Constructing a business case for water sensitive investments – A guideline for local government

Introduction

We need investment in water sensitive infrastructure to create cities that are more liveable, sustainable, resilient and prosperous. Local government has an important role in this transformation, as the owner and manager of roads and public open spaces, and as a planning authority.

Water sensitive investments have clear benefits, but sometimes those benefits can be difficult to identify and value in dollar terms. As a result, traditional business case approaches may not capture al these benefits, understating the true benefits of water sensitive investments.

The CRCWSC’s Integrated Research Project 2 (IRP2) aims to develop a comprehensive economic evaluation framework that enables better decision making about water sensitive investments. This handbook translates the valuation tools and techniques develop by the IRP2 team, and demonstrates how local government officers can use them to prepare compelling business cases for water sensitive investments.