Dam safety report backs Federated Farmers approach

Following an independent review, proposed changes to the Dam Safety Scheme will remove many low risk farm dams from exposure to significant compliance costs.

“Federated Farmers believes the review has come to some sensible conclusions, especially that the Dam Safety Scheme needs to be modified in order to reduce compliance costs,” says Bruce Wills, Federated Farmers building spokesperson.

“Many farmers will be pleased to see a proposal that removes many low risk farm dams from the Dam Safety Scheme’s application. This has been Federated Farmers policy line and the independent review has agreed with it.

“Federated Farmers welcomes the review’s recommendation to redefine a ‘large dam’ as one being at least eight metres high and holding a reservoir of 50,000 cubic metres. That’s about the same as 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“This change will eliminate around 36 percent of low impact dams from the scheme, many of which will be farm dams.

“With the costs of an initial classification for a low impact ‘large dam’ being estimated at $3,000, we’re talking about a saving of nearly $1.2 million in engineering fees alone. There will also be further savings in ongoing compliance costs.

“Federated Farmers backs moving administration and monitoring from regional councils to a national Dam Safety Authority. It seems sensible to centre the skills on one body as it reduces the overall cost of the Scheme.

“The Federation also believes it a good idea to delay implementation of the Scheme for a further two years in order to make these recommended changes and to better communicate them to stakeholders.

“Given that the Scheme was due to come into force on 1 July, the same date as the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), it was concerning to find that some parties had ‘no idea’ about the Scheme.

“That sounds vaguely similar to the ETS so Government in its widest sense needs to work a lot harder with, rather than against, stakeholders.

“Yet given the importance of removing impediments to water storage projects we are looking forward to the Government moving rapidly to give effect to the report’s recommendations,” Mr Wills concluded.