High-risk weather preparation

Damaging seasonal weather events can occur across Queensland, particularly between November and April. Operators are encouraged to monitor weather conditions and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website closely for seasonal weather outlooks, important updates and weather warnings. As BoM’s weather updates can change considerably and weather forecasting of this nature can be challenging, it is important to regularly monitor updates from the BoM in order to prepare for any potential risks associated with extreme weather events.

From our experience in previous high-risk weather seasons, sites that are well prepared and have their high-risk weather season contingencies in place, tend to manage much better during significant weather events and are also less likely to attract an enforcement response from the department. To help you prepare and be ready to respond to high-risk weather events, please review the short recorded webinars below.

    Wet weather preparation

    The high-risk weather period can include cyclones and wet weather, with locally intensive rainfall possible anywhere across the state. Operators should prepare for wet conditions including, for example:

    • reviewing and updating site water management plans, site water balances/models and notification procedures
    • reviewing contingency plans and contractual arrangements for unexpected changes in demand for beneficial use of key waste streams (e.g. produced water from coal seam gas extraction)
    • reviewing and updating disaster management plans (e.g. for waste sites, reviewing plans for managing unexpected waste following a State-declared disaster)
    • ensuring adequate pumping capacity and emergency power supply
    • ensuring suitable erosion and sediment controls are in place and maintained
    • if you have regulated structures – ensuring adequate capacity in all water storages, particularly structures classified as ‘high’ or ‘significant’ consequence category in accordance with the Manual for Assessing Consequence Categories and Hydraulic Performance of Structures.
    Photo of a flooded site

    Flooded regulated site

    Source: DETSI image

    Dry weather preparation

    In the event of warm and dry weather which may lead to dusty conditions, it is important to ensure that sites are not impacting on environmental values, adjacent landholders or the local community by ensuring:

    • adequate water is on site for dust suppression
    • dust monitoring is in place ahead of time
    • procedures are in place for communicating with the local community about dusk risks.

    Statutory responsibilities

    Operators also have the following statutory responsibilities:

    • General Environmental Duty – in accordance with section 319 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act), a person must not carry out any activity that causes, or is likely to cause, environmental harm unless they take all reasonably practicable measures to prevent or minimise the harm. It is an offence to fail to comply with the general environmental duty and this failure causes, or is likely to cause, serious or material environmental harm.
    • Duty to Restore the Environment – in accordance with section 319C of the EP Act, if a person causes or permits an incident that results in unlawful environmental harm through contamination of the environment, the person must, as soon as reasonably practicable, and as far as reasonably practicable, rehabilitate or restore the environment to its condition before the harm. An offence is committed when this duty is not complied with, and the associated harm is serious or material environmental harm.
    • Duty to Notify of Environmental Harm – pursuant to Chapter 7 Part 1 Division 2 of the EP Act, a person has a duty to notify the department of any event that threatens or causes material or serious environmental harm. The department can be notified on its 24 hour pollution hotline 1300 130 372.
    Photo of a compliance officer inspecting regulated site

    Compliance officer inspecting regulated site

    Source: DETSI image

    Short webinars to help operators prepare and respond to high risk weather events

    The department has developed a series of short recorded webinars to:

    • highlight the risks that could be experienced during high-risk weather periods
    • provide insight into what preparations industries and operators should take to prepare for, and mitigate, the impacts and risks from an extreme weather event.

    Operators are strongly encouraged to watch the recorded webinars to understand the department’s expectations of environmental authority holders.

    High-risk weather preparedness – what all operators should know

      Introduction - High-risk weather preparedness overview

      This webinar highlights the risks of seasonal and high-risk weather events and provides some examples of inadequate preparedness.

      Slide 1 – Introduction

      Australian landscapes and ecosystems have been shaped by adaptation and evolution through the millennia of natural phenomena, including flood, drought, fire and cyclones. Our land use and increased frequency of high-risk weather events have impacted our communities and environment as well as the State’s natural resilience.  This means that we need to be prepared for high-risk weather events which can happen at short notice, anytime and in any location throughout Queensland.

      This series of short webinars will highlight the risks that could be experienced over this and any future high-risk weather periods. It will also provide insight into what preparations industries and operators should take to prepare for, and mitigate, the impacts and risks from an extreme weather event.

      Damaging seasonal weather events can occur at any location, particularly between November and April. Some examples of the potential impacts of inadequate preparation for high-risk weather events are presented on the next two slides.

      Slide 2 – Inadequate erosion and sediment controls

      During a previous high-risk weather season, a large quarry operator in Southeast Queensland undertook a significant expansion without installing adequate erosion and sediment controls. This resulted in unlawful sediment releases into the environment and the department issued multiple penalty infringement notices, valuing $46,440 and an environmental protection order requiring the operator to prevent further releases of sediment. The department’s intervention was necessary to ensure the impacts on the environment were mitigated and that adequate controls were installed. The decision by the company to commence the highest risk component of the project, being the land clearing and bulk earthworks, just prior to the wet season exacerbated the risk and is not best practice. The operator could have avoided the offences and protected the environment by adequately planning for extreme weather and installing adequate control measures.

      Slide 3 – Flood commission report – Mining

      The 2010-11 wet season brought unprecedented rain and flooding to Queensland and lead to the declaration of 78 percent of the state as a disaster zone. Due to the scale of the disaster, the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry was established to examine the events leading to the floods, all aspects of the response and to make recommendations about improvements. The then Director-General of the then Department of Environment and Heritage Protection chaired the Environment and Mines Implementation Group which was responsible for the delivery of all recommendations from Chapter 13 of the Commission’s report. One of the recommendations was the implementation of a new risk assessment approach and pre-wet season mine inspection which increases preparedness for each wet season.

      Slide 4 – Monitor conditions

      To be prepared, you need to regularly monitor weather conditions and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website closely for seasonal weather outlooks, important updates and weather warnings. It is important to remember that BoM’s weather updates can change considerably, and weather forecasting can be challenging, so you will need to regularly check for updates from the BoM and other credible sources. You can then consider the potential risks associated with seasonal weather and apply necessary controls, regardless of whether the BoM is expecting an El Nino (dry conditions) or La Nina (wet conditions).

      Watch
      03:28

      Seasonal preparedness overview

      This webinar provides an overview of operators’ obligations to prepare for seasonal and high-risk weather events.

      Slide 1 – Seasonal preparedness inspections

      We take our role as Queensland’s environmental regulator very seriously. We understand that the impacts from extreme weather events can have serious consequences on the community and our environment. So, we expect environmental authority holders to be prepared and apply risk mitigation measures within their operation.

      Well prior to each high-risk weather season, our officers undertake a risk assessment of regulated sites to determine which pose the most risk. This assessment includes factors like fire or flood exposure based on past events or dust generation following dry periods. We also undertake seasonal weather preparedness inspections targeting the activities that pose the highest risk. The purpose of these inspections is to ensure that operators are well prepared for extreme weather events. These inspections will generally occur throughout the spring and summer months.

      Slide 2 – Seasonal preparedness

      You need to be prepared for extreme weather and there are a range of measures that operators can take to mitigate risks to the community and the environment and avoid departmental regulatory intervention.

      Firstly, operators must understand the requirements of their environmental authority and their statutory duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

      A General Environmental Duty means you must not carry out any activity that causes, or is likely to cause, environmental harm unless you take all reasonably practicable measures to prevent or minimise the harm. It is an offence to fail to comply with the general environmental duty and this failure causes, or is likely to cause, serious or material environmental harm.

      A Duty to Restore the Environment is triggered if you cause or permit an incident that results in unlawful environmental harm through contamination of the environment. If that occurs, you must, as soon as reasonably practicable, and as far as reasonably practicable, rehabilitate or restore the environment to its condition before the harm. You must not wait for the regulator to issue a notice before commencing clean-up or restoration work.

      A Duty to Notify of Environmental Harm - means you have a duty to notify the department of any event that threatens or causes material or serious environmental harm. The department maintains an after-hours pollution hotline for reporting. You can phone the Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372.

      If you do not comply with the duties mentioned above, you may be committing an offence if it is associated with material or serious environmental harm.

      Some of the things that you can do now to prepare for high-risk weather are:

      • review and update key site management plans
      • review your water management capacity
      • review your erosion measures and sediment controls and
      • consider your disaster response plans and the potential disaster scenarios that may occur.

      To plan for extreme weather, operators need to look at the predicted weather conditions. The BOM website is a good resource for those outlooks, updates and weather alerts.

      A critical element for operators is to ensure staff training is current and that responsibilities are clearly defined to prepare for, and respond to, events. It is also important to clearly document notification procedures and we recommend that you rehearse your response and the notification to make sure it works well. For many licenced operators, there may also be something specific within your environmental authority that requires notifications under certain circumstances. So, it is critical that you have a detailed understanding of your environmental authority conditions.

      It is also important to identify key stakeholder contacts. For example, neighbouring landowners, who could be affected by activities during weather events, local government contacts, emergency services and the department.

      Watch
      03:56

      Water management

      This webinar provides information about the water management preparedness actions that operators should take before wet weather and highlights the risks of inadequate water management preparedness.

      Slide 1 – Water management preparedness

      In Queensland, we can experience extreme wet weather as either single events or a succession of events. Therefore, it is important to plan for wetter conditions and possible extreme rain events. There are several actions that you can take each year before summer commences, to prepare for those circumstances. From our experience in previous wet seasons, sites that are well prepared and have their wet season contingencies in place, tend to manage much better during significant weather events and are also less likely to attract regulatory intervention from the department.

      Prior to the wet weather season, you should ensure there is adequate capacity in any water storage dams on your site. High rain events can also impact the integrity of dams. Therefore, maintenance works on site dams and water storage facilities should be done ahead of any forecasted major rain event.

      Clean water diversion is key in managing site run-off. You should be minimising the volume of water that requires management ahead of each summer season and divert uncontaminated surface water from the site.

      Pre-wet season testing should be undertaken on pumps, release gates, valves, flow metres, or other systems used in the operation. Testing and calibrating monitoring equipment and remote sensing equipment prior to the wet season will ensure they operate smoothly at short notice and any recorded results can be relied upon. Making sure everything is working smoothly prior to a forecasted wet weather event is important to meet your General Environmental Duty.

      For larger sites with regulated structures and spillways, operators must make sure that all their water management systems are operational. Establishing a baseline before an event is critical to understand contamination impacts following an event and to determine the effectiveness of the mitigation measures. Operators should establish a baseline by understanding past and current water quality, identifying onsite and offsite contaminant sources, and reviewing the controls in place. In the event of a release to the environment, operators can compare post-event sample results against the baseline to determine the contamination impacts.

      Maintenance activities such as desilting of dams may be required to ensure suitable capacity is available in the structure. Water management storages must have sufficient capacity, particularly if they are a regulated structure. Your environmental authority may also contain conditions requiring that certain activities are to occur before the wet season and may stipulate what nature of events the structure is required to capture, for example, it might be a one in 10 year annual recurrence interval. So, understanding what storm events look like, how much rain a storm can deliver and how that converts into the storage requirements on site, will allow operators to ensure that there is adequate storage available.

      Watch
      03:02

      Dust management

      This webinar highlights the risks of dust and provides information about the actions that operators should take to prepare for, and mitigate, the impacts and risks of dust in the event of drier weather.

      In the event of drier weather, one of the key risks is dust. Dust from operations can cause impacts to both the environment and human health due to reduced air quality, infiltration into water tanks and nuisance impacts by settling on surfaces and possessions. Unlawful nuisance can be an environmental harm offence and dust can be disruptive to surrounding land users, neighbours and residents. So, operators who are likely to generate dust need to be mindful of these risks. To prepare for drier weather conditions, you should identify likely dust sources and develop control strategies to mitigate that dust. You should then ensure that preparations have been made to implement those strategies. This includes, but is not limited, to ensuring that there is adequate water supply or binding agent for on-site dust suppression.

      Operators should have dust monitoring in place ahead of time and should have communicated with the community about potential dust risks. It is recommended that you are proactive about informing potential sensitive receptors that there could be an issue and what is being done to mitigate the risks, rather than telling them after the fact. It is also recommended to provide neighbours with a contact number within your operation in the event that they are impacted by dust, or any other emission.

      Watch
      01:23

      Bushfire risks

      This webinar highlights the risks of bushfires and provides information about the actions that operators should take to prepare for bushfires.

      In drier weather, in addition to dust, there are increased risks of bushfires. Weather conditions influence the size, intensity, speed and predictability of bushfires and how dangerous they can be to the community and to industry. It is important to monitor the fire danger ratings released by BoM and act accordingly. BoM also issue fire risk warnings and notifications can be sent directly to key personnel by subscribing to the BoM app.

      Smoke and dust health levels are also published online to inform the community of what actions to take to protect their health.

      Watch
      00:39

      Fires in stockpiles

      This webinar highlights the risks of fires in stockpiles and provides information about the actions that operators should take to prepare for, and mitigate, the impacts and risks of fires in stockpiles.

      Slide 1 – Fires in stockpiles

      In addition to bushfires that may impact sites, there are some sites that may be a potential source of fire risk. For example, fires in waste stockpiles. It doesn't have to be mid-summer and 40° for this to be an issue. We've had issues with fires in stockpiles in the cooler months of the year including July and August. So, there is an ongoing risk of fires in stockpiles that operators need to address.

      Slide 2 – Fires in stockpiles

      Our Prevention of Fires in Stockpiles Guideline, which is available online, provides information to support operators to meet their general environmental duty by reducing stockpile fire risk.  The guideline outlines a range of measures to prevent fires including meeting stockpile dimensions and separation distances. Other mitigation measures include ensuring there is:

      • sufficient access to all sides of stockpiles for firefighting equipment and
      • sufficient hard stand to enable large vehicles to access the site in the event of a fire.

      Not implementing these measures could be the difference between a very small fire that's of no consequence to something that gets completely out of hand, thereby increasing the risk of harm to the environment or community.

      A small fire can spread beyond the site and cause a significant fire incident. So, from a community perspective, you may need to alert your neighbours to advise them to close their windows, as an example. Depending on the nature of the contaminants in the fire, you may also have to warn the community about potential health issues. Your environmental authority may also include notification requirements if there were releases of fire impacted water from the site. Impacts to local creeks and waterways from fire impacted water involves costly remediation processes.

      The costs incurred by relevant state entities in responding to a fire event can be recovered from the operator under various legislative provisions. Therefore, prevention is much better than managing a fire event and response.

      Industrial fires can also last for a prolonged period depending on how much fuel is onsite. This can have a significant impact on business recovery and reduces the emergency responder’s ability to service the community in general.

      Watch
      02:19

      Disaster preparedness response

      This webinar highlights site operators’ responsibilities to prepare for, and respond, to disaster events. The video also explains the department’s role in responding to disaster events.

      In terms of disaster response, site operators have responsibilities to be prepared and respond to disaster events.

      The department also has a role in responding to disaster events. As Queensland’s environmental regulator, we are involved at the district level with the district disaster management groups and at the State level in providing information into whole of government processes. In the event of a disaster, we provide information about the nature and extent of environmental impacts and impacts to structures or places that have cultural and heritage values. We may also need to reach out to operators during or after an event seeking information about your preparedness or the impact of an event. Your cooperation during these difficult times is necessary to enable us to fulfil our role under the Queensland State Disaster Management Plan.

      Watch
      00:55

    Industry specific information

      Resource industry – Regulated storage structures

      This webinar is for operators undertaking resource activities that have regulated storage structures on site and provides information about the water management preparedness actions that operators should take for regulated storage structures before wet weather.

      For storage structures that operate as part of a water management system, it is important to have sufficient capacity, particularly for structures classified as high’ or ‘significant’ consequence category in the Manual for Assessing Consequence Categories and Hydraulic Performance of Structures, available on the department’s website. If the system relies on the transfer of water between structures, you should make sure that the pumping capacity that you have on site includes sufficient redundancies. For example, if a pump ceases to operate, you have a contingency plan and can make sure that water management operates as it should.

      Regulated dams must be able to withstand seasonal rainfall events without an unauthorised release of contaminants. A minimum available storage, called a design storage allowance known as DSA, is required to be estimated for regulated dams in accordance with the Manual to accommodate seasonal rainfall to a specified annual probability. You must ensure that the DSA is met for all ‘high’ or ‘significant’ consequence structures by 1 November each year. If you become aware that a mandatory reporting level has been reached, you must notify us and take urgent action to prevent or minimise the potential for environmental harm.

      Watch
      01:21

      Waste industry – Waste levy

      This webinar is for landfill operators and explains the waste levy obligations for disaster waste.

      Slide 1 – Waste levy obligations

      In relation to the waste levy, waste may be identified as exempt from the waste levy if it has been generated by or because of:

      • a disaster declared under the Disaster Management Act 2003 (a State-declared disaster) or
      • a serious local event that has been notified to the department by local government.

      These wastes, often called disaster waste, include waste generated during the clean-up or repair, as well as partial or complete demolition and/or reconstruction of an affected building, item of infrastructure, and/or public space. For an affected building or item of infrastructure, this includes contents, and structural or non-structural materials used in construction.

      Once a disaster situation is declared under the Disaster Management Act 2003 and is published by gazettal notice, a there can be a declaration for disaster management waste to be exempt waste. This means that this waste will not attract the waste levy. The declaration will specify:

      • the local government areas covered under the declaration
      • the type of waste that is to be exempt waste
      • the waste disposal sites that the disaster management waste will be disposed; and
      • the period of approval for the declaration.

      The declaration will then be published on the Queensland Government website.

      During the declaration process we will contact the waste disposal sites that will receive the disaster management waste to provide them with relevant information, including the exempt waste number to be used in data recording and waste data returns.

      In the event of a serious local event, a local government may notify us if there is (or will be) a serious local event in the local government area, and that an exemption from the waste levy should be allowed.

      The notification must include information about:

      • the type of waste that is to be exempt from the waste levy
      • the waste disposal sites that will receive the exempt waste; and
      • the period for which the waste will be exempt from the levy.

      Following notification, a declaration may be issued, and the details of the exemption will be published online.

      Watch
      02:08

    Other information that may assist in responding to high-risk weather events

      Temporary emissions licences

      This webinar explains what a temporary emissions licence is, when a temporary emissions licence may be appropriate, and the process for applying for a temporary emissions licence.

      Slide 1 - Temporary emissions licence (TEL)

      Temporary emissions licences temporarily relax environmental authority conditions to allow the release of contaminants to the environment in response to an event. That event must be unforeseen or have a low probability of occurring. Temporary emissions licenses are for emergency releases and are not an opportunity to deal with site legacy water issues which may have been sitting onsite for a period of time since the last applicable event.

      Temporary emissions licenses are usually for a period of less than three months. If you are proposing to release contaminants to a local creek or a river system, the releases are usually permitted when that system is in full flood so that the contaminants are diluted in the water and there are minimal impacts to the receiving environment at that time.

      Slide 2 - Temporary emissions licence (TEL)

      Operators are encouraged to contact us regarding a possible temporary emissions license as early as possible to discuss the implications and the situation. Officers can then talk through forward pathways for your site, specifically. However, please remember that personal staff inboxes and team inboxes, are not manned after hours. So, if there is an event that occurs outside of business hours and you determine that a temporary emissions license may be required, please call the Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372. Pathways are in place to make sure that notifications to the Pollution Hotline are received and managed outside of business hours.

      Slide 3 - Temporary emissions licence (TEL)

      Once a temporary emissions license application is received, officers will consider whether the application is valid by reviewing:

      • the details of the event and whether it meets the definition of an applicable event; and
      • whether the application is supported by sufficient information to enable an assessment of the application.

      If a temporary emissions license application is considered valid, the application must be decided as soon as practicable, but no later than 24 hours after receiving it.

      Fees apply for making a temporary emissions license application.

      Watch
      02:12

      Temporary authorities

      This webinar explains what a temporary authority is, when a temporary authority may be appropriate, and the process for applying for a temporary authority.

      Slide 1 - Temporary authorities

      A temporary authority allows operators to carry out an Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) which is temporary in nature and must be in relation to an emergency situation. A temporary authority can be for a new ERA or it can be for an increase to the ERA threshold that an operator currently has an environmental authority for. An emergency situation can include an emergency direction under the Environmental Protection Act, or a disaster declared under the Disaster Management Act.

      Temporary authorities are usually operational for four months or less and operators must be able to demonstrate a connection between the emergency and the need for the ERA.

      Slide 2 - Temporary authorities

      Before applying for a temporary authority, you should contact the relevant assessment team to have a pre-lodgement meeting. We can then assist you to identify the information required to support the application and expedite the process. Given the urgency of the situation and the nature of temporary authorities, these applications are prioritised for assessment. If there is an event that occurs outside of business hours and you determine that a temporary authority may be required, please call the Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372. Pathways are in place to make sure that notifications to the Pollution Hotline are received and managed outside of business hours.

      It is important to note that having a temporary authority under the Environmental Protection Act does not negate the need for relevant approvals under other regulatory frameworks. For example, an operator may need to apply for a temporary authority for ERA 62 Waste Transfer station to deal with disaster waste, but they will also need to approach the relevant planning agency for a development approval under the Planning Act.

      Watch
      01:56
    Photo of waste stockpile fire

    Waste stockpile on fire

    Source: DETSI image

    Guidance materials

    Several links are included below to application forms and guidance materials that may assist operators to prepare or respond to high-risk weather:

    Links to other information sources are also included below to assist operators to prepare or respond to high-risk weather: