Guidelines for Urban Water Management under the Environment and Planning Act

The new Environment and Planning Act came into effect on 1 January 2024. This Act alters the way in which parties collaborate on urban water management. Yet much remains the same. The Guidelines for Urban Water Management under the Environment and Planning Act show policymakers, lawyers, water management bodies, and urban drainage authorities what has changed and what has not. Furthermore, the Guidelines identify opportunities in the field of climate adaptation. Municipalities can use the Guidelines when drawing up an environmental vision and an environmental plan. The Guidelines first outline the Environment and Planning Act and the policy objectives relating to urban water management. Subsequently, they delve into three main instruments of the Act: the municipal environmental vision, the non-mandatory sewer programme, and the environmental plan. The final chapter sets out the potential synergy between these three instruments at the municipal level, addressing specific water issues such as sewer overflows, rainwater storage, and wastewater collection and transport.