FAQs
What is water sensitive urban design?
Water sensitive urban design is a scientific and holistic approach to planning and designing urban areas that manages water in a sustainable way. A water sensitive urban design approach to urban development helps reduce pollution, save water, cool our cities and protect natural ecosystems, all while improving quality of life for communities.
Why is water sensitive urban design important for Wollongong?
Wollongong’s distinctive landscape including steep escarpments and flat coastal plains creates complex water flow challenges. Fast runoff, slow drainage and sandy soils make tailored water management essential. Water sensitive urban design helps keep our waterways and Lake Illawarra clean, reduces flooding, supports wildlife and creates greener, cooler neighbourhoods, especially important as our climate changes.
How does water sensitive urban design help with climate resilience?
Water sensitive urban design helps communities adapt to climate change by reducing flood risks, cooling urban areas, conserving water and supporting biodiversity. These strategies make our neighbourhoods more liveable and better prepared for extreme weather.
How does a water sensitive urban design approach to development benefit the community beyond the environment?
Water sensitive urban design isn’t just about water, it also improves the places we live. It can create greener, more attractive streets and parks, reduce heat in urban areas and even lower water bills through reuse systems such as rainwater tanks. These benefits support healthier, more connected and more enjoyable communities for everyone.
Who needs to follow the water sensitive urban design guidelines?
Developers, planners and anyone proposing new developments or major renovations in Wollongong should follow the water sensitive urban design guidelines outlined in Chapter E15. The goal is to ensure all projects contribute to a healthier, more sustainable city.
How will the changes affect developers?
The updates to Council’s E15 Water Sensitive Urban Design Chapter offer developers clearer guidance and practical support through resources like the Technical Guidebook and Engineering Series, making it easier to plan and implement water sensitive urban design from the outset. These changes reduce design uncertainty and costs, promote environmentally sensitive solutions that are easier to maintain and help developers meet performance targets more efficiently. By embedding water sensitive urban design into projects early, developers can deliver greener, more attractive communities that align with public expectations, leading to smoother approvals and happier residents.
How will Council support developers?
Across all Councils in NSW, the need to consider water sensitive urban design is becoming more common component of contemporary urban design.
We deeply value the opportunities development in our area provides to the local economy and community and we and promise to listen, take on feedback and support and guide developers through these changes when they take place.
Additionally, upon with the release of the updated E15 Water Sensitive Urban Design Chapter, Council will make a wide range of resources such as factsheets, checklists, guides, Model for Urban Stormwater Improvement Conceptualisation modelling sequencies and data, meteorological and soil data, as well as design, construction, maintenance and guides, freely accessible on our website to support developers through the changes.
How will my feedback be used?
The project team will review all the feedback we heard from the community during the engagement period.
All feedback is important and is one factor in the decision-making process for Council. The graphic below shows some of the factors we consider in our decision making:
What happens next?
The project team will consider all feedback received and the Development Control Plan - Chapter E15 may be varied as necessary.
A report will be prepared for Council detailing what was heard and present recommendations on final amendments.
Council will consider this report and provide a resolution on how to proceed.
All those that have given feedback will be notified of the date of the Council meeting and how to view the relevant documents.