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We are committed to carrying out our compliance activities in a transparent way. As part of this, we provide monthly reports on our compliance activities.
The below map shows the number of inspection and enforcement activities in a selected time period. Note that some sites can be the subject of multiple compliance activities in any selected time period. Sites inspected that relate to projects approved by agencies other than the Department are not reported on the map. This map is best viewed in Internet Explorer.
The below table includes compliance activities from July 2020 to June 2021.
|
Compliance monitoring activities |
2020/2021 Total |
|
Inspections and surveillance carried out |
276 |
|
Investigations completed |
326 |
|
Review of compliance documentation |
2102 |
|
Subtotal compliance monitoring |
2704 |
|
Enforcement activities |
2020/2021 Total |
|
Official cautions issued |
17 |
|
Orders imposed |
15 |
| Enforceable undertaking | 0 |
|
Penalty notices |
18 |
|
Prosecutions |
1 |
|
Total |
51 |
We prepare regular reports highlighting the work undertaken by the compliance team.
Under Section 9.5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979, the Secretary of the Department is responsible for accepting Enforceable Undertakings on behalf of the Department and NSW Councils. Below is a list of enforceable undertakings accepted by the Secretary on behalf of the Department or the relevant NSW Council since the enactment of the provision on 1 March 2018. For more information, please refer to the department’s guideline.
Compliance Reports for 2016, 2015 and 2014 have been archived. Please contact us at compliance@planning.nsw.gov.au if you would like a copy.
As part of our ongoing investigation and enforcement functions, the compliance team conducts audits and other programs throughout the year. Recent audits and reports are listed below.
In 2015, the Department commissioned an independent noise assessment of the Mt Thorley and Warkworth coal mines around Bulga Village.
The Leard State Forest coal mining complex is located near the township of Boggabri in north western NSW and is made up of the Maules Creek, Boggabri and Tarrawonga coal mines.
In February 2015, the Department conducted an audit of biodiversity and Aboriginal cultural heritage management at the Leard Forest coal mines. The audit led to $12,000 in fines being imposed on the three mines due to breaches of consent conditions.
In 2016, the Department conducted an audit of vegetation clearing activities at Leard Forest coal mines.
In 2016, the Department and the EPA jointly commissioned Katestone Environmental Pty Ltd to assess the Maules Creek mine's compliance with air quality management conditions.
Since December 2018, the Department has undertaken 21 inspections of wind farms across NSW to monitor compliance with conditions of approval. For more information, see:
Since December 2018, the Department has undertaken 49 inspections of solar farms across NSW to monitor compliance with conditions of approval. For more information, see:
In 2016, the Department inspected quarry projects in the Southern Tablelands region to evaluate compliance with the conditions of consent. A fact sheet outlining the program can be found below.
Since 2013, the Department has undertaken regular audits of political donations disclosure statements associated with State Significant Development (SSD) applications. A fact sheet about the program can be found below.
In 2018, the Department conducted an inspection program of State Significant Development (SSD) projects to monitor heritage-related conditions. A fact sheet about the program can be found below.
In 2017/18, the Department undertook a program of inspections and document review of State Significant waste and resource recovery facilities. A fact sheet about the program can be found below.
Some compliance audits and audit reports have been archived. Please contact us at compliance@planning.nsw.gov.au if you would like a copy or more information.
Please note: some of the PDFs on this page contain large amounts of rich content and may take some time to download.
Page last updated: 22/06/2021