Committee for Infrastructure seeks views on proposed Reservoirs Act regulations

The Committee for Infrastructure is seeking views on proposed regulations that would implement provisions of the Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.

As part of its scrutiny of the proposals, the Committee is inviting stakeholders and members of the public to comment on the information provided by the Department for Infrastructure, including whether it is accurate and complete, and whether the implementation of the regulations could give rise to any unintended consequences that have not yet been identified.

The proposed regulations would provide for:

• A definition of a controlled reservoir;
• The creation of a reservoir manager role with responsibility for the reservoir;
• The registration of controlled reservoirs;
• A categorisation system of low, medium, and high-risk reservoirs;
• Requirements for the regular inspection of medium and high-risk reservoirs;
• Offences for non-compliance with the provisions of the Act; and
• Powers for a grant scheme to assist reservoir managers in fulfilling their obligations under the Act.

Committee Chairperson Jonathan Buckley MLA said: "The Reservoirs Act 2015 established a framework for the safe management of reservoirs and for protecting communities, infrastructure, and the environment.

"These regulations will determine how key provisions of the Act operate in practice. As part of its scrutiny of the proposals, the Committee wants to understand whether the information provided by the Department is accurate and complete.

"We are particularly keen to hear from reservoir owners, managers, and other interested stakeholders on whether the regulations could give rise to any unintended consequences that the Committee should take into account before reaching its conclusions."

The Committee is collecting views through its online consultation platform, Citizen Space.

ENDS

 
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