Environmental compliance
Downer maintained its Group-wide target of zero Level 52 or Level 63 environmental incidents and zero Significant Environmental Incidents4 and zero prosecutions during FY20.
In FY20, Downer incurred four penalty infringement notices totalling AUD $6,761 for environmental breaches. This consisted of two fines totalling $5,338 relating to the same event in its Australian Operations. The breaches consisted of connecting to water infrastructure without written consent and withdrawal of water from an unapproved source without approval. The other two fines occurred in New Zealand, totalling NZD $1,500 (AUD $1,423).
One of the fines was issued for exceeding turbidity limits specified within a Resources Consent while carrying out work activities within a creek. The other fine was for the release of contaminants (spoil from roadworks) into a nearby waterway.
At the time of writing this report, the Downer Seymour Whyte Joint Venture was in the process of finalising an Enforceable Undertaking with the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority for three consecutive pollute waters licence breaches that occurred from August 2019 to September 2019 on the Berry to Bomaderry Princes Highway Upgrade project.
- A Level 5 environmental incident is defined as any incident that causes significant impact or serious harm on the environment, where material harm has occurred and if costs in aggregate exceed $50,000.
- A Level 6 environmental incident is defined as an incident that results in catastrophic widespread impact on the environment, resulting in irreversible damage.
- A significant environmental incident or significant environmental spill (≥ Level 4) is any environmental incident or spill where there is significant impact on or material harm to the environment; or an incident or spill that results in a significant impact or material harm; or there is long-term community irritation leading to disruptive actions and requiring continual management attention.
