Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan

Transcription

1 Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan Submission_id: Date of Lodgment: 13 Dec 2017 Origin of Submission: Online Organisation name: HARC Organisation type: Industry First name: Russell Last name: Beatty Suburb: 2134 Submission content: Please see attached document Number of attachments: 1

2 Submission Greater Sydney Commission Region and District Plans Russell Beatty Hydrology and Risk Consulting The Need for a Water Futures Vision On reading the Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan and the relevant parts of the District Plans, while there are some sensible statements about water use efficiency, recycling and care for waterways, there is an absence of a Total Vision for water which is integrated with land use, environmental and economic planning. Our Inherited Water Legacy Traditionally water in urban planning has been treated as both a need and a nuisance. Demand for water was seen as a need to be met with an ever-expanding network of dams, pipelines and pumps, all with the associated adverse environmental impacts. It is an interesting fact that much of the water for the Greater Sydney metropolitan area comes from catchments located to the north and east of Goulburn, some 150 km to the south west. Without extensive water conservation and recycling, Greater Sydney will continue to extend its water tentacles to the detriment of our regional river systems. Water demand has traditionally been seen simply as an accepted need to be met with additional supply sources. It is now recognised that a permanent reduction in water demand through conservation is equivalent to an increase in supply capacity. Wastewater is the primary nuisance water stream and has been an ongoing management problem. It has been traditionally transported to a place where it can be discharged without too many adverse environmental and community impacts. This disposal approach was only challenged once the volumes of discharge exceeded the carrying capacity of receiving waters resulting in significant problems for communities and the environment. Even at that point, the answer has been to either increase the levels of treatment or to transport the wastewater to a more distant location. It is only more recently that wastewater has been seen as a potential resource, which a number of significant recycling schemes having been put in place. Wastewater has traditionally been viewed as a waste product rather than a potentially valuable resource. Stormwater was seen as a lower priority nuisance water stream. Large areas of impervious surfaces led to increases in flows in creeks and stream that led to erosion and large volumes of sediment being deposited in waterways. Many areas of the city became flood-prone. In urban areas we turned our backs on many waterways, with as many as possible being either: Covered over to maximise the amount of land available this led to the obliteration of much of the first and second order stream network; and Lining watercourse to protect from erosion and to increase hydraulic efficiency both of which were coping mechanisms to deal with the increased flows. The inflow of urban sediments and pollutants rendered the many of the remaining intermediate sized waterways as little more than drains, which thankfully were hidden away behind houses or industrial developments. The Cooks River and Alexandria Canal are two of the most potent examples of impacts of this traditional approach. Other estuaries such as Salt Pan Creek, the Cooks River and the upper reaches of the Parramatta River once exhibited white sand beaches along much of their length. These more amenable areas were subsequently replaced by a layer of black urban sediment and mangroves. The extensive use of concrete in urban drainage networks has also led to a change to a more alkaline water chemistry. 1 P age

3 Urban stormwater has traditionally been treated as a nuisance, with the priority on rapid conveyance to receiving waters. Prior to European occupation there were also significant areas of estuarine wetlands and saltmarsh along the Sydney Harbour and Georges River foreshores. In the mid 1800 s to the mid 1900 s many of these where filled in to make way for housing developments, golf courses and sporting fields. Prime examples of this practice are Johnstons Creek in Annandale, Timbrell Park in Five Dock and St Lukes Canal in Concord. Previous land uses have also left a legacy of contamination, both in waterway sediments and groundwater aquifers. Traditional approaches to urban water management have left a legacy of adverse environmental, social and economic impacts. Some Promising Changes have been Started Some 30 years ago, communities began to recognise the potential for degraded waterways to be converted to community assets for passive recreation. The desire to remove litter and improve the water quality in major water bodies led many local government authorities to retrofit stormwater quality improvement devices and artificial wetlands. In addition, the desire to minimise the impact of new development on waterways led to the creation of standards that encouraged the detention of water and pollutants at or near to their source. While these changes have been tremendously positive, there is still a long way to go. Most objective observers would agree that in the Australian context that Melbourne is the leader in urban water management. In contrast, Sydney is some distance behind. In the Australian context, Melbourne is the leader in urban water management. Sydney is currently some distance behind. Water use over the last 20 years has fallen significantly. Initially this occurred due to the introduction of pay for use pricing, and subsequently as a results of a comprehensive demand management program led by Sydney Water and the introduction of the BASIX program. As a result, water demand in Sydney has fallen 15% since the early 1990 s in spite of a 30% increase in population over that time. These outcomes place Sydney as a global leader in water conservation. Total water demand in Sydney has fallen 15% since the early 1990 s in spite of a 30% increase in population. This places Sydney as a global leader in water conservation. The Importance of Water in the Urban Context Any vision for water needs to understand the importance of water in the urban catchment, from the roofs of buildings through creeks, streams and rivers down to the estuarine and beach environments. It is also useful to ask the question How can we create urban environments where the flow of water and the quality of that water is the same as that from the natural catchment? Integrated management of the urban water cycle, and integration of the urban water cycle with urban design and land use, has the potential impact so many of the key goals that are important to us in mapping out the future for Greater Sydney. Water features, water bodies and waterways provide important ecosystem services. The outcomes from typically used water management approaches are mapped out in the table below. Improved water cycle management and integration of water management with urban planning and design has many potential positive impacts. 2 P age

4 Water-Smart City Measure Employed Reduces Water Use Improves the Quality of Stormwater Reduces the Volume of Stormwater Discharge Reduces the Volume of Wastewater Discharge Reduces Energy Use Reduces the Urban Heat Island Effect Creates Opportunities for Passive Recreation Enhances Economic Growth Water efficient fixtures, appliances, processes Low water use landscaping and planting Rainwater harvesting Passive building cooling Drainage infiltration swales Bio-retention swales and beds Stormwater quality improvement devices Stormwater harvesting Recycled wastewater use Engineered wetlands Retention and protection of the urban stream network Daylighting of underground stormwater assets Waterway naturalisation/rehabilitation Community education Major waterways are iconic if not central focal points in most major cities around the globe. In the Greater Sydney region, Sydney Harbour already has that status. The less heralded smaller rivers and stream networks do not have that status however they still have an important role to play and it is often undervalued and overlooked. Where once we turned out backs on the urban stream network, it is essential for the future that we see it as the life-blood of the community, the arteries that can bring cooler, cleaner more liveable cities in the future. The impacts for the economy are clear. Early work by Sydney Water on the impact of waterway naturalisation shows significant growth in property values in the vicinity of projects. New developments that place waterways as accessible central features are always more valued than those that simply maximise the urban sprawl. The urban stream network is perhaps one of the most under-valued parts of the urban water system. 3 P age

5 Proposed Changes to the Greater Sydney Regional and District Plans Both the regional and district plans have many good observations about the current water cycle issues being faced. They are however, lacking a grander vision for water. The regional plan lacks a vision statement that highlights the importance of improved water management to the community, environment and the economy. The district plans in some cases miss highlighting key challenges and opportunities. Some suggested changes are set out below. The Greater Sydney Regional Plan Needs the following changes: Under Chapter 2 Past, present and future, a clear statement is required of the legacy of poor water cycle management since European occupation (see discussion above). Under Chapter 4 Liveability, a new objective is required. A city of waterways. Where the importance of waterways to the community and future Greater Sydney should be clearly mapped out. Places that cool surrounding neighbourhoods. Places where people can connect with the natural environment. A network of aquatic and riparian habitats that bring life to the city. Integrated with pedestrian and cycle paths that creates key infrastructure for sustainable transport systems. Under Chapter 6 Sustainability, a new objective is required. It should be at the top of the list: A water-smart city. Leading the way in water management. Building communities that are water smart and a city that is a global leader in the management of water. This includes reducing water use through conservation and recycling and better managing stormwater. The link between improved water management and major reductions in the urban heat island effect is a significant omission in the Regional Plan 1. The district plans each need planning priorities under Chapter 3 Liveability and Chapter 5 Sustainability that are reflective of the two objectives above. This includes: Eastern City District o The restoration and continued naturalisation of the Cooks River and Alexandria Canal and the restoration of community access to the Alexandria Canal need to be identified as specific planning priorities with associated actions. Western City and Central City Districts o The mention of South Creek and Georges River is too high level to be meaningful. In the South Creek Catchment, Badgerys and Kemps Creek need to be added to the list of defining spatial elements. In the Georges River catchment, Prospect, Orphan School and Cabramatta Creeks need to be added to the list as existing eco-corridors in need of restoration and ongoing protection. Prospect Creek in particular has a major gap in the eco-corridor that needs to be bridged. In all District Plans, there are a number of generic issues that should be addressed: It would be useful to include a statement outlining legacy water management issues in each plan. Examples of key issues would be those concerning waterway and groundwater contamination and waterway condition. It is notable that in all implementation chapters there are no metrics around water. Potential inclusions are: o Proportion of all stormwater runoff captured and recycled o Proportion of wastewater re-used o Length of waterways naturalised o Addition length of stream-based eco-corridors established o Change in the number of swimmable days in key waterways 1 This is mentioned in the district plans in a number of places. 4 P age

6 Summing up Overall the Regional and District Plans have some excellent material around water management. The inclusion of the naturalisation of modified urban waterways as an action in plans is commendable as are the general comments about the benefits of improved water management. The three key things that are absent from the plans are the lack of: An outline of legacy and future issues that need to be addressed (what is the problem?) A clear water management vision for the future (how do we fix the problem?); and Key metrics relating to water outcomes (how do we know the problem is fixed?). 5 P age