Erosion and sediment control and urban stormwater
Supporting policy and best management practices for erosion and sediment control and urban stormwater management.
Erosion and sediment control and urban stormwater.Working with government and industry to develop, promote and implement policy and best management practices that facilitate urban development while minimising pollution emissions to our waterways.
The erosion and sediment control (ESC) and urban stormwater (USW) capacity building program is delivered through Healthy Land & Water’s Water by Design initiative.
The program has two themes: (1) Capacity building and (2) Science and policy.
The capacity building theme is designed to build ESC and USW capacity (knowledge, skills, on-ground experience, and committed resources) across government and industry. The science and policy theme is designed to ensure ESC and USW management solutions implemented by the government and industry are supported by leading research, innovation, and best practice design. This includes supporting policy and legislation reform to advance continual improvement.
What we are doing
The erosion and sediment control and urban stormwater capacity building program is:
- Improving the capacity of local government and industry to implement best practice ESC on all building, construction, and land development sites and USW design, operation, and maintenance.
- Informing local government, industry, and the community on best practice ESC and USW.
- Supporting ESC and USW management, policy, and legislation with leading research, innovation, and best practice design to advance continual improvement.
- Working with local governments and other stakeholders to ensure USW planning is integrated within catchment management to deliver cost-effective water cycle investments that improve local or regional water quality.
- Increasing government and industry compliance of building, construction, and land development sites to meet best practice and protect local waterways.
- Protecting and enhancing urban waterways whilst enabling the sustainable use of waterways and water resources.
Measuring success
The Water by Design team works with government, industry, and communities to improve awareness and uptake of best practice ESC and USW.
The program delivers a range of capacity building, awareness raising, and decision support tools, resources, and activities, including workshops and training events, Community of Practice events, partial embeds and joint site inspections with local governments, discussion papers, guidelines, and technical and design reports, decision support tools, and targeted communication products and campaigns.
The program is reducing the impact of sediment, nutrient, and litter pollution on waterways and communities in urban areas.
Why this project is important
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Improving water quality is critical for the health of urban waterways and their receiving waters. In Queensland, water quality decline from urban runoff has significant impacts on local waterways and downstream marine environments, including the internationally recognised Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland and our iconic Great Barrier Reef. Sediment can smother sensitive aquatic ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows and coral reefs, reducing light availability and causing die-offs. Sediment also carries other harmful pollutants with it, including nutrients, heavy metals, and synthetic ‘forever chemicals’, which can create toxic conditions for humans and aquatic life. To improve urban water quality, better implementation of best practice ESC and USW management is needed. This project builds the knowledge and skills of government and industry to achieve better urban water quality management outcomes. |
Project snapshot
| Project name: | Erosion and Sediment Control and Urban Stormwater Capacity Building program |
| Project manager: | Rachael Nasplezes, Healthy Land & Water |
| Catchment: | South East Queensland and Great Barrier Reef catchments |
| Timing: | 2011 – 2025 |
| Budget: | $100,000 (p.a.) |
| Partnerships: | The erosion and sediment control and urban stormwater capacity building program is funded through the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science. |
What's next
There is huge potential to build on the successful work.
Project collaborators
This project is supported by Healthy Land & Water, through funding from the Queensland Government's Department of Environment and Science.
