2024-25 Annual compliance plan report

Aims

Ensure our regulated communities are informed and aware of their obligations and guide and educate to help understand consequences of non-compliance.

Ensure compliance across our regulatory activities by monitoring risk and impacts to water resources, the environment and communities.

Address risks and issues to improve compliance and achieve water resource management outcomes.

Actions

We performed quality checks of submissions to make sure they:

• were submitted on time
• met the rules and requirements
• did not include false or misleading information.

We delivered targeted communication and engagement activities, including:

• Issued 11 digital and social media communications (eAlerts, workshops, emails, phone calls, and face-to-face visits) to inform about policy and legislation changes.
• Produced four educational factsheets to guide compliance activities.
• Regularly updated web content to reflect accurate regulatory messaging.
• Held four regional drinking water regulation workshops.
• Directly contacted 100% of drinking water service providers (DWSPs) at least twice during the year.
• Conducted eight direct engagements with dam owners.

Outcomes

Measurement

• 398 of 665 measurement device certificates were submitted on time.
• Conducted 6,137 audits of self-read water meter reads to account for unauthorised water take.
• Addressed 11 cases of unauthorised overland flow takes, achieving a 66% communication response rate.

Water supply

• 16 out of 83 drinking water quality management plan (DWQMP) annual reports were submitted late.
• 11 DWQMP reports were investigated for potential non-compliance, with all cases addressed through compliance actions.
• Only one late submission of a recycled water management plan (RWMP) report was investigated and compliance action taken.

Bore drilling

• Investigated six instances of unauthorised water bore drilling, with five cases addressed and one ongoing investigation.

Quarry activities

• Investigated one case of unauthorised quarry removal that contravened quarry material allocation notice (QMAN) conditions, with all regulatory actions completed within 90 business days.

Aims

• Inform the regulated communities of their obligations and how we undertake our regulatory role.
• Improve targeted communication and compliance activities and outcomes.
• Guide and educate the community to understand their compliance obligations.
• Communicate consequences of non-compliance and possible impacts on the wider community.

Actions

We communicated compliance obligations and policy changes using multiple channels and engaged with stakeholders and regulated communities through:

• social media, media releases, and interviews
• stakeholder newsletters and eAlerts
• regular stakeholder meetings and inspections
• presentations and "shed talks" at community events.

Outcomes

Compliance activities and actions

• 39 compliance support visits (more than three times the annual target).
• 10 compliance inspections (exceeding the annual target of nine).
• Eight meetings with major holders of relevant authority (HRAs).
• 74 reminder letters issued to dam owners for upgrade report submissions.
• 100% of required dam safety audits completed, six inspections attended by engineers.
• 100% of required measurement device certificates (MDC) overdue notifications sent.

Media and digital communications

• Released two media statements resulting in two media clips, with a cumulative reach of 72,009:
  • 16 June 2025: Drilling company owner fined $30,000.
  • 27 June 2025: Unlicensed drillers catch landholders in a costly trap.
• Generated 18,832 views for relevant web content with the water meter reading pages receiving the highest views (4,862).
• Published 75 social media posts (on Facebook and LinkedIn) achieving an engagement reach of 12,719.
• Issued two editions of the regulatory e-newsletter (September 2024 and February 2025) with a high read rate of 78.53%.
• Sent five eAlerts with regulatory reminders to key stakeholders.
• Developed four educational factsheets addressing regulatory topics including watercourse repairs and seasonal testing requirements.

Stakeholder engagement

• Delivered 100% of planned drinking water regulation workshops.
• Directly contacted 100% of DWSPs through phone or face-to-face meetings at least twice during the year.
• Attended 11 key stakeholder meetings including with Queensland Water, Local Government Association Queensland, and Queensland Health, Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program
• Conducted eight direct engagements with dam owners.
• Held two consultation sessions with HRAs in newly declared water measurement areas.
• Provided HRAs with three-, six- and nine-month revalidation reminders for measurement areas.

Aims

• Ensure compliance across our regulatory activities by monitoring risk and impacts to water resources, the environment and communities.
• Address risks and issues to improve compliance and achieve water resource management outcomes.
• Ensure our responses are targeted and proportionate by making fair, transparent and evidence-based decisions.

Actions

We conducted investigations into:

• repeat offenders
• commercially or financially motivated non-compliance
• intentional submission of false or misleading information.

These activities are prioritised and investigated due to their high-risk nature. By investigating cases that displayed these behaviours, we can learn from and understand how to improve our compliance outcomes.

Outcomes

• Conducted 53 proactive bore construction field audits.
• Investigated and actioned 37 cases of non-compliance.
• Responded to six third-party notifications for unauthorised water bore drilling.
• Issued 18 warning letters for failure to submit required dam safety regulatory reports.
• Investigated and addressed two dam safety audit report non-compliances.
• Identified and addressed 45 faulty water meters, with 27 investigated further for non-compliance.
• Issued five compliance management plans for unsatisfactory dam safety review reports.
• Investigated three water service providers (WSP) for failure to notify of prescribed incidents and took compliance actions.
• Conducted 32 QMAN monthly returns audits, resulting in non-compliance investigations.
• Investigated two of 27 QMAN operational condition audits for further non-compliance.