Bayside City Council has been recognised as an Australian leader in stormwater management for its groundbreaking new plan to clean and reduce the stormwater run-off from residential properties to Port Phillip Bay.

Bayside has won a state Stormwater Industry Association Award for its Clean Stormwater Amendment (C44) to the Bayside Planning Scheme.

Council initiated the amendment in partnership with the Association of Bayside Municipalities (ABM) to improve the way urban development deals with stormwater, and to protect Bayside’s and Melbourne’s waterways, including Port Phillip Bay.

Bayside is the first council to regulate to ensure that effective water sensitive urban designs are integrated into its planning scheme. It came into effect on 4 June 2009 following approval by the Minister for Planning Justin Madden, after more than four years of development and testing.

Mayor Cr James Long said he was delighted Bayside City Council and ABM were recognised as national leaders in stormwater management and believed other councils in the Port Phillip and Western Port regions would now follow suit.

“This is a wonderful achievement and a significant, long-term commitment by Bayside City Council and the ABM to protect our precious waterways,” Cr Long said.

“It will have lasting, positive effects for our environment and is an example of how local governments under their own initiative can work together to achieve outstanding results.

“Bayside is the first municipality in Australia to take this important step and is leading the way in incorporating stormwater management into the planning system in Victoria, attracting national interest.”

Cr Long said people who were proposing a development should contact Council to find out whether water sensitive design features would be required in their design.

“The amendment means that new planning applications will need to incorporate water sensitive urban design features, such as rain gardens, filtration systems, porous pavements and water tanks into the design,” Cr Long said.

“Incorporating water urban sensitive design features may avoid any potential delays at the approval stage.

“Precious rain that is currently washed through the stormwater system can be retained, reused and recycled in toilets, laundries and gardens.”

Bayside’s stormwater plan is supported by Melbourne Water, the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Association of Bayside Municipalities.

The award will be presented to Council on 27 October.