Our commitments are outlined in:

Stormwater Management Advisory Committee

The Minister for Planning established the Improving Stormwater Management Advisory Committee in April 2018.

The committee was asked to provide independent advice to the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Water on planning and development controls for improving stormwater management and strengthening the links between water management and urban planning.

More specifically the committee was asked to advise which types of development should be required to meet the current stormwater planning requirements and how this could be achieved. The committee was also asked to provide future policy directions on:

  • improving stormwater management
  • strengthening the links between urban water management and the planning and development system

After wide consultation, the committee recommended two short-term planning reforms and sixteen longer-term policy directions in August 2018.

The consultation and analysis showed strong support for changing the planning system to improve how we manage stormwater and encourage integrated water management (IWM).

Planning reforms

Planning reforms were announced on 19 October 2018 and came into effect when they were gazetted on Friday 26 October 2018. They include:

  • new provisions, under the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP), to expand the current stormwater management requirements to:
    • commercial subdivisions and developments
    • industrial subdivisions and developments
    • public use developments
    • residential multi-dwelling subdivisions and developments
  • a new Integrated water management clause in the state's Planning Policy framework (PPF) to embed IWM objectives and strategies into urban land-use planning.
  • For more information please refer to Planning Advisory Note 75 (PDF, 322.8 KB) or the accessible version (DOCX, 199.4 KB).

We understand that stormwater planning requirements are just one of a broader package of reforms needed to improve stormwater management and are currently considering the committee’s longer-term recommendations.  We will work closely with key stakeholders, and where relevant undertake broader consultation, to determine the most effective response and pathways for implementing these recommendations.

Close up of lush green grasses growing in the rain garden

Image courtesy GHD: Rain-garden at Edinburgh Gardens. GHD completed the project on behalf of the City of Yarra and Melbourne Water.

More information

Page last updated: 02/06/19