Why is my council levying a stormwater management service charge?
Urbanisation has resulted in increases in impervious surfaces and has significantly increased the volume of and pollutant load in stormwater flowing into urban waterways. These flows lead to waterway pollution as well as flooding in some areas. To help councils better fulfil their role in managing these stormwater issues, the Local Government Act was amended in 2005 to allow them the option of levying an annual stormwater management service charge. The purpose of the charge is to help councils fund new or additional stormwater management activities. These activities may include stormwater pollution prevention, flood mitigation, rainwater and stormwater harvesting, community education programs and stormwater drainage systems operations and maintenance. Councils that choose to levy the charge have to meet certain requirements, including consulting with their community through the annual management planning process prior to levying the charge. The maximum amount that a council can charge
