Dams Safety Act 2015

Dams Safety NSW has the following functions—

to provide advice or make recommendations to the Minister on the types and classes of dams that may be the subject of regulations under section 5,

to provide advice or make recommendations to the Minister on the development, implementation and modification of the dams safety standards,

to keep the owners of declared dams and the public informed about the dams safety standards and to regulate compliance with those standards,

to audit compliance by the owners of declared dams with operations and maintenance plans under section 16 and emergency plans under section 17,

to provide guidance to owners of declared dams in complying with the requirements of this Act relating to the safety, operation and maintenance of dams (including guidance in applying total risk management and the principles of cost benefit analysis for that purpose),

to formulate measures (including the development of guidelines) to ensure the safety of dams,

to collect information, carry out research and keep records on matters relating to dams safety,

to enter into arrangements with any person or body with respect to the conduct of any study or research that may be necessary or desirable for the purposes of this Act,

to make such other reports or recommendations to the Minister or any other person in relation to the safety of dams as Dams Safety NSW considers necessary or appropriate.

Dams Safety NSW has such other functions as are conferred or imposed on it by or under this or any other Act.

In exercising its functions, Dams Safety NSW is—

to have regard to the objects of this Act, and

to apply, as far as is reasonably practicable, best practice regulatory principles (including cost benefit analysis) in regulating dams safety.