We have currently identified six broad programs. These are under early development and will be defined further as we consult. They initially include:
Stormwater Issue Identification
Conduct research and stakeholder consultations to identify key challenges and priorities in stormwater management.
Stormwater Research
Support and fund research projects to develop and test policies, practices and technologies for stormwater management.
Stormwater Best
Practice
Identification of best practice across policies, practise and standards and implementation of sector wide standard approaches.
Stormwater Community Engagement
Develop educational materials, workshops, and outreach campaigns to increase public awareness and promote community participation.
Stormwater Legislation Improvements
Review current legislation and policy and identify and advocate improvements.
Stormwater Capacity Building and Workforce Development
Develop policies, frameworks and resources to government agencies, industry stakeholders, and community groups.
Stormwater NSW White Paper
The Stormwater NSW White Paper 2022, titled “Blue-green stormwater management in NSW: Examination of challenges and pathways forward,” identifies key issues and proposes potential solutions for improving stormwater management across New South Wales. The paper highlights several central themes and issues, grouped into policy, funding, capacity building, collaborations, planning and management deficiencies, and leadership. The outcomes included:
Policy Issues
- Lack of State-wide Commitment: NSW lacks a unified legal framework or policy commitment for sustainable urban water management, resulting in varied commitments to water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) across councils.
- Fragmented Policy: Stormwater management policies are scattered across multiple state and local government planning instruments, leading to confusion and inefficiencies.
- Weak Policies and Regulatory Instruments: Existing policies express strong intentions but lack enforceable obligations, allowing developers to bypass key WSUD principles.
- Lack of Incentives: There are minimal incentives for incorporating WSUD and blue-green infrastructure into developments, and current state policies sometimes discourage such elements.
- Policy Opportunities: Reviewing and consolidating existing policies and adopting best management practices from other regions, like Victoria, could help NSW transition to more sustainable urban water management.
Funding Priorities
- No Dedicated Funding Programs: NSW lacks dedicated funding for transitioning urban water management practices, unlike other regions such as Victoria.
- Inadequate Funding Mechanisms: There is no statewide mechanism for funding the operation and management of WSUD infrastructure, deterring local councils from adopting sustainable systems.
- Transparency Issues: The application of the Stormwater Management Service Charge is varied and lacks regulatory oversight, leading to insufficient funds for sustainable management practices.
- Short-term and Opportunistic Funding: WSUD funding is often ad-hoc and lacks long-term strategic planning, resulting in poorly conceived projects that quickly fall by the wayside when funding ends.
Capacity Building
- Lack of Skilled Resources: There is a shortage of skilled personnel to plan, design, and manage stormwater infrastructure, exacerbated by tertiary education gaps and lack of market incentives.
- No Formal Capacity Building Mechanism: NSW lacks formal programs for building capacity in sustainable stormwater management, limiting the ability of organizations like Stormwater NSW to fill this gap.
- Knowledge Gaps: More research is needed to maximize the benefits of WSUD and understand its long-term economic and social impacts.
- Lack of State-sanctioned Guidelines: There are no state-endorsed guidelines for WSUD tailored to regional climates, resulting in suboptimal performance of stormwater systems.
- No Formal Technical Support: NSW has devolved much responsibility for urban catchment management to local governments without providing sufficient technical support.
Collaborations
- Legal and Market Barriers: Limited funding and competition laws hinder effective collaboration among stakeholders.
- Disparity of Understanding and Acceptance: Differences in knowledge and commitment to WSUD across stakeholder groups make large-scale collaborations challenging.
- Active Resistance: Some councils face pushback from developers and state government departments when implementing WSUD.
- Parochialism: Sustainable stormwater management efforts are fragmented, with stakeholders often failing to collaborate effectively.
Planning and Management Deficiencies
- Variable Practices Between Councils: Approaches to stormwater management vary greatly between councils, leading to inconsistent efforts within the same catchments.
- Unrealistic Public Infrastructure Expectations: Planning authorities often set unrealistic infrastructure delivery expectations for developers, impeding the adoption of WSUD.
- Changing Expectations: As awareness of urban waterway issues grows, community expectations are shifting, but conventional practices may not meet these new demands.
- Absence of Life Cycle Planning: WSUD systems are often not constructed with long-term operation and maintenance in mind, leading to ineffective management.
- Slow to Embrace Digital Technology: Few organizations have adopted digital technologies and IoT for urban stormwater management, missing opportunities for improved outcomes.
- Fragmented Responsibilities: No single entity is responsible for managing urban catchments, leading to governance inefficiencies.
- Deficient Economic Analyses: Economic and cost-benefit analyses often fail to account for the long-term benefits of sustainable stormwater management.
- Inadequate Baseline Targets: Recent targets for pollutant management do not adequately protect waterways or account for local conditions.
Leadership
- Need for Norm Change: Accepted norms in stormwater management need to evolve to address current and future challenges effectively.
- Lack of Cohesive Practitioner Advocacy: Professionals in urban stormwater management need to step up and lead advocacy efforts for sustainable practices.
The Stormwater NSW White Paper 2022 outlines significant challenges and opportunities in achieving sustainable stormwater management in NSW.
Key issues include fragmented policies, lack of dedicated funding, insufficient capacity building, barriers to effective collaboration, planning deficiencies, and the need for strong leadership. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach involving policy consolidation, increased funding, capacity building programs, enhanced collaboration, strategic planning, and proactive leadership.
Current Stormwater Surveys
We will be developing a range of stormwater surveys with the view to improve the level of stakeholder views we have over the coming period.
Result of Previous Surveys
The results of previous surveys will be listed here for your information.