In June 2006, the NSW Government approved the Sydney Drinking Water Regional Environmental Plan (REP) that enables councils to assess applications in a catchment which covers an area of 16,000 km2 and provides drinking water to more than four million people.
Water resourced from the catchment is used by the residents of Sydney, Wollongong, Goulburn, Lithgow, the Blue Mountains, Bowral and Nowra.
The REP came into effect on January 1, 2007.
Under the REP, rules have been developed which will ensure that all developments that need consent demonstrate a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality. The REP also provides for the development of rectification action plans, which will rectify any existing development which does not have a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality.
More information about the REP, including supporting guidelines and question and answer sheets, are available from the website of the Sydney Catchment Authority