The Dutson Downs Advisory Committee (DDAC) was formed in August 2001. The members of the DDAC consist of representatives of regulatory agencies, industry and the community. Its main objective is to address areas of concern regarding operations at the facility, and seek sustainable solutions to prescribed waste management practices on site. The objectives of the committee are defined in the

Terms of Reference as follows:

1. To enhance Gippsland Water’s responsiveness to the concerns of the community by providing an opportunity for community advice.

2. To provide feedback to Gippsland Water on the planning and scoping of potential projects that may be undertaken with a view to improve the environmental performance of the Dutson Downs property as a whole.

3. To provide advice to Gippsland Water regarding methods of promoting a greater understanding in the community as to the processes involved in the provision of resource recovery processes.

4. To assist Gippsland Water to monitor the performance of the Dutson Downs Resource Recovery Facility against the performance criteria developed in the statutory planning process.

5. To assist Gippsland Water and participate in the development of an Environment Improvement Plan for the Dutson Downs Resource Recovery Facility.

One 15 November 2004 the Dutson Downs Advisory Committee endorsed the Environment Improvement Plan (EIP) developed for the Resource Recovery Facility. The EIP describes the processes and systems in place for managing prescribed industrial wastes and certian prescribed liquid wastes at the Dutson Downs Resource Recovery Facility (DDRRF) to ensure that under normal and emergency conditions, the potential for harm to the environment is minimised.