6.2 Recommendation 

Value water in communities by prioritising a whole-of-water-cycle management approach and applying fit-for-purpose, fit-for-place and fit-for-people approaches. 

Proposed sponsor: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 

Supported by: State and territory planning departments

When this should impact:

Where this should impact:

6.2.1 Provide enhanced community benefits, including water security, public health, environmental health and urban resilience, by integrating management of water infrastructure throughout the whole water cycle. 

Proposed lead: Local governments, water utilities 

Supported by: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, state and territory water departments, state and territory essential service economic regulators

Clarify roles and responsibilities by reviewing stormwater infrastructure management, including governance, regulatory, pricing, physical and operational constraints. 

Proposed lead: State and territory water departments 

Supported by: State and territory essential service economic regulators, water utilities, local governments

Establish a national stormwater management framework that includes: 

•  objectives and principles for total water cycle management, including urban amenity and community and waterway health 

•  guidelines on roles and responsibilities for planning, operation and maintenance 

•  cost recovery mechanisms. 

Proposed lead: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 

Supported by: State and territory water departments

Assess existing stormwater infrastructure condition, capacity, location and management, and assess integration options. 

Proposed lead: State and territory water departments 

Supported by: Local governments, water utilities

Integrate potable water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure planning by assigning a single planner across the water cycle for greenfield development sites. 

Proposed lead: State and territory planning departments 

Supported by: Local governments, water utilities

Formalise roles and responsibilities for integrated water cycle management in established urban areas in alignment with a national stormwater management framework. 

Proposed lead: State and territory water departments 

Supported by: Local governments, water utilities

Establish sustainable and community-driven recovery of efficient costs, such as value sharing or levies, for stormwater infrastructure management. This should include urban waterway enhancements and re-naturalisation in alignment with a national stormwater management framework. 

Proposed lead: State and territory water departments 

Supported by: State and territory essential service economic regulators, local governments, water utilities

Embed a whole-of-water cycle management approach into long-term, large-scale (city or catchment - including both metropolitan and regional settings) urban planning by defining and implementing community-driven outcomes for public health, environmental (including ecological) health, amenity and urban resilience: 

•  Define clear community-driven objectives for water cycle management over the long term. 

•  Align long-term growth planning to community objectives. 

•  Ensure long-term growth plans recognise the value of water within the entire water cycle and identify dependencies of urban growth on water by incorporating best available data and water modelling. 

•  Identify water security risks and growth opportunities by applying the national water security framework. 

Proposed lead: State and territory planning departments 

Supported by: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, state and territory water departments, water utilities, local governments

Embed whole-of-water cycle management at the commencement stage of local land-use planning through formal arrangements between land-use planners and the water cycle planner. 

Proposed lead: State and territory planning departments 

Supported by: Local governments

6.2.2 Deliver safe, high-quality, secure, sustainable and fit-for-purpose water and wastewater services to remote and isolated communities by partnering with communities and water utilities, developing a funding pathway and monitoring strategies. 

Proposed lead: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 

Supporting agencies: State and territory municipal services departments, local governments, water utilities

Deliver secure, sustainable water and wastewater services to remote and isolated communities by implementing a funding pathway that considers whole-of-life cycle infrastructure and whole-of-water-cycle services. 

Proposed lead: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 

Supported by: State and territory water departments

Develop a comprehensive understanding of community dynamics that relate to water consumption, including access, use and preferences, as well as an assessment of water and wastewater infrastructure performance and condition. This should be done by undertaking a whole-of-service assessment. 

Proposed lead: State and territory municipal services departments 

Supported by: State and territory planning departments, local governments, water utilities, communities, local Aboriginal land councils

Deliver resilient and sustainable water and wastewater infrastructure that meets communities' needs by applying fit-for-purpose, fit-for-place and fit-for-people approaches that directly respond to whole-of-service assessments. 

Proposed lead: State and territory municipal services departments 

Supported by: State and territory planning departments, local governments, water utilities, communities, local Aboriginal land councils

Improve community health outcomes and introduce a total water cycle approach, including fit-for-purpose water use, by including sewerage services alongside potable water as part of minimum service standards for settlements in Remote Areas. 

Proposed lead: State and territory first minister's departments 

Supported by: State and territory planning departments, state and territory health departments, local governments, water utilities, communities, local Aboriginal land councils

Deliver co-designed, co-delivered water education and demand management strategies focusing on outdoor water use by partnering with community leaders and Aboriginal land councils. Education strategies should be delivered through schools and key community forums, incorporating preferred language and traditional knowledge. 

Proposed lead: State and territory municipal services departments 

Supported by: State and territory planning departments, state and territory health departments, local governments, water utilities, communities, local Aboriginal land councils, state and territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs agencies

Ensure community outcomes are being met consistently by implementing ongoing risk-based monitoring strategies. 

Proposed lead: State and territory municipal services departments 

Supported by: State and territory planning departments, state and territory health departments, local governments, water utilities, communities, local Aboriginal land councils, state and territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs agencies