"The 13 Local Councils of the Cooks River catchment, working together with State Authorities and the community, have prepared a Stormwater Management Plan for the Cooks River. The Plan aims to improve water quality and the health of the Cooks River by identifying practical and long term solutions to stormwater problems.
The preparation of the Plan is a response to a Direction issued by the Environment Protection Authority under Section 12 of the Protection of the Environment Administration Act, 1991. Through the Stormwater Trust, the State Government has provided funding for the preparation of Stormwater Management Plans for all catchments within NSW. PPK Environment and Infrastructure Pty Ltd, in association with Webb McKeown and Associates Pty Ltd were appointed by the Cooks River Association of Councils to prepare the Stormwater Management Plan.
The approach to developing a Stormwater Management Plan closely follows the methodology and principles set out in the Environment Protection Authority’s Draft Council Handbook for Managing Urban Stormwater (1997). The Plan has the following key components:
- clear definition of catchment values and objectives for stormwater management;
- identification of issues which prevent the objectives from being satisfied;
- evaluation of options to address identified stormwater management issues;
- a detailed Action Plan which identifies and prioritises cost-effective actions specific to the management of stormwater within the Cooks River;
- an Implementation Strategy which defines the management framework, details costs and outlines a timeframe for implementation; and
- an Evaluation, Monitoring and Reporting Program which provides performance indicators for the actions and identifies appropriate monitoring to measure and report on the success of the Stormwater Management Plan."
