Yarra Ranges Shire Council
Yarra Ranges Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) will be open for consultation from 12 June 2024 to 24 July 2024 following approval at the 11 June 2024, Council meeting.
Stormwater management is a fundamental part of sustaining our natural environment, economy, health, wellbeing and lifestyle. Indeed, water and flooding are inherent aspects of our natural environment and integral to our municipality's landscape whether we like it or not.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Councillor Sophie Todorov, said the Plan will provide a strategic framework for managing stormwater over the next decade.
"There will be several opportunities for people to provide feedback about this plan, ranging from our website to sessions where you can meet an engineer or a drop-in session to find out about all things stormwater. Information about the sessions and a copy of the Plan can be found at Draft Stormwater Management Plan 2024- 2034 | Shaping Yarra Ranges," said Cr Todorov.
The Plan addresses gaps in Council's current stormwater management and outlines a comprehensive strategy to enhance our stormwater infrastructure.
Key actions in the Plan include:
- Flood mapping program – maps will be developed for key areas using historical data and modern techniques to predict water flow and potential flooding during storm events.
- Infrastructure upgrades - ageing drainage infrastructure will be updated. The Plan includes a survey of existing drainage assets followed by targeted upgrades based on flood risk assessments and climate change projections.
- Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) - WSUD principles will be integrated into new developments and public spaces, with measures like permeable pavements, green roofs, and rain gardens to manage runoff.
- Integrated Water Management (IWM) - Council's 2017 Integrated Water Management Plan identified stormwater management as being critical to help inform catchment stormwater management strategies. The integrated approach to water management considers all facets of the water cycle, including: water supply, wastewater, surface water, groundwater and stormwater. Managing these aspects together can result in better and more cost-effective outcomes than the traditional approach of managing in isolation.
- Updating Development Engineering Guidelines -. clear standards will be set for stormwater management in new developments, ensuring sustainable practices.
- Stormwater Offsets - the offsets program allows developers to contribute financially to Council projects, supporting larger-scale infrastructure and sustainable urban development.
- Strategic Partnerships and Funding - the Plan explores various funding mechanisms, ensuring the sustainability of the program and enabling necessary actions to achieve stormwater management goals with our partner agencies.
- Community Engagement and Education - the Plan includes developing educational materials, establishing a Community Reference Panel for input and feedback, and involving community groups in planning processes.
"We recognise that flooding to people's properties causes stress and anxiety and that there is a burden of increased property maintenance and/or insurance costs for a section of our community. A fundamental part of creating this Plan is to assist with safeguarding our community into the future through careful planning by identifying priorities for investment and upgrades through data."
"Through partnerships with Melbourne Water and the Department of Transport and Planning we hope that over the next 10 years we improve the stormwater drainage systems across the Yarra Ranges – and combined with our additional funding commitments in this year's Draft Budget we should see some changes coming soon for our most impacted residents," said Councillor Todorov.
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