Sydneys Drinking Water

Sydney's drinking water

Review of State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Drinking Water Catchment) 2011

As part of the Department’s SEPP Review Program, the state planning instrument governing the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment is being reviewed and consolidated with other planning instruments that deal with environmental matters. Please refer to the SEPP (Environment) page for more details.

An Explanation of Intended Effect has been prepared which explains the proposals.

View the Explanation of Intended Effect

In January 2011, the NSW Government approved State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Drinking Water Catchment) 2011 (the SEPP) that enables councils to assess applications in the drinking water catchment. The catchment covers 16,000 square kilometres and provides drinking water to more than four million people in Sydney, Wollongong, Goulburn, Lithgow, the Blue Mountains, Bowral and Nowra.

The SEPP came into effect on 1 March 2011.

Under the SEPP, rules have been developed that will ensure all developments that need consent have a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality, and incorporate current recommended practices or performance standards to help achieve this.