As a kid, I loved exploring creeks and mangrove forests. They were places I could escape and discover. I fell in love with the way the salt water mixed with the fresh, and how the water mixed with the land. I fell in love with the crabs, eels, mullet, puffer fish, yabbies and sometimes, […]
The Winner of the Young Professional of the Year 2021 is…
Oscar Bentham from Optimal Stormwater
The judges said: “Oscar Bentham is a young engineer working at Optimal Stormwater, delivering stormwater treatment projects to protect some of Sydney’s most iconic beaches with Randwick Council, including Coogee, Clovelly and Maroubra. Over the past two years he has […]
And the Winner for the Excellence in Policy or Education is…
Blacktown’s Community Stormwater Education Program By Blacktown City Council
The judges said: “This was a wonderful project adapted for pandemic times. It included such comprehensive suites of stormwater improvement initiatives with tangible outcomes and great evaluation techniques and most deserving of the award for this […]
And the Winner of the Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design is…
Gannons Park Water Quality Improvement and Stormwater Harvesting Scheme by Georges River Council, NSW Government, Australian Government, Alluvium & Civil Constructions
The judges said: “This was a great project with a site that demonstrates a very good example of how this style of design can […]
And the Winner of the Stormwater NSW Award for Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning is…
Integrating Recycled Water and Stormwater in the Mamre Road Precinct: A Template for Australia’s Largest Water Sensitive City by Sydney Water
The judges said: “This was an outstanding master planning and strategic document that will shape regional planning and represents […]
And the Winner of the Stormwater NSW Award for Excellence in Infrastructure is…
Manly – Safe and Beautiful once again by Northern Beaches Council & Optimal Stormwater
Excellence in Infrastructure:
The judes said “This is a project with an iconic reach, and very worthy of the category award. It has a great end result, which was inspiring. […]
And the Winner of the Stormwater NSW Award for Excellence in Research & Innovation is…
BOM the Builder: A Free Online Meteorological Template Generator by Cleanstormwater
Our judges said “Congratulations to Cleanstormwater for identifying the needs and benefits of this fantastic tool, it will save time and eliminate mistakes, and the bonus of being free is […]
And the Winner of the Stormwater NSW Award for Excellence in Asset Management is…
Johnstons Creek Naturalisation by Sydney Water, Diona & Thompson Berrill Landscape Design
The judges said “This is a very impressive project and certainly worth of recognition with an industry award. This is the thinking that we need for all concrete lined […]
Mary Rayner, Director of Operations at Stormwater Shepherds shares an article on the impact of untreated stormwater on our ecosystems. Toxic Microplastic Pollution from Vehicles Tyres_
This is a joint submission by the Cooks River Alliance (CRA), Georges Riverkeeper (GRK), the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG), and the Sydney Coastal Councils Group (SCCG), together they represent 23 of the 30 local Councils in Sydney.
Submission on Draft Catchment SEPP 2021
My passion for the environment and water stems from my upbringing mostly in Northern Ontario, Canada. We spent summers camping in Algonquin Park, winters ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, and hiking all year around. My parents put a lot of emphasise on the natural environment while my brother and I were growing up and the […]
The Cooks River Litter Prevention Strategy has a goal of halving the amount of litter entering the Cooks River by 2025. The strategy was recently finalised and has been endorsed by all four Cooks River Alliance member councils – Inner West, Canterbury Bankstown, Bayside and Strathfield.
Read the finalised strategy
The strategy will be launched at […]
Researchers at UNSW are conducting a project about how waters are known, placed and heard across the surface and subsurface waterscapes of eastern Sydney.
The research study is looking to interview people with an interest in water, from the urban design, planning, landscape architecture,
urban geography, and water engineering, management, and governance fields.
The research aims to […]
Welcome to the October 2021 edition of Stormcast!
We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater Queensland and Stormwater NSW to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
EVENTS
STORMWATER QUEENSLAND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Stormwater Queensland will host its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 20 October 2021, 12.30 […]
André completed a Bachelor Honours Degree in Petroleum Engineering which led to working in the energy sector. Whilst working in the field of energy/petroleum he developed a vast interest in environmental management, which along with his deep passion and love of the ocean made him change careers to stormwater management in pursuit of making […]
The Sydney Wetland Institute at Sydney Olympic Park is offering a free webinar 3-4pm 28 October 2021 presented by Damian McCann, Director of Australian Wetlands Consulting
The talk will provide an introduction to key principles in wetland design and construction along with example projects, construction costs and useful resources.
Register here, further information here.
The suburb of Rosemeadow has one of the lowest levels of tree canopy in the Greater Sydney region. The project explored ways to achieve the 40% canopy target through tree planting on public land including streets and open spaces that have a dual-purpose as stormwater overland flow infrastructure.
Increasing tree canopy cover is important for climate change adaptation in urban areas. […]
Due to the current lockdown in NSW, Stormwater NSW and partners have decided to postpone the franc.sydney conference until 2022.
The Conference will now be held on 29 and 30 March, 2022 at Dockside, Darling Harbour.
Our Keynote Speakers at franc.sydney are unchanged and all have a continued commitment to joining us in March 2022. They are:
· Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, Resilience NSW
· Gary Jubelin, […]
‘SUP’ in this instance stands for ‘single-use plastics’ (they are bad SUPs, stand-up paddle boards are good SUPs). SUPtember is a month of activities aimed at reducing the amount of plastic in our environment. A range of organisations run activities for SUPtember, including Paddle NSW who are running clean up challenges to collect rubbish while […]
My road to stormwater definitely originated in concern for our waterways. I’m a swimmer, diver, kayaker, whitewater paddler, and skiier. Basically if it’s in water, on water, or water-related I love it. Water is where I find my peace. When I left school I spent a year working on a station in Queensland. It […]
I currently work at Camden Council as the Team Leader Floodplain Management, and I manage grant funded flood studies, floodplain risk management plans and associated projects. In general, it is my responsibility to manage stormwater and development in the floodplain across the LGA, and in particular develop strategies for the Integrated Water Cycle Management […]
Back by popular demand, our very own Vice-President Dr Andrew Thomas and Daniel Rider from Blacktown Council will talk about the Council’s compliance program at 12:30 PM on Thursday 26th August 2021.
In 2012, Blacktown City Council established a Water Sensitive Urban Design Compliance Program. A first of its kind in Australia, the Program aims to […]
Stormwater NSW have reimagined their state conference and the inaugural franc.sydney conference will be held on the 8th and 9th of November in Sydney. With the support of Stormwater Queensland, Stormwater Victoria, The Sydney Institute of Marine Science, the Parramatta River Catchment Group and the Georges Riverkeeper; this conference aims to join stakeholders in […]
I am an Environmental scientist specialising in fluvial geomorphology and waterway management. I’m also a daughter, sister, wife, mum of two and a yoga enthusiast. Some of my favourite childhood memories involve swimming in the Bega River, and I think these times led me to my vocation in life.
I have been with Sydney Water […]
Entries for the 2021 Stormwater NSW Awards for Excellence are Now Open.
The 2021 Awards for Excellence will encourage and celebrate excellence in stormwater management and importantly the people involved!
Entries are now invited for the below award categories:
Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning
Excellence in Infrastructure
Excellence in Asset Management
Excellence in Research and Innovation
[…]
After 9 years of research and international impact, the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) has wrapped up, but it’s legacy will continue through Water Sensitive Cities Australia, part of the Monash Sustainability Development Institute.
The CRCWSC began in 2012 with a vision to build sustainable, resilient and liveable cities and towns. As a partnership […]
I have worked in state and local government in environmental and catchment management roles throughout my career. As I gain more experience, I realise that in these agencies there is a strong desire to manage our environment better but a number of common barriers inhibit this progress. These include financial, the fear of change […]
The Parramatta River Catchment Group has been awarded the National Stormwater Australia Award for Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning.
The Parramatta River Masterplan Duba, Budu, Barra, Ten Steps to a Living River was recognised as an exemplar plan that provides a comprehensive strategy, supported by evidence-based science, collaboration, cultural sensitivity and community decision making, […]
Optimal Stormwater and City of Sydney have been awarded the Stormwater National Award in the category of Excellence in Asset Management.
The project, Knowledge, Integration and Commitment – How the City of Sydney and Optimal Stormwater have massively enhanced Stormwater Asset Management to Protect one of Australia’s Greatest Jewels
This project had the following key elements:
[…]
The residents of Dubbo have expressed a strong desire to protect water quality in the Macquarie River running through the town, and Council has delivered.
In late 2020 Dubbo Regional Council selected Optimal Stormwater for the design and construction of 3 new Gross Pollutant Traps.
One was a new OceanSave GPT from Ocean Protect on 18ha. […]
The Western Parkland City is already growing and we need to think carefully about what, where and when infrastructure is needed for those people who live, work, play and do business in the City.
As part of the Western Sydney City Deal, the Greater Sydney Commission is leading the delivery of the Place-based Infrastructure Compact […]
See Stormwater NSW’s response to the National Water Reform Draft Report 2020
This National Water Reform draft report assesses the progress of the Australian, State and Territory governments towards achieving the objectives and outcomes of the National Water Initiative (NWI), and provides practical advice on future directions for national water reform. As part of our […]
Welcome to the April edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
Sydney Water in partnership with the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG), has recently released its recommendations paper titled “Strategic and Statutory Planning Review to Create Our Living River”. They have created a short video to give an overview of the recommendations contained within the paper. The consultancy team from Civille and Macquarie University will be holding […]
The theme for this conference Water Sensitive Practice. Every city. Every day. —highlights the real potential of water sensitive cities. The conference is FREE for all participants, with a mix of face-to-face and on-line activities. Most of the conference is virtual except for Tuesday 16 March, with an optional in-person event followed by a […]
I had the privilege of becoming a committee member for Stormwater NSW in late 2019 after having been awarded a full scholarship that I received from the association to undertake a nine-month Water Leadership Program with the International Water Center. This was a truly transformative course for me and am grateful hat Stormwater NSW […]
We would like to thank Stormwater Queensland for recognising our involvment in the innovative “Zero Litter to Ocean” Program with Ocean Protect. We won the Excellence in Policy or Education category at their recent Stormwater Awards ceremony.
Here is what Stormwater Queensland had to say:
“This project made a significant contribution to water quality policy in […]
Welcome to the February edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
The CRC is wrapping up after 9 years! That’s 9 years of developing tools, guidelines and products. To highlight some of these and how they have been used, Stormwater NSW has partnered with the NSW RAP to host an integrated program of webinars, leading up to the final CRCWSC conference in March 2021.
You might […]
Don’t worry if you missed any of the webinars from December 2020. The recordings are now available:
NSW Webinar Series – Webinar 2 – Water Sensitive City Index and Transition Dynamics Framework PART 1
NSW Webinar Series – Webinar 3 – Water Sensitive City Index and Transition Dynamics Framework PART 2
NSW Webinar Series – Webinar 4 – Passively Irrigated Landscapes
Once again, Stormwater NSW will be supporting the International WaterCentre ‘s Water Leadership Program by donating a half scholarship for the 2021 Program.
This is an award-winning program that helps emerging leaders to develop the ability to exert influence, drive change and advance challenging integrated water management projects.
This year’s #SNSW scholarship has been awarded to Jocelyn Ellero. Jocelyn […]
The NSW Government has launched an online survey campaign to review a component of the NSW Water Quality Objectives. The survey aims to understand how communities in coastal NSW value and use their waterways. The survey is available here and open from 18 December 2020 until 5pm on 26 February 2021.
The information gathered will be […]
Welcome to the Christmas edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
Welcome to the November edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
I know I am a ‘stormie’ for several reasons, but one of the more amusing is that (sometimes to the annoyance of my wife and even my two daughters) I find myself itching to get outside when it’s raining to see our systems in action and what I can learn. My interest in urban […]
Welcome to the October edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
Planning for a Water Sensitive City – why it’s important for metro and regional Councils
Many Councils have recently developed or are in the process of developing Local Strategic Planning Statements (LSPS) and have included the importance of water sensitive design and the intention to strategically manage water in all of its forms.
The Cooperative Research […]
Nigel has been a Committee Member of Stormwater NSW since 2017 and part of the stormwater industry since the 1990s. Nigel is the only non-Sydney representative on the committee, based in Newcastle.
Nigel’s interest in stormwater started as a cadet with the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, serving as the RTA representative on the Stormwater […]
“Of Leadership and Labradoodles: Do troubling times warrant a new breed of leader?”
Millions of dollars and countless hours spent on executive coaching, professional image consultants, corporate training courses, seminars, webinars, conferences books and blogs… yet we still suffer a vacuum of leadership. What are we doing wrong? What are we missing? Is it really […]
Sydney Water has released their Urban Typologies and Stormwater Management Report, in partnership with Bligh Tanner and Architectus, which demonstrates the benefits of integrated water cycle management for the Parkland City.
The report shows that temperatures in outer Western Sydney could be reduced by as much as 4.6 degrees by retaining stormwater and innovative planning […]
Northern Beaches Council are recruiting a number of positions in their Floodplain and Stormwater Management Team in the Environment and Climate Change Group. They are working on lots of exciting things, including applying their new Zero Waste to Ocean Charter. These are some of the roles that are available:
Engineer – Stormwater Assets
Stormwater Assets Technician
Team […]
Check out this video on the Greater Sydney Harbour Coastal Management Program
The vision of a ‘water sensitive’ city where water, in all its forms, is valued and used wisely has been laid out in ‘Six streams’, Blacktown City Council’s Integrated water strategy 2020.
The actions in ‘Six streams’ commit Council to ambitious targets to be achieved by 2036. The strategy covers the management of water in all […]
Murray Powell joined the association in 1994 and joined the committee in 1996, and has been an integral part of the association ever since.
He started life at the NSW EPA, then joined CDS Technologies, that was acquired by Rocla, he did a short stint with a consultancy and a council then started Optimal Stormwater […]
Life Memberships
At the 2020 Stormwater NSW Annual General Meeting, I had the honour of bestowing life membership upon three long serving members of the Committee; Brett Phillips, Murray Powell and Peter Bennett. I’d like to reiterate the congratulations and thanks to these gentlemen, who have served the Committee faithfully for over 20 years.
Dr Brett […]
SPEL Stormwater proudly presents a research webinar on Constructed Floating Wetlands – The role of plants in pollutant removal from urban stormwater runoff, with Dr. Peter Schwammberger.
11am Friday 25th September (45 minutes with a 15-minute Q&A session after the presentation)
Register here
Guest Speaker Dr. Peter Schwammberger will be presenting his research into rapid plant responses following […]
Welcome to the Stormwater NSW Stormwater 2020 Annual Report.
Stormwater NSW started the year by setting some long-term goals that we felt would enhance the value we offer our members. We felt that by growing and broadening membership we could add value to the industry by demonstrating how integral the management of stormwater is to our […]
This position sits within the Natural Systems division of MidCoast Council and is responsible for water quality development assessment, strategic stormwater and estuary planning, policy development, continuous improvement, community and industry capacity building and education and project implementation.
We are looking for an experienced Environmental Officer with passion for estuaries and water quality to join our team and contribute to […]
Stormwater NSW has an on-going relationship with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS). The SIMS is looking for research collaborators to partner with. Given the impact of urban stormwater on the health of our waterways, we strongly encourage members to consider the proposed research collaboration outlined below. By working together our industry becomes […]
I joined Stormwater NSW (previously named the Stormwater Industry Association, NSW) in 2003 and have served as the Stormwater NSW Treasurer since 2007.
In 2012 I received the Stormwater Industry Association National President’s Award.
In August 2020 I was humbled to be made a Life Member of Stormwater NSW.
I am currently a Global Senior Principal of […]
Stormwater Victoria and Stormwater Queensland are hosting a combined webinar ‘WSUD Audit, Maintenance and Rectification Insights for Assest 5-15 Years Old’
Date: Thursday, 17th September 2020
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Pricing: Free
This webinar will cover a range of design and construction suggestions, gleaned from years of observation and auditing systems, and more recently of maintaining […]
Join us on 26 August at 10:30 AM (AEST). Register here.
Ocean Protect and Stormwater NSW are focusing on a zero waste to ocean initiative, which aligns strongly with CSIRO’s Mission to End Plastic Waste. We’re targeting a 90% reduction of plastic entering the environment from waste mismanagement by 2025. We’re focusing on 5 main […]
Did you miss our latest webinar series: The State of WSUD in NSW?
In case you missed the webinars or want to share the information with your colleagues, the full webinar recordings are now available online via the Stormwater NSW website.
Click here to watch now.
Don’t miss our next webinar on Ending Plastic Waste to […]
This is a reminder that Stormwater NSW will hold its Annual General Meeting for all members on Thursday, 20th August, 2020 via zoom from 9.00 am until 9.45 am.
Attendees must register in advance of the meeting by clicking on the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuc-qgpjgrGtwExdW8bSX2DBzNwPbcVwwi After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about […]
Welcome to the July edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
If you are looking for more information on the International Water Centre’s Leadership Program, and the scholarships on offer. Please have a look at this video, from the IWC, or view the slide pack from the presentation.
The deadline for scholarship applications is 1st September 2020
Further details on the Stormwater NSW IWC Scholarship can be […]
Great news for emerging stormwater leaders, Stormwater NSW is offering a half scholarship!
The International WaterCentre (IWC) in collaboration with Stormwater NSW are currently offering a Water Leadership Program Scholarship (to the value of $6,250) for water utility professionals working in NSW interested in joining the next intake of the Water Leadership Program starting in […]
Ocean Protect have created this short animation to explain how consumer waste contaminates the ocean. This animation is free to use and share.
Welcome to the June edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
Jocelyn joined the Stormwater NSW committee in mid-2019 with a desire to get to know the ‘real’ stormwater industry (outside of working for a consultancy firm).
Her interest in stormwater was sparked while at University when she interned with Blacktown City Council’s Drainage team. Here she got exposure to drainage design and water quality modelling […]
Jeremy is the vice president of Stormwater NSW and Co-Founder of Ocean Protect.
A Kiwi born and bred, with a huge passion for the environment, Jeremy has called Sydney’s Northern Beaches home for the past 20 years. He lives and breathes the ocean and is dedicated to turning the tide on its demise.
Jeremy and Michael […]
Sydney Water has engaged Optimal Stormwater to do the Auditing of the first 10 of their GPTs. These are the hardest, largest and most problematic historically. Its great that Sydney Water is now spending millions on wetlands and bioretention solutions, but its also important they are getting the full value from their 70 large […]
Welcome to the May edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link here
My position at Water NSW is Catchment Programs Manager and I am the President of Stormwater NSW.
How long have you been working and what do you do at WaterNSW?
I’ve been in the water industry for nearly 25 years working through a range of catchment related positions. My current job is to influence people who […]
Engineers Australia and StormwaterNSW have run a well received webinar.
On the 5th of May, Murray Powell (Secretary at StormwaterNSW) held a webinar with nearly 500 viewers who learnt more about the new Guidelines for the Maintenance of Stormwater Treatment Measures. The one hour webinar, hosted by Engineers Australia, included a lively question and answer […]
Welcome to the April edition of Stormcast. We have packed this edition with the latest news and events from both Stormwater NSW and Stormwater Queensland to give you a broad insight into our industry and association across the nation.
Follow the link https://mailchi.mp/ed8f4044ede5/stormcast-november-1524829
Stormwater NSW is committed to providing industry leadership on best practice stormwater management and we have recently released our position statement on sustainable funding for stormwater management.
We are actively advocating the state government on your behalf to increase the stormwater management service charge (SMSC) to the same rate as charged by Sydney Water. We […]
I joined the Stormwater Industry Association five years ago. I did so because I realised that in order to effect real change, it is not enough to work within ‘the system’. You also need to work beyond it, pushing it to grow and evolve. But what keeps me in the association are the people […]
Inner West Council have just released this great resource Green Roofs, Walls and Facades Technical Guidelines.
The Guidelines provide technical advice to support the installation of green roofs, walls and facades. Inner West Council hopes they will increase the uptake of vertical greening in the LGA to improve liveability and resilience, by providing practical information […]
IPART has just released the Draft Report and Draft Determination of the maximum prices that the Hunter Water Corporation can charge, for water, wastewater, stormwater and other services from 1 July 2020.
IPART is seeking stakeholder feedback on its draft decisions. Stakeholder submissions can be made on their website and are due by 9 April […]
The Blacktown International Sportspark, in Sydney’s west is an elite international sporting facility, which requires substantial volumes of water for irrigation. The Angus Creek stormwater harvesting and reuse scheme extracts excess stormwater flows from Angus Creek and harvests stormwater runoff from the Sportspark’s hard surfaces, to irrigate the Sportspark and neighbouring reserves. This supplies […]
I am an Environmental scientist with more than 20 years’ experience in environmental planning and waterway management. I consider myself to be a leader, collaborator, influencer and strategic thinker and aim to achieve good environmental, community, and economic outcomes in all projects I am involved with.
I am currently working with Blacktown City Council as […]
Stormwater NSW is pleased to announce the publication of these Guidelines for the Maintenance of Stormwater Treatment Measures. These Guidlines will assist owners and operators of stormwater treatment infrastructure to inspect, identify issues and identify maintenance responses. These Guidelines are released in conjunction with a training program across Australia. For more information please contact […]
The CSIRO has carried out research on the sources of marine debris (all anthropogenic litter). Litter loads in watercourses have been identified as high and stormwater has been highlighted as a key mechanism for transporting litter from land to ocean. Vitally stormwater treatment is seen as a key intervention to capture litter (second to […]
At this year’s Stormwater 2018 National Conference the highly anticipated and long awaited NSW Guidelines for Maintenance of Stormwater Treatment Measures (draft) was launched.
As part of this launch, Murray Powell from Optimal Stormwater/Stormwater NSW held a full day workshop outlining the Guidelines content, and how this document will assist maintenance managers, cleaning contractors and […]
As part of the 2016-2020 review of Sydney Water’s prices, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) introduced a new low impact charge for stand-alone, residential stormwater properties. This new charge seeks to reward customers who have made significant investment in reducing their stormwater impact.
The charge came into effect on 1 July 2017 and is […]
Stormwater NSW has convinced the NSW Independent Pricing and Remuneration Tribunal (IPART) that stormwater quality treatment devices should be considered ‘essential’ when it comes to allocating developer levies in growth centres.
This should lead to millions of dollars worth of extra investment in stormwater quality improvement devices in NSW alone.
IPART is the NSW Tribunal that […]
