Dams Safety NSW Board Meeting No 2 - 26 November 2019
Location: Hay Room, Lower Ground Floor, 477 Pitt Street, Sydney (VC81937)
Time 10.00 am to 4.00pm
Invitees - Ross Carter (Chair), Alex Fisher (Deputy Chair), Eric de Rooy (member), Shane McGrath (member), Rob O'Neill (member), John Stacpoole (member), Chris Salkovic (CEO Dams Safety NSW), Peter Skehan (Secretariat), Margaret Hynes (Program Manager), Peter Boyd (Governance & Assurance Manager), Lidia Pajmakoska (Operations Manager), Jason Porter (Senior Dams Engineer), Engin Hizbas (Dams Engineer)
Minutes: Peter Skehan
Approved: 25 February 2020
| Item | Decision and Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome - Ross Carter The Chair acknowledged the traditional owners and welcomed everyone to the meeting. |
| 2 | Conflicts of Interest No members had conflicts of interest to declare for the meeting. |
| 3 | Minutes and actions from last meeting Minutes and actions from the last meeting were accepted. It was agreed that for clarity in the Governance Framework and other Dams Safety NSW internal documents such as manuals, charters, policies, processes and procedures; the staff of Dams Safety NSW will be called Officers. Individual Dams Safety NSW Officers, CEO, Members and Chair will collectively be referred to as Dams Safety NSW. |
| 4 | Charter, Code of Conduct Further discussion of the Charter and Code of Conduct and Operating Manual was undertaken. Following discussions, Members agreed that: - documents needed to be refined - accountability of the CEO to the Members needed to be clarified with the Department. |
| 5 | Vision, mission The Chair outlined the need to establish a vision, mission and objectives for Dam Safety NSW. Members agreed to participate in a structured strategic workshop in the new year that would also include a discussion of risk appetite and strategic risk. |
| 6 | Delegation of functions Peter Boyd presented the delegations. Members discussed each element in detail and determined that delegations needed to be undertaken in the context of a CEO control framework; with a number of delegations identified as needing either a significant risk or financial delegation control and escalation process. On the basis that this framework would be put in place, all members agreed on the delegations and those present, signed the document. |
| 7 | Declaration and de-declaration of dams Jason Porter and Engin Hizbas joined the meeting. Lidia Pajmakoska introduced the invitees. Jason has expertise in water dams and Engin is an expert on tailings dams. 7.1 - Declaration Scott’s Dam - Invitee: Jason Porter Jason introduced the dam and the key issues. Members decided not to declare Scott’s Dam until further analysis is undertaken on the risk of Scott’s Dam in the context of the adjoining levee system. Members noted that the previous Dam Safety Committee had not incorporated levees in its purview. Members asked that the definition of levee’s and existing policy and legal frameworks that might apply to levee’s be determined, and, in this context, the CEO to advise members on whether or not it would be appropriate to seek to exclude levee’s under the new Dam Safety legislation. 7.2 - Declaration Bulga North Inpit Tailings Storage - Invitee: Engin Hizbas Reduction of consequence category of Bulga North Inpit Tailings Dam from High C to Significant. Engin introduced the dam and the key issues. Members noted the issues raised, noted that in the discussion of Item 6 at this meeting, it had delegated the power for downgrading consequence categories to the CEO of Dam Safety NSW, and indicated that it would be appropriate for the CEO to exercise his delegation in this regard. CEO Dam Safety NSW downgraded Bulga North Inpit Tailings Dams consequence category from High C to Significant. 7.3 - De declaration Bulga Old Tailings Dam - Invitee: Engin Hizbas Engin introduced the dam and the key issues. Members elected to wait until the dam owner provides DSNSW further evidence for de-declaration; derived from S4 of Dams Safety Regulations 2019. |
| 8 | Eraring dam Chris Salkovic presented an overview of Eraring Dam and the dam owner’s two-year remediation plan to bring the dam below the safety threshold. Chris advised that Eraring’s plan was reasonable. Members requested that Dam Safety NSW staff monitor progress of the program and intervene as appropriate if material slippage in progress occurred, if there was a lag. |
| 9 | Strategic Risks and risk appetite The Members agreed to discuss these items at the strategic workshop early in the new year. |
| 10 | Guideline development process Held over until next meeting. |
| 11 | Regulatory Policy Not presented due to time constraints, however the Chair accepted an offer from Rob O’Neill to revise the Policy prior to the workshop |
| 12 | General business No general business issues discussed. Next meeting: 28/01/2020 in Parramatta |