Stormwater, Sediment and Erosion Control

As a builder or developer it’s important to understand the environmental and infrastructure impacts of stormwater and sediment run-off from construction sites and your responsibility to prevent it through suitable controls and measures.

Stormwater, sediment and erosion control should be implemented when development involves:

• Disturbance of earth, placing fill on the soil surface, and changes to the contours of land
• Change in the rate and volume of stormwater run-off flowing over land and directly or indirectly entering receiving waters

If suitable controls and measures aren’t put into place, polluted sediment such as mud, sand and soil can enter our stormwater drainage system, impacting our waterways including the Murray river and other local creeks, streams and habitats.

Sediment run-off can also block our stormwater drainage system increasing the risk of localised flooding.

• Policies and guidelines keyboard_arrow_right

  As a builder or developer on a construction site, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the following policies and guidelines to help you understand, plan and meet your obligations for stormwater, sediment and erosion control.

  • Soil and Water Management Policy
  • Erosion and sediment control guidelines for subdivisions and building sites
  • Engineering guidelines for stormwater drainage design
• Planning for stormwater, sediment and erosion control keyboard_arrow_right

  
  For single lot developments, we typically require a drainage plan and sediment control plan to be submitted with your Development Application.

  Large scale developments that involve extensive earthworks over a large area, such as a subdivision, typically require the following to be submitted with your development application:

  • a drainage catchment management plan
  • a soil and water management plan
  • an erosion and sediment control plan

  Generally we also require onsite stormwater detention, such as a sediment basin, to form part of the design. Soil and erosion control conditions placed on your development consent will vary depending on the type and scale of your development and site specific circumstances.

• Legal point of discharge keyboard_arrow_right

  Developers and builders are responsible for connecting a subdivision’s stormwater and drainage system to a legal point of discharge. This is to reduce the impact on neighbouring properties by managing stormwater on the premises and directing it into our stormwater drainage system.

• Technical requirements for stormwater keyboard_arrow_right

  You’ll find the technical requirements for stormwater management as follows:

  • the Building Code of Australia – standards for all aspects of building
  • Volume 3 of the National Construction Code – plumbing and drainage requirements for stormwater
  • Australian Standard AS/NZS 3500.3 Plumbing and Drainage – requirements for collecting roof water and surface water and discharging it through underground pipes to legal points of discharge.
• Know your obligations keyboard_arrow_right

  It is an offence to allow any substance other than rainwater to enter our stormwater drainage system. If pollution occurs, notify us immediately on 02 6023 8111.

  This allows for appropriate steps to be taken to minimise any harm to the environment and impacts on our stormwater drainage system.