2014-05-20 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      20 MAY 2014


     5.    The Sewer Utility Model and Water Utility Model Maps are to include Lot 366 MCH
           958 at 119 Moorindil Street, Tewantin as a Restricted Sewer Area as Water &
           Sewerage PSP contributions have been paid for a single residential dwelling;
     6.    The Water Utility Model Maps are to exclude Lot 101 SP254354 (Maps 4 & 5 –
           Cooran) from the Connection Area;
     7.    The Water Utility Model Maps are to identify Lake Macdonald (Map 11) consistent
           with Lake Cooroibah, lake Cootharaba, Lake Weyba, Noosa River; and
B.   Request that Unitywater provide an amended copy of the Interim Connections Policy
     incorporating the required amendments to Council prior to 1 July 2014.



REPORT
1.   Background

The two SEQ distributor-retailers (Unitywater and Queensland Urban Utilities) were established
in 2010 to provide retail water supply and sewerage services. Unitywater is owned by Moreton
Bay, Sunshine Coast Regional, and Noosa Councils. Since 2010 Unitywater has operated under
a temporary delegated assessment approval process for water and sewerage. This temporary
arrangement is to be replaced by a permanent process known as the Utility Model on 1 July
2014.

Under the temporary delegated assessment approval process, local governments issued
approvals on behalf of distributor-retailers under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. Distributer-
retailers were given formal approval powers for water and sewerage components of development
applications (concurrence powers); however, these were mandatorily delegated back to local
governments. The local government issued the approval based on technical advice provided by
the distributer-retailer.

The Utility Model will see the assessment of the water and sewerage services aspect of
development separated from the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. The connection, disconnection,
modification and construction of water and sewerage infrastructure will be managed directly by
Unitywater and water and sewerage conditions will no longer be integrated into development
approvals issued by Council. Instead, developers will need to apply directly to Unitywater for their
“Water Approval’.

The approval process will be undertaken with the support of legislation and 2 statutory
documents including:

1.   Water Netserv Plan
2.   SEQ Design and Construction Code.

These documents will override the water and sewerage infrastructure components of Council’s
Priority Infrastructure Plan. The Adopted Infrastructure Charge resolution will continue, including
the agreed apportionment for water and sewerage with Unitywater until a further agreement is
reached. However, Council’s Adopted Infrastructure Charges Notice will no longer include a
water and sewerage component with Unitywater issuing these charges from 1 July 2014.

The Water Netserv Plan is a compendium document that is a distributer-retailer’s key strategic
planning and policy document. Part A of the plan is the public document and it outlines the
distributer-retailer’s plans for water and sewerage provision over a 20 year period. Part A also
includes the distributer-retailer’s Connections Policy and other components integral to the
implementation of the Utility Model.


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