Strategic Business Plans for Water Supply and Sewerage

8 Environment Protection and Sustainable
Development
8.1 Environment Protection
Council is required to undertake environmental assessment to identify direct and indirect impacts
that occur from the water supply and sewerage systems. The focus should be on
environmentally sensitive areas and it should consider the ecological sustainability of the
operation systems.
CHW has been working with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), other
government agencies and community representatives to progress the remediation of
hydrocarbon-contaminated groundwater affecting an area in Coramba.
Council received grant funding from the NSW Government, via its Environmental Trust, to progress
the remediation on behalf of the community. In August 2009, the NSW Minister for Planning issued
Project Approval to Council's Major Project Application under Part 3A of the Environmental
Planning & Assessment Act (EP&A Act), to construct and operate a groundwater remediation
technology in Martin Street, Coramba.
A number of reports have been written on the groundwater contamination in Coramba, the
most recent is Coramba Groundwater Monitoring Report (June 2011) which describes the results
of the 2011 groundwater monitoring event undertaken by WSP Environmental and Energy for
CHW at Coramba.
The NSW Office of Water Strategic Business Plan guideline recommends Councils to prepare a
Due Diligence Strategy to manage all risks to the environment.
8.2 Due Diligence Requirements
The NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO) assigns substantial liability in
the event of environmental harm.
Due diligence implies that efforts should be made to anticipate hazards which may harm the
environment and take all feasible steps to prevent, control and mitigate the potential of their
occurrence.
May 2012
HydroScience Consulting
Coffs Harbour City Council Strategic Business Plan Page 47