Linking Urban Planning and Water Planning to Achieve Sustainable Development and Liveability Outcomes in the New Growth Areas of Melbourne, Australia

The city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, provides a number of examples of how a growing city can integrate urban planning and water planning to achieve sustainable urban development, environmental protection, liveability and integrated water management outcomes, and move towards becoming a “Water Sensitive City". Three examples are provided - the development at Botanic Ridge, where a 318 hectare residential development is being planned and where integrated water management options are being implemented using a “triple bottom line" sustainability investment approach; the Toolern development, which will capture and reuse stormwater and recycled water to greatly reduce the suburb-s demand for potable water, and the development at Kalkallo where a 1,200 hectare industrial precinct development is planned which will merge design of the development's water supply, sewerage services and stormwater system. The Paper argues that an integrated urban planning and water planning approach is fundamental to creating liveable, vibrant communities which meet social and financial needs while being in harmony with the local environment. Further work is required on developing investment frameworks and risk analysis frameworks to ensure that all possible solutions can be assessed equally.


Authors:



References:
[1] El Nasser, H. (2011) "World population hits 7 billion", USA TODAY,
31 October 2011, accessed at http://www.usatoday.com
[2] United Nations Population Fund (2011) "The State of World Population 2011 - People and Possibilities in a World of 7 Billion", accessed at
http://foweb.unfpa.org/SWP2011/reports/EN-SWOP2011-FINAL.pdf.
[3] Patel, S., Vanderbilt, T., Sassen, S., Dobbs, R., Sankhe, S., Despommier, D., Matthew, R., Dahlsen, J., and Mead, E. (2010) "The
New Urbanism: In the Future, What Will Our Cities Look Like?", World Policy Journal, Volume 27, Number 4, Winter 2010/2011, pp. 3-7.
[4] Lundy, L. and Wade, R. (2011) "Integrating sciences to sustain urban ecosystem services", Progress in Physical Geography 35(5), pp 653 -669.
[5] Kidd, S. and Shaw, D., (2007) "Integrated water resource management
and institutional integration: realising the potential of spatial planning in
England", The Geographical Journal, Volume 173, Number 4, pp 312 -329.
[6] Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities (2011), "Sustainable Australia - Sustainable
Communities: A Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia", Canberra, accessed at
http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/population/index.html.
[7] National Water Commission (2011) "Urban water in Australia: future
directions", accessed at http://nwc.gov.au/.
[8] Colebatch, T., (2011) "City-s population explosion", "The Age" newspaper, 1 April 2011, accessed at:
http://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/citys-populationexplosion-
20110331-1cng1.html.
[9] Department of Sustainability and Environment (2011) "Living
Melbourne, Living Victoria Roadmap", Ministerial Advisory Council
for the Living Melbourne Living Victoria Plan for Water, accessed at
http://www.water.vic.gov.au/programs/living-victoria/living-victoriaroadmap.
[10] Dagge, J. (2012) "Melbourne struggling as population booms", The
Sunday Herald-Sun newspaper, 25 March 2012, accessed at
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/.
[11] Committee for Melbourne (2012) "Planning for Melbourne-s future -
our greatest challenge in 2012", The Melbourne Review, 22 February
2012, accessed at http://www.melbournereview.com.au/read/203/.
[12] Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (2011a) "Executive Summary -
Literature & Practice, Review", January 2011, accessed at
http://www.watersensitivecities.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Executive-
Summary-Jan-2011.pdf.
[13] International Water Centre (2010) Applied research background
information at http://www.watercentre.org.
[14] International Water Association (2010) “Montreal Declaration on Cities
of the Future”, accessed at http://www.iwahq.org/.
[15] Coombes, P. (2011) “Transitioning to a resilient, liveable and
sustainable greater Melbourne - Initial Response to the Living Victoria
Ministerial Advisory Council”, a report from Bonacci Water, accessed
at http://www.water.vic.gov.au/initiatives/living-victoria/consultantreports/
study-1dr.-peter-coombes.
[16] Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (2011b) “Blueprint 2011 - Stormwater
Management in a Water Sensitive City”, (2011), Monash University,
Wong T.H.F., Allen R., Beringer J., Brown R.R., Chaudhri V., Deletic
A., Fletcher T.D., Gernjak W., Hodyl L., Jakob C., Reeder M., Tapper
N. and Walsh C., accessed at:
http://www.watersensitivecities.org.au/wpcontent/
uploads/blueprint2011_Jan%202011%20ISBN%20version%20
FINAL.pdf.
[17] Roy, A., Wenger, S., Fletcher, T., Walsh, C., Ladson, A., Shuster, W.,
Thurston, H., & Brown, R., (2008) “Impediments and Solutions to
Sustainable, Watershed-Scale Urban Stormwater Management: Lessons
from Australia and the United States”, Environmental Management,
42(2), 344-59, Accessed from ABI/INFORM Global - Document ID:
1897094611.
[18] European Union (2000) “The European Union Water Framework
Directive - integrated river basin management for Europe”, accessed at
http://eur-lex.europa.eu.
[19] Van Roon, M. (2005) “Emerging approaches to urban ecosystem
management: the potential of low impact urban design and development
principles”, Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and
Management, 7(1), pp 125-148.
[20] CSIRO (1999), “Urban Stormwater: Best Practice Environmental
Management Guidelines”, ISBN 0 643 09350 8 (E-book version);
Accessed at http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/197/issue/3822.htm.
[21] Council of Australian Governments, (2004), “Intergovernmental
Agreement on a National Water Initiative”, accessed at
http://www.nwc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/18208/Intergovern
mental-Agreement-on-a-national-water-initiative2.pdf.
[22] Corbett, D., (2010a) “Achieving sustainable stormwater management in
Melbourne, Australia, as part of the journey to a water sensitive city”,
Paper presented at the International Conference on sustainable
techniques and strategies in urban water management, Lyon, France,
July 2010.
[23] Water Sensitive Cities Tour 2009, website at
http://watersensitivecities09.com/wordpress/
[24] Wong, T and Brown, R. (2010), “The water sensitive city: principles for
practice”, Water Science and Technology, Volume 60, Number 3, pg
673-683, IWA Publishing.
[25] Donofrio, J., Kuhn, Y., McWalter, K., and Winsor, M., (2009) “Water-
Sensitive Urban Design: An Emerging Model in Sustainable Design and
Comprehensive Water-Cycle Management”, Environmental Practice,
11(3), 179-189, Accessed from ProQuest Science Journals - Document
ID: 1883596841.
[26] Ewert, J., Edwards, P., and Pendergast, M. (2011) “Sustainable,
Liveable and Prosperous” – Melbourne’s Pathway to Reform in Urban
and Water Planning”, A Paperpresented at the Cities of the Future
conference in Sustainable Urban Planning and Water Management,
Stockholm, Sweden, 22 - 25 May 2011.
[27] Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Canberra, (2011) “Our
Cities, Our Future - A national urban policy for a productive,
sustainable and liveable future”, accessed at
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/mcu/files/Our_Cities_N
ational_Urban_Policy_Paper_2011.pdf.
[28] Urrutiaguer, M., Rossrakesh, S., Potter, M., Ladson, A., and Walsh, C.J.
(2012) “Using Directly Connected Imperviousness Mapping to Inform
Stormwater Management Strategies”, Paper presented at the 7th
International Conference on Water Sensitive Urban Design, 21–23
February 2012, Melbourne, Australia.
[29] Department of Planning and Community Development (2010),
“Delivering Melbourne’s newest sustainable communities”, (2010)
accessed at
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/plansandpolicies/planningformelb
ourne/planninghistory/deliveringmelbournesnewestsustainablecommunit
ies
[30] Department of Planning and Community Development (2002)
“Melbourne 2030 – Planning for sustainable growth”, accessed at http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/plansandpolicies/planningformelb
ourne/planninghistory/melbourne2030.
[31] Department of Planning and Community Development (2005) “A Plan
for Melbourne’s Growth Areas”, accessed at
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/plansandpolicies/planningformelb
ourne/planninghistory/a-plan-for-melbournes-growth-areas.
[32] Growth Areas Authority, Melbourne, Victoria, (2009) “Precinct
Structure Planning Note - Integrated Water Management”, accessed at
http://www.gaa.vic.gov.au/PSPGuidelines/.
[33] Government of Victoria, “Water Act 1989”, accessed at
http://corrigan.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/wa198983/.
[34] Government of Victoria, Planning and Environment Act 1987”,
accessed at
http://corrigan.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/paea1987254/
[35] Melbourne Water (2007) “Principles for Provision of Waterway and
Drainage Services for Urban Growth”, accessed at
http://www.melbournewater.com.au/
[36] Corbett, D., (2010b) “Moving towards sustainable stormwater
management in the new growth areas of Melbourne – achieving results
by partnerships, policies and persuasion”; Paper presented at
“Stormwater 2010 - National Conference of the Stormwater Industry
Association of Australia”, Sydney, November 2010.
[37] Department of Sustainability and Environment (2006), “Victorian
Planning Provisions Practice Note – Clause 56 residential subdivision”,
accessed at: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au
[38] Growth Areas Authority (2011a) “Botanic Ridge Precinct Structure
Plan”, accessed at http://www.gaa.vic.gov.au/
[39] Growth Areas Authority (2011b) “Botanic Ridge newsletter – November
2011”, accessed at
http://webadmin.gaa.vic.gov.au/Assets/Files/Botanic%20Ridge%20new
sletter.pdf
[40] Liner, B., and deMonsabert, S. (2011) “Balancing the Triple Bottom
Line in Water Supply Planning for Utilities”, Journal of Water
Resources Planning and Management 137, 335.
[41] Growth Areas Authority, Melbourne, Victoria (2011c) “Toolern Precinct
Structure Plan”, accessed at http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au
[42] Government of Victoria (2010) “Toolern sets new standard for water
management”, press release from the Victorian Minister for Water, 24
August 2010, accessed at http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/mediacentre/
media-releases/1781-toolern-sets-new-standard-for-watermanagement.
html
[43] Western Water (2011) “Western Water Corporate Report 2010/11”,
accessed at
http://www.westernwater.com.au/aboutus/Pages/AnnualReports.aspx
[44] Wong, T., Allen, R., Brown, R. et al. (2011), “Transitioning to a
resilient, liveable and sustainable greater Melbourne (localised case
studies)”, Report prepared for the Living Victoria Ministerial Advisory
Council, accessed at http://www.water.vic.gov.au/programs/livingvictoria2/
consultant-reports/study-2-professor-tony-wong
[45] Yarra Valley Water (2010) “Yarra Valley Water awarded for stormwater
harvesting project at Merrifield”, Media Release from Yarra Valley
Water 4 January 2010, accessed at http://www.yvw.com.au
[46] Morison, P.J. and Chesterfield, C. (2012) “Enhancing the management
of urban stormwater in a new paradigm”, Paper presented at the 7th
International Conference on Water Sensitive Urban Design, 21–23
February 2012, Melbourne, Australia.
[47] Moglia, M., Cook, S., Sharma, A., & Burn, S. (2011) “Assessing
Decentralised Water Solutions: Towards a Framework for Adaptive
Learning”, Water Resources Management, 25(1), 217-238. Accessed
from ABI/INFORM Global - Document ID: 2215187601.
[48] Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (2012) “Blueprint 2012: Stormwater
Management in a Water Sensitive City”, Monash University, Wong
T.H.F., Allen R., Beringer J., Brown R.R., Deletic A., Fletcher T.D.,
Gangadharan, L., Gernjak W., Jakob C., O’Loan, T., Reeder M., Tapper
N. and Walsh C., The Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Monash
Sustainability Institute, Monash University, accessed at
http://www.watersensitivecities.org.au
[49] Melbourne Water (2012) “Integrated Water Management Strategy
Discussion Paper (Draft)” – internal document.
[50] Martinez, S., Escolero, O., and Wolf, L., (2011) “Total Urban Water
Cycle Models in Semiarid Environments - Quantitative Scenario
Analysis at the Area of San Luis Potosi, Mexico”, Water Resources
Management, 25(1), 239-263. Accessed from ABI/INFORM Global -
Document ID: 2215187611.
[51] Department of Sustainability and Environment (2012), “Living
Melbourne Living Victoria Implementation Plan”, Ministerial Advisory
Council for the Living Melbourne Living Victoria Plan for Water,
accessed at
http://www.water.vic.gov.au/initiatives/livingvictoria/governmentresponse