Linking WSUD and flooding – the City of Boroondara’s new Integrated Water Management Strategy 2014-2024

The CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) congratulates the City of Boroondara on its new Integrated Water Management Strategy 2014 – 2024, which was unanimously endorsed by the Council at its meeting on 26 May 2014.

The Integrated Water Management Strategy 2014 – 2024 sets the strategic direction and implementation approach for improving water cycle management across the municipality over the next decade.

The strategy reflects the emerging direction for councils to consider flood management initiatives along with stormwater management, enabling a more integrated approach to water management. This is an advanced approach by a local council, identifying synergies between the often disconnected objectives of water sensitive urban design and flood management.

Importantly, the strategy is founded on good science.  Earlier this year, the CRCWSC worked with Council to finalise the strategy, utilising the knowledge of six key CRCWSC researchers to provide feedback to refine the consultation draft. In response to feedback from researchers, an additional objective and strategies relating to flood management were captured within the strategy.

Michaela Skett, Team Leader – Environmental Planning, said “we are very grateful to the CRC for providing review and feedback to council on the draft strategy, which resulted in a modest but significant shift to better reflect flood management activities within the scope of the strategy.”

The CRCWSC is encouraged to see the shift in water management policy by the local government sector to a more water sensitive approach gathering pace. We are also heartened to see the overwhelming community support for water sensitive approaches, as outlined in the consultation report. The report notes (on page 6) that:

Over 95% of respondents indicated support for water harvesting and reuse, permeable surfaces, cleaner waterways, and wetlands and raingardens. Around 80% indicated support for green roofs and walls, and summer water play using harvested water.

For more information, please visit the City of Boroondara’s website.