Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre
Sydney Water is building the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in Kemps Creek and associated pipelines to support population and economic growth in Western Sydney.
Construction Information
Our delivery partner, John Holland, is building the AWRC, a treated water pipeline from Kemps Creek to the Nepean River at Wallacia and a brine water pipeline from Kemps Creek to our existing wastewater network at Lansdowne. The pipelines are built underground, mostly in road reserves and public spaces. Some sections of pipeline will need to be installed across private properties.
Construction is underway in parts of Badgerys Creek, Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights, Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Canley Heights, Canley Vale, Cecil Hills, Cecil Park, Elizabeth Hills, Fairfield, Green Valley, Kemps Creek, Lansdowne, Lansvale, Luddenham, Mount Pritchard, Mulgoa and Wallacia.
Our standard working hours are 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm Saturday. We will notify affected people in advance if we need to work outside these hours.
John Holland is working hard to minimise disturbance however some people may experience temporary traffic changes and construction impacts, mostly from machinery that will be used to dig trenches and lay pipes. Construction of the pipelines will occur until late 2025.
When completed in 2026, the AWRC will deliver sustainable wastewater services and high-quality recycled water to support a cooler, greener Western Parkland City, with a wide range of benefits for the entire community.
Community Benefits
Key benefits for the local community include:
- efficient and cost-effective wastewater services
- producing high-quality, recycled water for a range of potential reuses
- potential to recycle organic waste to generate energy
- protecting local waterways and aquatic ecosystems via environmental flows
- producing biosolids for an alternative to chemical fertilisers in agriculture
- enhancing biodiversity by greening Western Sydney with recycled water
- supporting the vision for the Western Parkland City, to create quality places for the community, keep water resources in the catchment to support greening and reduce heat island effects
- generating renewable energy within the AWRC
- a centre that can respond to changes in demand as our community grows.
The AWRC is Sydney Water’s largest infrastructure investment in Western Sydney and when competed will provide a foundation for a circular economy hub in the Parkland City.
Planning Process
In 2021, Sydney Water prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to describe the project and assess its environmental and community impacts.
The EIS was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and put on public exhibition from 21 October to Wednesday 17 November 2021, giving the community an opportunity to review and make submissions on the findings presented in the document. DPE provided planning approval on 28 November 2022.
To learn more about the project’s planning process and approval, visit DPE’s Major Projects Planning Portal where you will find the below documentation:
- Environmental Impact Statement
- Submissions Report
- Amendment Report
- Submission Report – Project Amendments
- Minister’s Conditions of Approval
Please visit this page regularly for updates as the project progresses through its construction phase.
Sydney Water is building the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in Kemps Creek and associated pipelines to support population and economic growth in Western Sydney.
Construction Information
Our delivery partner, John Holland, is building the AWRC, a treated water pipeline from Kemps Creek to the Nepean River at Wallacia and a brine water pipeline from Kemps Creek to our existing wastewater network at Lansdowne. The pipelines are built underground, mostly in road reserves and public spaces. Some sections of pipeline will need to be installed across private properties.
Construction is underway in parts of Badgerys Creek, Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights, Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Canley Heights, Canley Vale, Cecil Hills, Cecil Park, Elizabeth Hills, Fairfield, Green Valley, Kemps Creek, Lansdowne, Lansvale, Luddenham, Mount Pritchard, Mulgoa and Wallacia.
Our standard working hours are 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm Saturday. We will notify affected people in advance if we need to work outside these hours.
John Holland is working hard to minimise disturbance however some people may experience temporary traffic changes and construction impacts, mostly from machinery that will be used to dig trenches and lay pipes. Construction of the pipelines will occur until late 2025.
When completed in 2026, the AWRC will deliver sustainable wastewater services and high-quality recycled water to support a cooler, greener Western Parkland City, with a wide range of benefits for the entire community.
Community Benefits
Key benefits for the local community include:
- efficient and cost-effective wastewater services
- producing high-quality, recycled water for a range of potential reuses
- potential to recycle organic waste to generate energy
- protecting local waterways and aquatic ecosystems via environmental flows
- producing biosolids for an alternative to chemical fertilisers in agriculture
- enhancing biodiversity by greening Western Sydney with recycled water
- supporting the vision for the Western Parkland City, to create quality places for the community, keep water resources in the catchment to support greening and reduce heat island effects
- generating renewable energy within the AWRC
- a centre that can respond to changes in demand as our community grows.
The AWRC is Sydney Water’s largest infrastructure investment in Western Sydney and when competed will provide a foundation for a circular economy hub in the Parkland City.
Planning Process
In 2021, Sydney Water prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to describe the project and assess its environmental and community impacts.
The EIS was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and put on public exhibition from 21 October to Wednesday 17 November 2021, giving the community an opportunity to review and make submissions on the findings presented in the document. DPE provided planning approval on 28 November 2022.
To learn more about the project’s planning process and approval, visit DPE’s Major Projects Planning Portal where you will find the below documentation:
- Environmental Impact Statement
- Submissions Report
- Amendment Report
- Submission Report – Project Amendments
- Minister’s Conditions of Approval
Please visit this page regularly for updates as the project progresses through its construction phase.
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January Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC
Share January Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Facebook Share January Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Twitter Share January Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Linkedin Email January Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC linkIn January, work is planned for the Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) and along our pipeline alignment spanning from Wallacia, Luddenham, Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Cecil Hills, Bonnyrigg Heights, Bonnyrigg, Cabramatta West, Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Fairfield. This includes standard hours and out of hours works. We work outside our standard construction hours to reduce the impact on traffic, manage oversized deliveries, increase safety for workers and ensure the quality of the asset being built.
To read about our January works, download our notification. To learn more about the measures we implement to minimise noise and vibration, download a fact sheet.
If you would like to provide feedback about our out of hours schedule and mitigation measures, you can complete a short survey. This survey is open until Friday 22 December 2023.
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December Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC
Share December Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Facebook Share December Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Twitter Share December Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Linkedin Email December Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC linkIn December, work is planned for the Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) and along our pipeline alignment spanning from Wallacia, Luddenham, Badgerys Creek, Kemps Creek, Cecil Hills, Bonnyrigg Heights, Bonnyrigg, Cabramatta West, Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Fairfield. This includes standard hours and out of hours works. We work outside our standard construction hours to reduce the impact on traffic, manage oversized deliveries, increase safety for workers and ensure the quality of the asset being built.
To read about our December works, download our notification. To learn more about the measures we implement to minimise noise and vibration, download a fact sheet.
If you would like to provide feedback about our out of hours schedule and mitigation measures, you can complete a short survey. This survey is open until Thursday 30 November 2023.
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November Out of Hours Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC
Share November Out of Hours Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Facebook Share November Out of Hours Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Twitter Share November Out of Hours Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC on Linkedin Email November Out of Hours Work Look Ahead - Pipelines and AWRC linkIn November, out of hours work is planned for the Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) and along our pipeline alignment in Cecil Hills, Bonnyrigg Heights, Bonnyrigg and Cabramatta West.
We work outside our standard construction hours to reduce the impact on traffic, manage oversized deliveries, increase safety for workers and ensure the quality of the asset being built.
To learn more about the measures we implement to minimise noise and vibration, download a fact sheet.
If you would like to provide feedback about our out of hours schedule and mitigation measures, you can complete a short survey.
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One Month Work Look Ahead - November 2023
Share One Month Work Look Ahead - November 2023 on Facebook Share One Month Work Look Ahead - November 2023 on Twitter Share One Month Work Look Ahead - November 2023 on Linkedin Email One Month Work Look Ahead - November 2023 linkWork will continue into November at both the AWRC and associated pipelines that travel from Kemps Creek heading west to Wallacia, and Kemps Creek heading east to Lansdowne.
Work in the east will involve the continuation of service investigations and pipeline installations. Work in the west will include site establishment and utility connections, earthworks and civil works, and deliveries of oversized equipment, materials, and concrete.
Regular updates will be distributed to the community as the work progresses, with properties that may be highly impacted by noise or vibration or planned night works to receive specific notifications about these activities.
See our November one month look ahead for west here, and the one month look ahead for east here.
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Upcoming Pipe Laying Work in Western Sydney Parklands
Share Upcoming Pipe Laying Work in Western Sydney Parklands on Facebook Share Upcoming Pipe Laying Work in Western Sydney Parklands on Twitter Share Upcoming Pipe Laying Work in Western Sydney Parklands on Linkedin Email Upcoming Pipe Laying Work in Western Sydney Parklands linkThe Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre project is working closely with the Western Sydney Parklands as the project progresses.
Starting Monday 23 October, the project will install a section of pipe through the east and west side of the parklands, near to Cecil Hills access and near to Kemps Creek access areas. This work will include excavation of trenches, laying pipe, and reinstating the area with minimal impact to the crucial environment of Western Sydney Parklands. You can view the notification here.
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AWRC One Month Out of Hours Work Notification - November 2023
Share AWRC One Month Out of Hours Work Notification - November 2023 on Facebook Share AWRC One Month Out of Hours Work Notification - November 2023 on Twitter Share AWRC One Month Out of Hours Work Notification - November 2023 on Linkedin Email AWRC One Month Out of Hours Work Notification - November 2023 linkWork is progressing as we continue to build the AWRC in Kemps Creek and the associated pipelines from Kemps Creek to Lansdowne, and Kemps Creek to Wallacia.
In November, we will be completing some out of hours work at the AWRC including formwork and concrete pours, steel fixing, and oversize deliveries.
Ongoing updates on our work will continue to be distributed to the nearby communities. You can view our November out of hours look ahead here and download and noise and vibration fact sheet here.
We also invite you to please complete our survey to provide feedback on our proposed schedule of work. You can find the survey here and this will be available until Friday 27 October.
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One Month Work Look Ahead - October
Share One Month Work Look Ahead - October on Facebook Share One Month Work Look Ahead - October on Twitter Share One Month Work Look Ahead - October on Linkedin Email One Month Work Look Ahead - October linkWe are continuing work to build the AWRC and the pipelines that extend east from Kemps Creek to Lansdowne and west from Kemps Creek to Wallacia.
Regular updates will be distributed to the community as the work progresses, with properties that may be highly impacted by noise or vibration or planned night works to receive specific notifications about these activities.
See our October one month look ahead here.
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Utility Investigation Work – Edensor Road and Harrington Street, Cabramatta West
Share Utility Investigation Work – Edensor Road and Harrington Street, Cabramatta West on Facebook Share Utility Investigation Work – Edensor Road and Harrington Street, Cabramatta West on Twitter Share Utility Investigation Work – Edensor Road and Harrington Street, Cabramatta West on Linkedin Email Utility Investigation Work – Edensor Road and Harrington Street, Cabramatta West linkOur delivery partner, John Holland, will be completing investigation work by potholing to confirm the location of underground utilities on Edensor Road and Harrington Street, Cabramatta West. The information gathered from these investigations will ensure that pipeline installation will be completed safely.
This work will be undertaken during standard construction hours, 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. We are planning to complete this work over five shifts between Monday 18 September and Friday 6 October 2023, weather and site conditions permitting. If it rains, we will try and complete the work the following week.
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Temporary Site Compound Establishment - Notification
Share Temporary Site Compound Establishment - Notification on Facebook Share Temporary Site Compound Establishment - Notification on Twitter Share Temporary Site Compound Establishment - Notification on Linkedin Email Temporary Site Compound Establishment - Notification linkSydney Water's delivery partner, John Holland, will establish temporary site compounds across multiple locations within the pipeline alignment as part of the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC). The temporary compounds will support construction of the pipeline infrastructure which extends east from Kemps Creek to Lansdowne and west from Kemps Creek to Wallacia.
The compound locations were assessed in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The following notifications have been distributed to residents and businesses in areas surrounding some of the compound locations:
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Community Day - 23 September 2023
Share Community Day - 23 September 2023 on Facebook Share Community Day - 23 September 2023 on Twitter Share Community Day - 23 September 2023 on Linkedin Email Community Day - 23 September 2023 linkSydney Water are planning and building projects across Western Sydney to support communities and deliver sustainable water resources.
Join us at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Community Day to learn more. Our friendly staff will be on hand to answer questions about the Advanced Water Recycling Centre and other projects in the Southwest Sydney and Aerotropolis areas.
When: Saturday 23rd September
Time: 10am – 1pm
Where: Bringelly Community Centre, 5 Greendale Rd Bringelly
View the event flyer here
Who's Listening
To find out more about this project please contact us:
Phone 1800 064 127 (complaints and enquiries line)
Email uppersouthcreek@sydneywater.com.au
Post Upper South Creek Project
PO Box 160
Kemps Creek NSW 2178
Newsletters and Notifications
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - March 2025 Updated.pdf (312 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - March 2025.pdf (305 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - February 2025.pdf (339 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - January 2025.pdf (318 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - December 2024.pdf (341 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - October 2024.pdf (358 KB) (pdf)
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Noise and Vibration Fact Sheet.pdf (215 KB) (pdf)
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Past one month look ahead notifications
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - September 2024.pdf (347 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - May 2024.pdf (414 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - November 2024.pdf (343 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - August 2024.pdf (1.08 MB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - July 2024.pdf (368 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - June 2024.pdf (417 KB) (pdf)
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One Month Work Look Ahead Notification - April 2024.pdf (411 KB) (pdf)
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FAQs - Project Overview
- What is the project’s scope?
- Who is delivering the project?
- What are the project’s benefits?
- What areas will be serviced by the AWRC?
- How much water will be processed per day?
- How will wastewater reach the AWRC?
- How can I connect to wastewater services?
- How can I get access to recycled water?
- How can I find out more about water treatment, wastewater and recycled water?
FAQs - Project Planning and Environmental Impacts
- Will the treated water released from the AWRC cause flooding or make flooding events worse?
- What are the benefits of environmental flows?
- What about flora and fauna? Will they be impacted by construction?
- Will the new infrastructure cause odour issues?
- What is circular economy?
- What is an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
- Why does Sydney Water need to remove trees along Park Road?
- Could the treated water pipe have been placed somewhere else?
- Will Sydney Water be replanting the vegetation that was removed?
FAQs - Construction Approach
- What it is the project’s timeline?
- How will you minimise construction impacts?
- Will Sydney Water need to take out easements or acquire land for the project?
- Will there be increased truck movements and road closures?
- Will there be noise and vibration impacts during construction?
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AWRC
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Pipelines
- What construction techniques will you be using for the pipelines?
- Where do the pipelines go?
Related Documents
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Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (CSEP) (Rev E).pdf (5.91 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC and Pipelines Annual Sustainability Report 2024.pdf (17.7 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC and Pipelines Construction Mitigation Measures.pdf (166 KB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC EIS Overview Brochure.pdf (3.83 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC EIS Brochure Vietnamese (1.59 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC EIS Brochure Simplified Chinese (1.64 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC EIS Brochure Arabic (1.6 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC Stage 1 - Staging Report (1.26 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek Urban Design Landscape Plan Stage 1 November 2023.pdf (31.5 MB) (pdf)
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Department of Planning and Environment_Approval of UDLP.pdf (406 KB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC Independent Environment Compliance Audit (13 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek AWRC Sydney Water Response to Independent Audit Findings (29 KB) (pdf)
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Key Policies and Procedures - complaints.pdf (60.7 KB) (pdf)
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Managing Director's letter to the community (122 KB) (pdf)
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Approvals and Licences
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EPL_21800.pdf (451 KB) (pdf)
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DPE Approval Letter (142 KB) (pdf)
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Commonwealth Notification of Approval EPBC 2020-8816.pdf (2.11 MB) (pdf)
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Conditions of Approval - Upper South Creek AWRC (1.86 MB) (pdf)
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Conditions of Approval MOD2 - Upper South Creek AWRC.pdf (1.53 MB) (pdf)
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L11 (0503 2307 SWC USC AWRC Pipelines RAP) Rev 0.pdf (8.38 MB) (pdf)
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240324 - Approval of Plan Strategy or Study - RAP - Signed.pdf (193 KB) (pdf)
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0677828_JH USC Pipelines RAP_Final_rev01.pdf (10 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek EPL 21800 Premise Maps_Rev 08 March 2024.pdf (3.94 MB) (pdf)
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Water Access Licence - WAL44922.pdf (229 KB) (pdf)
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Maps
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Construction Management Plans
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Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) (Rev B).pdf (12.4 MB) (pdf)
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Noise and Vibration CEMP Sub-plan (Rev D).pdf (59 MB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek - Waste and Resource Use CEMP Sub-plan (Rev C).pdf (133 KB) (pdf)
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Air Quality CEMP Sub-plan (Rev B).pdf (134 MB) (pdf)
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Soils and Contamination CEMP Sub-Plan (Rev B).pdf (186 MB) (pdf)
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Traffic and Transport CEMP Sub-plan (Rev D).pdf (171 MB) (pdf)
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Traffic and Transport CEMP Sub-plan_Appendix D_Construction Parking and Access Strategy.pdf (54.4 MB) (pdf)
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Biodiversity CEMP Sub-plan (Rev E).pdf (197 MB) (pdf)
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Surface Water Groundwater CEMP Sub-plan (Rev D).pdf (171 MB) (pdf)
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Flood Emergency Response CEMP Sub-plan (Rev B).pdf (194 MB) (pdf)
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Sustainability Management Plan (Rev B).pdf (5.05 MB) (pdf)
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Heritage CEMP Sub-plan (Rev B).pdf (28.2 MB) (pdf)
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Construction Noise and Vibration Impact Statement Acoustic Advisor Endorsement (302 KB) (pdf)
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Construction Water Reuse Strategy - Part A (1.66 MB) (pdf)
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Construction Water Reuse Strategy - Part B (535 KB) (pdf)
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Construction Water Reuse Strategy - Part C (2.5 MB) (pdf)
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Construction Water Reuse Strategy - Part D (8.46 MB) (pdf)
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Construction Water Reuse Strategy - Part E (6.65 MB) (pdf)
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Construction Water Reuse Strategy - Part F (1.51 MB) (pdf)
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AWRC Remediation Action Plan (6.99 MB) (pdf)
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Community Agreements
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Culturally and Linguistically Diverse online community information sessions
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DPE A40 and 41 letter 3rd audit report and response to findings_10012025_table.pdf (35.2 KB) (pdf)
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USC - Independent Audit 2 Final 27_06_24.pdf (11.4 MB) (pdf)
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DPHI A40 and 41 letter 2nd audit report and response to findings table_280624.pdf (53.3 KB) (pdf)
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Upper South Creek - Independent Audit 3 Final Rev 0 10_1_24.pdf (11.8 MB) (pdf)
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USC Project - 2023 DI Public Reporting WIP FINAL.pdf (1.19 MB) (pdf)
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Compliance report USC EPBC2020_8816_final_consolidated_signed.pdf (3.12 MB) (pdf)
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USCP-JHG-MPL-ENV-0011 Rehabilitation Management Plan (Rev 5)_clean and consolidated.pdf (19.7 MB) (pdf)
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Noise and Vibration
Related Sydney Water Projects
Life Cycle
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Planning Stage (Completed)
Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre has finished this stageDuring this stage, Sydney Water sought community and stakeholder feedback as part of early planning process.
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Environmental Impact Statement and planning approvals (Completed)
Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre has finished this stageDuring this stage we sought comments and feedback leading up to and during the public exhibition period of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Our EIS Submissions Report responded to the feedback we received from community and stakeholders during the EIS exhibition period.
An Amendment Report was also prepared to reflect minor amendments to the project based on feedback from community and stakeholders. We also prepared a report that responded to the feedback we received from community and stakeholders during the Amendment Report exhibition.
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State and Commonwealth Government Approvals (Completed)
Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre has finished this stageDuring this stage, the project was approved by the State government and Commonwealth governments.
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Construction Planning (Completed)
Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre has finished this stageWith the relevant State and Commonwealth approvals granted, the project moved into construction planning. We prepared construction environmental management plans and early works and heritage investigations were undertaken.
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Construction Commencement (Current)
Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre is currently at this stage
Useful links
To view Sydney Water's Growth Servicing Plan, please click here.