blitz in October 2023.
Regulatory staff from 17 councils across Greater Sydney and regional NSW conducted 1,178 inspections of 978 building and construction sites.
Almost 70 per cent of sites were found to be compliant following a second inspection – an increase of six per cent in compliance since the previous inspection blitz in May 2023.
There was also an 18 per cent improvement in compliance between first and second inspections, highlighting the importance of regular monitoring and ongoing education.
For non-compliant sites, councils issued 66 penalty notices to the value of $314,824.
Offences included poorly stabilised access points and damaged or no sediment fences and other controls.
Sediment not properly contained on building sites can be washed or blown off the site and into stormwater drains, reducing water quality in local waterways and harming aquatic life.
Sydney Coastal Council’s Group (SCCG) Chair, Councilor Jack Boyd, said the continued improvement in compliance rate was encouraging as the group continues its efforts to improve water quality and waterway health in Sydney’s waterways.
“The steady improvement in compliance rate highlights the important role builders and developers play in protection our local waterways and environment,” Cr Boyd said.
“It is very pleasing to see so many councils participating in the Get the Site Right campaign in a strong and coordinated effort across Sydney’s waterways once again and I commend all our SCCG councils for getting involved,” Cr Boyd said.
Get the Site Right is a joint taskforce between the Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper, NSW Environment Protection Authority, NSW Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Parramatta River Catchment Group, Sydney Coastal Councils Group, WaterNSW, and councils across NSW.
The next inspection blitz will be held in May 2024.
Members of the public are encouraged to report pollution incidents, including poor sediment control, to their local council or via the NSW EPA’s 24-hour Environment Line on 131 555.
For the full media release, please click here.
Sydney coastal councils reject NSW Government’s attempts to shift costs for NSW Beachwatch to local government
/in Media Announcement /by SCCG AdminThe NSW Government is attempting to shift the costs of its successful and long-running NSW Beachwatch program to coastal councils in Sydney. The NSW Beachwatch program helps people make informed decisions about when and where to swim.
Sydney Coastal Councils Group (SCCG), representing nine coastal and estuarine councils in Sydney, supports the program’s value to not only local residents but to the broader NSW community and international tourists that visit our world-renowned beaches. However, it rejects the NSW Government’s attempts to shift the cost of the program to local councils for what is a state government responsibility.
Generally, Councils have no control over the land or waterways below mean high water where Beachwatch monitoring is conducted. Councils also have no control over sewers which is the primary source of bacteriological contamination of waterways that impact on swimming.
Costs for the service provided by the NSW Government to coastal councils represent a significant financial impost on councils that are already grappling with increasing community expectations, constrained budgets and other forms of state government cost-shifting.
In light of this, the SCCG calls on the NSW Government to maintain the NSW Beachwatch program as a fully-funded state program without shifting costs to Sydney coastal councils.
SCCG also calls on the Minister for the Environment, in consultation with the Minister for Water, to request Sydney Water, as the provider of sewerage services in Sydney, to take a role in water quality monitoring at Beachwatch sites.
Smarter Cleaner Sydney Harbour Project was present at Sydney Water Tech showcase
/in SCCG News /by SCCG AdminBefore Christmas, Sydney Coastal Councils Group and Parramatta River Catchment Group presented The Smarter Cleaner Sydney Harbour project at the Sydney Water’s Urban Plunge Tech Showcase 2023.
It was a fantastic turnout, over 100 people coming through the exhibition and many valuable conversations and connections were made. CSIRO sensors and AI was showcased along with 8 other waterway technology providers with the latest ideas and advancements around improving waterway health, with pioneering companies showcasing cutting edge technologies, on the land and in the water.
For more information about all technology showcased check out the list of exhibitors here.
Channel 7 recently featured the Smarter Cleaner Sydney Harbour
/in Media Announcement, SCCG News /by SCCG AdminWith technology provided through Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO. This project will improve monitoring of litter in our waterways. It will combine data from cameras on drains and waterways plus sensors on stormwater assets, together with advanced data analytics.
Cameras had been installed on bridges over important drains and waterways. This will allow us to use smart analysis and artificial intelligence to spot litter in the water. The video software can tell the difference between a chip packet and a soda bottle. This is useful information for the Councils and groups that take care of our waterways.
Sensors will be installed on gross pollutant traps as part of the project. These sensors will tell local councils and government groups when the traps are full and need to be emptied. The sensor alerts will make sure we can clean these traps quickly, so they don’t overflow.
SCCG is using artificial intelligence to tackle rubbish in local waterways and improve the health of our waterways, for everyone to enjoy.
Channel 7 recently featured the Smarter Cleaner Sydney Harbour. Watch it here!
Compliant building sites good news for NSW waterways
/in SCCG News /by SCCG AdminNSW builders are ‘getting the site right’ with more than half successfully implementing erosion and sediment controls to protect local environments, but councils and regulators still had to hand out $376,789 in fines in May.
Twenty-two councils across Greater Sydney and regional NSW joined forces for the latest campaign with support from NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).
NSW EPA A/Executive Director, Operations Steve Orr said this year’s campaign aimed to encourage builders to manage their litter and waste as well as maintaining proper sediment and erosion controls.
“We’ve seen some great improvements this year, but we know builders and site managers can still do better,” Mr Orr said.
“Our officers observed poorly maintained stockpiles, trip hazards on footpaths and concrete slurry runoff at some sites, which poses a threat to workers and the environment.
“We’re also looking at whether construction sites are correctly containing loose litter and other waste which could blow or wash off site, impacting local waterways.
“NSW has a lot of construction projects in the pipeline, so we don’t want to see overflowing bins, poorly contained waste or sediment run-off as we build.”
Regulatory staff conducted 1,177 inspections of 825 building and construction sites, with around 30 per cent of inspections conducted on 18 May ‘blitz day’.
Of all the sites inspected, 61 per cent were found to be compliant, up six per cent from inspections in October 2022. For sites inspected more than once, 75 per cent were found to be compliant on the second visit, highlighting the importance of repeat inspections and ongoing education.
EPA officers attended 168 site inspections, supporting council staff to ensure builders had appropriate erosion and sediment controls and litter prevention strategies in place.
EPA and DPE officers also jointly inspected several large infrastructure projects, including six schools and one hospital under construction.
Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) Chair, Councilor Mark Drury, said the improvement in compliance rate was encouraging as we look to expand our efforts to minimise the effects of stormwater runoff on local water quality over the next few years.
“The recent funding provided by the NSW Government for the Parramatta River Masterplan projects will build on the considerable work achieved to date around improving stormwater compliance and education,” Cr Drury said.
Get the Site Right is a joint taskforce between the Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper, DPE, EPA, Parramatta River Catchment Group, Sydney Coastal Councils Group, WaterNSW, and local councils.
Members of the public are encouraged to report pollution incidents, including poor sediment control, to their local council or via the NSW EPA’s 24-hour Environment Line on 131 555. A follow-up inspection blitz week will be held in October.
Lights, camera, action!
/in SCCG News /by SCCG AdminDo the right thing by putting your rubbish in the bin to Keep Sydney Waterways Beautiful.
Key waterways surrounding Sydney Harbour had been equipped with innovative technologies to help reduce the amount of rubbish polluting the Harbour, thanks to the new Smarter Cleaner Sydney Harbour pilot.
This project is using cameras to detect rubbish polluting the Harbour. Do the right thing otherwise your rubbish may get caught in our cameras.
The initiative is a collaboration between Sydney Coastal Council Group Inc, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, Parramatta River Catchment Group, and six councils. The pilot is co-funded by the NSW Smart Places Acceleration Program with a grant provided by the NSW Digital Restart Fund.
To find out more about the project visit the link here.
It’s plastic free July and we are on a mission!
/in SCCG News /by SCCG AdminIt’s plastic free July and we are on a mission!
Key waterways in Sydney Harbour will be equipped with innovative technologies to help reduce the amount of rubbish polluting the Harbour, thanks to the new Smarter Cleaner Sydney Harbour pilot.
This project is using innovative technologies to help reduce the amount of rubbish polluting the Harbour.
The initiative is a collaboration between Sydney Coastal Council Group Inc, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, Parramatta River Catchment Group, and six councils. The pilot is co-funded by the NSW Smart Places Acceleration Program with a grant provided by the NSW Digital Restart Fund.
To find out more about the project visit the link here.
5-year Statutory Review on the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
/in Uncategorised /by SCCG AdminThe purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms remain appropriate for securing those objectives.
The SCCG reviewed the Consultation Paper and participated in feedback sessions hosted by LGNSW. The SCCG strongly supported the submission made by LGNSW which represents the views of Councils across NSW.
Generally, the SCCG considers that the BC Act is not achieving its objectives of no net loss of biodiversity, particularly in coastal and urban areas.
To read the full SCCG Submission see here.