Policy and Guidelines

High Level Guidance

• State water plan 2007
• State water strategy for Western Australia
• Water Corporation: Water forever
• Western Australian Climate Action and Sustainability Strategy

State Planning Policies and Guidelines

• Department of Water: Constructed lakes in the Perth metropolitan area and South West region (600kb)
• Department of Water: The interim guidelines for developing a local water management strategy (12Mb)
• Department of Water: Urban water management plans: Guidelines for preparing plans and for complying with subdivision conditions (5Mb)
• Planning for Dewatering Affecting the Swan Canning Development Control Area (Corporate Policy Statement No. 50)
• Planning for Land Use, Development and Permitting Affecting the Swan Canning Development Control Area (Corporate Policy Statement No. 42)
• Planning for Stormwater Management Affecting the Swan Canning Development Control Area (Corporate Policy Statement No. 49)
• State planning policy 2.9
• State Planning Policy 2.9 - Planning for Water Guidelines
• State Planning Policy 2.10 Swan Canning River System - Repealed by State Planning Policy 2.9
• Strategic Policy 2.09 – Use of mine dewatering surplus
• Swan Canning policy and guideline list
• Urban Greening Strategy for Whadjuk (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel)
• WAPC: Better urban water management - Replaced by State Planning Policy 2.9
• WAPC: Planning bulletin 92 urban water management
• Water monitoring guidelines for better urban water management strategies and plans
• Western Australia water in mining guideline

Regional Water Plans

• Kimberley regional water plan
• Pilbara regional water plan
• Perth-Peel regional water plan
• South West regional water plan

Department of Water Drainage and Water Management Plans

• Byford townsite drainage and water management plan
• Geographe Bay water quality improvement plan
• Jandakot drainage and water management plan : Peel main drain catchment
• Murray drainage and water management plan
• Policy framework for inland drainage
• Southern River integrated land and water management plan
• Swan urban growth corridor drainage and water management plan

Water Quality Improvement Plans

• Canning Plain WQIP – Reducing the impact of light industry on the Swan Canning Rivers through the review of local government instruments.
• Leschenault Estuary WQIP
• Peel-Harvey
• Swan-Canning
• Vasse-Wonnerup

Local WQIPs

• Bannister Creek Catchment
• Bayswater Brook
• Bennett Brook Catchment
• Bickley Brook Catchment
• Bull Creek Catchment
• Canning Plain Catchment
• Ellen Brook Catchment
• Mounts Bay Catchment
• Southern River Catchment
• St Leonards Creek Catchment

Other Resources

• SERCUL: Phosphorus awareness project
• Swan Canning Riverpark

• Adoption guidelines for Stormwater Biofiltration Systems
• Australian rainfall and runoff
• Australian run-off quality
• Biofilter vegetation guidelines for southwest WA
• Biofilter vegetation Practice Note for southwest WA
• Code of Practice urban and peri-urban drainage modelling for Western Australia
• Decision Process for Stormwater Management in WA
• Department of Water and Environmental Regulation: Stormwater management manual for Western Australia
  • Chapter 1 – Introduction
  • Chapter 2 – Understanding the context
  • Chapter 3 – This chapter is superseded by State Planning Policy 2.9 Planning for Water (WAPC 2025)
  • Chapter 4 – This chapter is superseded by the Decision process for stormwater management in Western Australia (DWER 2017)
  • Chapter 5 – Stormwater management plans
  • Chapter 6 – Retrofitting
  • Chapter 7 – Non-structural controls
  • Chapter 8 – Education and awareness for stormwater management
  • Chapter 9 – Structural Controls
  • Chapter 10 – Performance management and evaluation
  • Chapter 11 – Further information
• Draft specifications – groundwater separations V2 (IPWEA)
  • Sub-Soil Drainage Recommended Requirements_Final_Sept18
• Environmental management of groundwater abstraction from the Gnangara Mound
• MUSIC Model for Urban Stormwater Improvement Conceptualisation Guideline 2024
• Perth NRM: Sediment control for building sites
  • Sediment management for builders
  • Sediment management for local government
  • Sediment management – Manuals and reports
• Rain garden design: Final Version of FAWB Adoption Guidelines  Facility for advancing water biofiltration
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Specifications for bioretention filter media (2023)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Improving the biology of bioretention systems (2023)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Guidelines for the construction and establishment of bioretention systems and wetlands (2022)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Wetland Technical Design Guidelines (2017)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Guide to the Cost of Maintaining Bioretention Systems (2015)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Bioretention Technical Design Guidelines (2014)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Maintaining Vegetated Stormwater Assets (2012)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Rectifying Vegetated Stormwater Assets (Draft - 2012)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Transferring Ownership of Vegetated Stormwater Assets (2012)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Deemed to Comply Solutions - Stormwater Quality Management (South East Queensland) (2010)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Deemed to Comply Worked Solutions and Examples - Stormwater Quality Management (South East Queensland) (2010)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Total Water Cycle Management Planning Guideline for South East Queensland (2010)
• SEQ Healthy Land and Water: Stormwater Harvesting Guidelines (2009)
• Stormwater Pollution Educational Awareness Campaign
• Water resource considerations when controlling groundwater levels in urban development
• Western Australian WSUD info sheets

• State Water Recycling Strategy (WA)

Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling

• NWQMS Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Augmentation of Drinking Water Supplies – May 2008
• NWQMS Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Managed Aquifer Recharge – July 2009
• NWQMS Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Managing Health and Environmental Risks – Nov 2006
• NWQMS Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse – July 2009
• Overview Document – Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Managing Health and Environmental Risks – Phase 1 – Mar 2006
• Recycled Water Quality: A guide to determining, monitoring and achieving safe concentrations of chemicals in recycled water – Uniquest – May 2008

Framework for the use of Non-Drinking water in WA

• Guidelines for the approval of non-drinking water systems in Western Australia – urban developments
• Department of Water and Environmental Regulation -  Water Recycling

Managed aquifer recharge

• Australian Guidelines for Managed Aquifer Recharge
• Feasibility of managed aquifer recharge using drainage water study
• Operational policy 1.01 — Managed aquifer recharge in Western Australia
• South Australian Stormwater Harvesting Schemes

Other publications

• CSIRO: Water: Science and Solutions for Australia
• Master Plumbers Association handbook on greywater design and installation (2.45MB)
• Master Plumbers Association handbook on rainwater tank design and installation
• Requirements for installation of rainwater and greywater systems in Australia (1.7MB)
• Requirements for installation of rainwater and greywater systems in Australia – executive summary (57KB)
• Water Corporation sewer mining information sheet
• Water Corporation dual reticulation (non-drinking water) schemes

WA Department of Health guidelines

• Code of Practice for the Reuse of Greywater in Western Australia 2010
• Guidelines for the Non-Potable Uses of Recycled Water in Western Australia
• National Public Health Partnership: Guidance on use of rainwater tanks
• Urban rainwater tanks: Urban rainwater collection

Water Corporation information for builders and developers

• Here is an information source developed to assist land developers consider non-drinking water schemes. Land developers are encouraged to engage with Water Corporation early in the planning process to avoid unnecessary costs and save time.

• Department of Water: North West corridor water supply strategy
• Department of Water: Water efficiency
• Irrigation Australia – Urban Irrigation Best Management Practices (for purchase)
• Water Corporation – Waterwise
• Water Corporation – Waterwise verge best practice guidelines

Other Resources

• Alliance for Water Efficiency (USA): Program experiences of the US and ideas you can use (pdf)
• CRC for Irrigation Futures: Irrigation of urban green spaces: A review of the environmental, social and economic benefits
• Great Gardens (Free gardening workshops by the Forever Project)
• Landscape Industries Association Western Australia: Waterwise garden landscapers
• Perth Region NRM: Coastal Gardens – A planting guide for the Perth coastal region
• Rewild Perth - Bring nature home
• University of Western Australia: School of Plant Biology: Turf research programme
• Water Corporation: Waterwise hints and tips
• Water Corporation: Waterwise plants for Western Australia