Stormwater charges will improve shire infrastructure
August 22, 2007: The new storm water management charge in the 2007/08 rates notice is still causing concern to some residents following a campaign that has resulted in wrong information being delivered to the public.
Council’s Engineering Services Director Doug Mein said a poster campaign wrongly claimed that people who did not have kerb and guttering did not have to pay the stormwater charge.
“The Stormwater Management Service Charge was approved for implementation by Bega Valley Shire Councillors on July 1, 2007 and the charge is expected to collect about $250,000 per year.
“Most eligible property owners are being charged $25 for the service with a $12.50 charge for strata units. The State guidelines for the charge allow Council to assess commercial properties on an area basis. If Council implements this method in the 2008/09 financial year for commercial properties then the maximum charge applicable to them is $100.
“Property owners are responsible for the management of stormwater that falls on their property or naturally runs across it.
“Once a property owner discharges their stormwater it generally becomes the responsibility of council as the water flows into a publicly managed stormwater system.”
Such systems include:
- Roadside kerb, gutter and drainage pits
- Built infrastructure such as piped drainage systems, pits and gross pollutant traps
- Formed overland drains and detention basins
- Natural wetlands, creeks and rivers
These systems can be utilised to control the amount of water as well as improve the water quality as it is discharged into the natural environment.
Mr Mein said the collected funds would be used to improve the performance of Council’s stormwater management by upgrading and providing infrastructure to:
- reduce stormwater inundation on private property and
- improve quality of stormwater discharges into waterways.
“The charges apply generally to specified villages and towns but not to rural areas,” Mr Mein said.
“However we do have exemptions in the urban areas, but they apply to vacant land, Aboriginal and Department of Housing land ,Crown land, and developed lots that do not discharge onto land managed by Council.
“If a landowner feels they have been incorrectly charged they will need to write to Council outlining their reasons for appealing the charge.
“Once a Council officer receives the letter they will discuss it with the landowner, assess the matter then determine an outcome. The charge will then be refunded, removed or remain in place.”
As a result of the increased funding from the stormwater management charge, a comprehensive capital works list is being prepared consisting of prioritised works assessed by Engineering staff as well as highest priority actions from Council’s Urban Stormwater Management Plan.
