Certification Discussion Paper

This discussion paper explores the issue of verification and certification for the design and delivery of water sensitive urban design (WSUD).

Regulatory and policy requirements for compliance with water quality and stormwater management objectives for urban developments are strengthening. Implementing WSUD within urban developments is an effective way to ensure water quality and stormwater management objectives are met. However, WSUD practitioners are not achieving a consistent quality level across projects, and it has been suggested that a certification scheme may be needed.

We are seeking feedback on this discussion paper.

Responses to this discussion paper should consider
the following questions:

• Considering both the likelihood and consequences, how significant is the risk associated with poor water sensitive urban design outcomes? How does this change from the development scale to the regional scale?
• In your experience, how effective are existing verification or certification schemes?
• What schemes are most effective and what are the key attributes of effective schemes?
• What factors contribute towards ineffective schemes?
• Is a verification scheme needed for water sensitive urban design?
• If so what do you consider to be the preferred model for this?
• Who should administer the scheme?
• How could the scheme address the interdisciplinary nature of water sensitive urban design?

Download the Discussion Paper

Certification discussion paper