Council request review
Permit conditions, RFIs, subdivision triggers, local policy, and drainage correspondence are read before the report scope is set.
Services · Stormwater Management Plans
Stormwater Management Plans for development, planning permits and RFIs.
Council-ready development SWMPs and stormwater documentation for subdivisions, infill, multi-unit and commercial developments across Melbourne and regional Victoria. The SWMP is the parent stormwater strategy. It can include WSUD and OSD material where council asks for those requirements to be addressed.
Scope
What's included.
Stormwater strategy
The SWMP explains the broader runoff, drainage, water-quality, detention and discharge response for the current site.
Submission-ready report
The final draft is packaged for the planner, architect, and project engineer to submit with the permit or RFI response.
Triggers
When you need this.
If your council planner has asked for a stormwater management strategy, stormwater response, or drainage response, the SWMP is usually the document that ties the stormwater scope together. Common triggers include:
- Subdivisions
A Clause 56 stormwater response for a residential subdivision or related permit condition.
- Multi-unit and commercial
A Clause 53.18 or local-policy stormwater request for infill, multi-dwelling, commercial, or mixed-use development.
- RFI response
Council asks for clearer stormwater documentation before it can continue assessing the planning application.
- Drainage interface
The site has a Legal Point of Discharge, drainage capacity, easement, or Melbourne Water interface that needs to be coordinated in the permit package.
Coverage
What the development SWMP covers.
Overall strategy
The SWMP explains the site constraints, proposed runoff response, drainage context, water-quality approach and the pathway for the Legal Point of Discharge.
WSUD
The water-quality, treatment, and reuse part of the response. It can include rainwater tanks, raingardens, bioretention, permeable surfaces, proprietary treatment devices, STORM scoring or MUSIC modelling, depending on the condition.
OSD
The peak-discharge and detention part of the response. When council asks for storage and outlet-control documentation, the SWMP can include the OSD sizing basis, storage requirement and discharge assumptions.
Coordination
Consultation.
A useful SWMP is not a generic template. The scope is set from the permit condition, RFI, subdivision pathway, council drainage advice and any Melbourne Water or authority correspondence already issued.
- Council conditions and RFIs
- The wording is checked first so the SWMP answers the request council has actually made.
- Planner and project-team coordination
- The stormwater response is coordinated with the current plans, survey, civil inputs and application pathway.
- Authority interfaces
- Melbourne Water, council drainage, easements, discharge points and capacity constraints are allowed for where they affect the permit response.
- Follow-up during assessment
- If council asks for clarification, the response can be adjusted to suit the updated plans or assessment comments.
Process
How it works.
- 01
Confirm the council request
We review the permit condition, RFI, subdivision pathway, or council note and confirm what the SWMP needs to answer.
- 02
Collect site inputs
Site address, plans, survey, drainage information, Legal Point of Discharge details, and any council or Melbourne Water correspondence are checked before the scope is set.
- 03
Set the stormwater strategy
The SWMP frames the broader runoff, drainage, water-quality, and detention response, with WSUD or OSD material included where council has asked for it.
- 04
Prepare council-ready documentation
The report is written for the planner, architect, and project engineer to submit with the permit package or RFI response.
- 05
Support follow-up
If council asks for clarification, the SWMP response can be adjusted to match the condition and the project team's updated plans.
Information needed
Quote inputs.
For a useful SWMP scope, send the project address, council, current plans, feature and level survey if available, the permit condition or RFI wording, and any Legal Point of Discharge, drainage, or Melbourne Water correspondence already issued.
Example
Example scope.
For a typical infill site, the SWMP may need to explain the Legal Point of Discharge, proposed drainage strategy, water-quality response, and whether OSD or detailed WSUD material is needed. The final scope depends on the council condition, site constraints, and the project team's current plans.
Common questions
FAQ.
When does my project need a Stormwater Management Plan?
A SWMP is usually needed when council asks for a stormwater management strategy, stormwater response, or drainage response as part of a planning permit, RFI, or subdivision pathway. For residential subdivisions, Clause 56 is commonly relevant. For other urban development, Clause 53.18 or a local stormwater requirement may apply.
Do you prepare development SWMPs across Melbourne and Victoria?
Yes. Stormwater Report prepares development SWMPs for planning permits, subdivisions, infill, multi-unit and commercial projects across Melbourne and regional Victoria. The report is scoped to the council condition, RFI wording and site constraints.
Is a Melbourne SWMP different from a regional Victorian SWMP?
The structure is similar, but the council requirements, Legal Point of Discharge process, Melbourne Water referral status and local drainage constraints can differ. The SWMP needs to answer the actual planning pathway for the site, not just follow a generic template.
What does a council-ready SWMP include?
A council-ready SWMP explains the site constraints, proposed stormwater strategy, drainage and water-quality response, supporting calculations or assessment outputs where required, and how the documentation answers the council condition or RFI.
Is WSUD part of a SWMP?
Often, yes. The SWMP is the broader stormwater strategy. WSUD is the water-quality, treatment, and reuse part of that response. Some councils ask for one combined SWMP. Others ask for separate WSUD information beside the SWMP.
Is OSD part of a SWMP?
Sometimes. OSD is about controlling peak stormwater discharge with temporary storage and outlet control. If council asks for detention as part of the stormwater response, the OSD sizing and supporting calculations can sit inside the SWMP or be prepared as supporting material.
What information do you need for a quote?
Send the site address, council, current plans, feature and level survey if available, permit condition or RFI wording, and any Legal Point of Discharge, drainage, or Melbourne Water correspondence already issued.
How is a SWMP different from a drainage plan?
A drainage plan shows the physical drainage arrangement. A SWMP explains the planning-stage stormwater strategy: runoff, water quality, OSD if required, site constraints, and how the proposal responds to council's stormwater requirement.
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