Ordinary Council Meeting - Hastings Council - NSW Government

PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS COUNCIL
Social
Meeting Date: 16/02/2011 - Social
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Item 08
Subject HASTINGS DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY - MOU WITH NSW
HEALTH
Director JEFFERY SHARP (INFRA)
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To seek Council's approval to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the
North Coast Public Health Unit (NCPH) and Council in relation to the supply of safe drinking water
to consumers in the Hastings Area.
RECOMMENDATION
1. That the General Manager sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - Port
Macquarie-Hastings Council Public Drinking Water Supply Jan 2011 to Dec 2016,
2. That the Council staff involved in this project be congratulated and the NSW
Health staff also be thanked for their role in the completion of this MOU with the
North Coast Public Health Unit.
Discussion
The NSW Minister of Health and the Director-General NSW Health have certain responsibilities
in relation to the protection of public health under the Public Health Act, 1991. The NSW
Government has endorsed the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) 2004
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) as a model of best practice in NSW.
PMHC has been actively working upon its compliance with the NHMRC's 2004 ADWG since the
draft of this document was originally released in 2001. This long-term strategic approach to the
provision of a clean and safe water supply has included numerous projects and initiatives
specifically targeting the improvement of drinking water quality.
A risk based approach has been adopted to identify project priorities which have included;
Villages Water Treatment Plants at Comboyne, Long Flat and Telegraph Point ($7.5M),
Wauchope Water Treatment Plant ($25M), Koree Island River Water Quality Monitoring Project
($2.5M), Port Dam & Rosewood Reservoirs Hypo Dosing System Upgrades ($1.5M) and Port &
Cowarra Dams Water Quality Monitoring Projects ($0.75M).
These major projects combined with numerous operational system upgrades and improvements
to normal operating practices has gone a long way to improving Council's compliance with
NHMRC's 2004 ADWG and the 12 elements of the Framework for the Management of Drinking
Water Quality.
The proposed MOU sets out the mutual commitment and support in achieving a cooperative
approach to supplying water that is safe to drink and ensuring the protection of public health for
the Port Macquarie-Hastings community who have access to the drinking water within the
reticulation network.
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