Sustainability Report 2006/07Urban growth
Melbourne Water aims to ensure urban development achieves appropriate standards of flood protection while providing infrastructure in new growth areas that can protect water quality and the environment.
During 2007/08, we spent $32 million to reimburse developers for constructed works on 200 urban development projects.
We worked closely with VicRoads on the EastLink project to complete $17.6 million in water main, waterway, drain and sewerage alterations. In a world first, stormwater run-off from all 45 kilometres of Eastlink road surfaces is treated through a network of 60 wetlands, raingardens and other treatment measures before reaching local waterways.
A detailed survey of the West Street drain catchment in Hadfield has revealed that about 1000 properties would be subject to inundation to a one in 100-year storm event. Melbourne Water worked closely with the City of Moreland to include this information in the local planning scheme through a Special Building Overlay.
As the planning referral authority across the Port Phillip and Westernport region, we processed 9907 statutory applications (planning permit referrals from councils) compared with 9411 last year.
Our decision to prevent inappropriate development in floodplain areas was tested in the Victorian Civil Administration Tribunal, with the tribunal finding in our favour in relation to Kananook Creek in Frankston, Moonee Ponds Creek in Tullamarine, Darebin Creek in Ivanhoe, and the Yarra River in Toorak.
To improve urban stormwater impacts and reduce flooding risks associated with urban redevelopment, we are working with councils, developers and designers to include stormwater management requirements for residential buildings in the next generation five-star building standards. The proposed standards can be achieved with rainwater tanks or small raingardens.