1. Lower Hunter & Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy

2. Building capacity to design & implement water sensitive urban design Meredith Laing Director LHCCREMS

3. Member Councils n n Gosford City Council n n Wyong Shire Council n n Lake Macquarie City Council n n Newcastle City Council n n Port Stephens Council n n Maitland City Council n n Cessnock Council

4. Lower Hunter & Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy

5. LHCCREMS Focus n n Provides a framework for coordinated action and a consistent response, across LGA boundaries, in relation to environmental issues impacting on the region n n Addresses those issues best managed at a regional scale n n Facilitates regional partnerships and the attraction of substantial resources to Councils n n Enables Councils to collectively respond to a range of community issues and needs

6. Current LHCCREMS Projects n n Biodiversity Conservation n n Urban Water Cycle Management n n State of the Environment Reporting n n Erosion and Sediment Control n n Ecological Accounting n n Regional Planning n n Community Partnership and Education

7. Why Urban Water Cycle Management? n n Increased urban run-off and sewerage discharge anticipated with population growth n n A significant increase in potable water demand n n Increasing expense of providing traditional water supply, sewage and stormwater infrastructure n n Increasing expense of on-going infrastructure maintenance Increased environmental damage and costs n n WSUD - a least cost option for Councils

8. Issues & Impediments Anxieties: n n What will it cost each stakeholder? n n Will the technology work as asserted? n n Have we got the skills to do it? Excitement: n n Sense of paradigm shift in urban stormwater design n n Potential to look after ecosystems better n n New challenges

9. Why Capacity Building ? n The need to challenge traditional approaches and practises n The need to genuinely engage and reach a wide & diverse audience n The need for technical understanding and competence n The need to build trust n The need to build organisational/ management support

10. Why regional? n n Shared needs n n Sharing costs n n Leverage to access funding and partnerships n n Scope to reduce implementation costs for the community through common standards

11. Capacity Building Program Approach n n Engagement not traditional consultation n n “Learning by doing” focus n n Addressing the “reality” of the planning framework n n Building capacity re: technical skills, knowledge and applications n n Addressing organisational frameworks & context n n Acknowledging & addressing threatening processes - financial/cost benefit and other tough issues n n Fostering organisational networks n n Documenting rationales n n Providing reusable products (MPPs, Guide)

12. Adressing Issues & Impediments n n Cost-Benefit n n Change Management n n Policy Tools n n Challenging the “experts”, testing the rationale n n Learning by doing n n Leadership

13. Capacity Building Program Elements n Increasing systems understanding n Best Practise examples & experience - site tours, networks, national & international n Training Seminars & Workshops (technical, planning, cost benefit) n Demonstrations Sites - Montioring & Reporting n Research n Change Management Skills Water Cycle Games Water Cycle Games

14. Technical Understanding & Competence n n Introductory Seminars & Tours n n Expert input n n Case Studies n n Demonstration Sites n n On-going Monitoring & Evaluation n n Targetted Training Sessions n n Forums for Debate Creating Opportunities for In-house Evaluations & Appllications

15. Change Management From ”ridicule to acceptance” n n Engagement n n Champions & coalitions n n Creating “political will” n n Understanding organisational context n n Communicating effectively n n Developing skills and resources Performance management

16. Water Cycle Games n n In-house, cross regional n n Multi-disciplinary n n Real world application n n Management support n n Industry partners n n Technical support Friendly competition

17. Planning for WSUD n n Natural systems - Structure Plans & REPs n n Discharge Controls - LEPs & Neighbourhood Master Plans n n Conveyance Controls - Neighbourhood Master Plans & Sub-division plans Source Controls - Subdivision Plans and Building Plans

18. Model Planning Provisions n n Ensuring that important water cycle considerations are addressed at the earliest stages in the urban development process n n Achieving more environmentally responsive approaches to neighbourhood planning, subdivision design, site planning and building design and their implementation n n Embedding these approaches into a range of everyday planning documents such as subdivision and housing codes to ensure community compliance. n n Supporting objectives for ecologically sustainable development.

19. Maintaining Ongoing Support n n Training CD n n Planning Tools n n Education Tools n n Regional network/champions n n Regional coordination n n Ongoing monitoring, evaluation reporting of demo sites n n Commitment to ongoing Research

20. Future Directions n n Capacity Building # 2 n n Three Year Research Program n n Regional Coordination and Reporting n n Peak Regional Committee n n Demonstration Sites - new & existing n n Targetted Community Education Program