State and territory water policy departments must clearly define water management responsibilities throughout the total water cycle. In particular, the responsibilities for stormwater and drainage management must be clearly articulated and integrated into the broader planning and management of water.
Currently, stormwater management is largely the responsibility of local government, while water supply and wastewater management is the responsibility of water utilities (except for some regional areas of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland).55
State and territory planning departments must better integrate water managers at the commencement stage of land-use planning. The South Creek catchment in Western Sydney (see case study) is an example of how early incorporation of water management into land-use planning can enhance liveability.
State and territory economic regulators should value stormwater and determine a sustainable funding mechanism for stormwater harvesting.
Local government, water utilities and developers have different responsibilities for funding waterway management and stormwater projects across Jurisdictions.56 Deploying nationally consistent mechanisms for recovering costs from beneficiaries (direct and indirect) and defining funding responsibilities among agencies will deliver better outcomes.